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Free Startup Events Hosted
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Attendees to Free Events
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Mentors Helping Entrepreneurs
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Ecosystem Leaders Graduated
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FI Accelerator Cohorts
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Portfolio Companies
$BN+
Funding Raised by Alumni
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Countries with FI Accelerators
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Cities with FI Accelerators
How Did We Get Here ?
The Founder Institute was founded to empower entrepreneurs to build meaningful technology companies through a structured process and supportive network, and has grown organically since inception.
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2007Humble Beginnings
Co-Founders Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechan were mistreated by investors at a previous startup, so they launched a website called TheFunded to let founders anonymously rate and review investors.
Over 10,000 entrepreneurs who raised funding (or were in the process of raising funding) were accepted as members. -
2009"TheFunded Founder Institute" is born
The majority of membership applications to TheFunded were filled with entrepreneurs nowhere near ready to fundraise.
To fill this knowledge and mentorship gap, "TheFunded Founder Institute" was born to help entrepreneurs launch fundable businesses.The inaugural cohort was hosted at Stanford University and finished with 82 Alumni. -
2010FI Goes International
After news of the program hits TechCrunch, FI launches new chapters in 10 new cities based on inbound demand.
The first FI Chapter outside of Silicon Valley was launched in San Diego (U.S.) with Jeanine Jacobson.The first international FI Chapters were launched simultaneously in Paris and Singapore. -
2011FI Launches the Female Founder Fellowship
To empower more women to launch startups, FI introduces fellowships for top female applicants in all programs.
The initiative led to an immediate 60%+ boost in women-founded portfolio companies coming out of FI.As of 2024, 34% of FI Alumni identify as Female, a leading ratio for international accelerators. -
2012FI Releases the FAST Agreement
To make it faster and cheaper for startups to secure formal advisors, FI releases a free legal template called the "Founder Advisor Standard Template" ("FAST Agreement").
FAST simplifies advisor-founder agreements through standardized equity compensation.As of 2024, tens of thousands of startups are believed to have utilized the FAST Agreement. -
2013FI Surpasses 1,000 Portfolio Companies
FI celebrates its first major milestone, surpassing 1000 companies across 55 cities and 30 countries.
To celebrate the milestone, FI releases a new investment vehicle called "Convertible Equity" - a concept that contributes to the creation of the now ubiquitous Simple Agreement for Future Equity ("SAFE"). -
2015The "Entrepreneur DNA Assessment" is featured on Entrepreneur Magazine
FI's unique, quantitative test for identifying entrepreneurial potential is featured on the cover of the iconic magazine
As of 2024, 180,000 + have taken the Entrepreneur DNA Assessment and FI has calibrated the results based on millions of data points collected over 15+ years. -
2016Launch of Founder Lab and FounderX
FI beefs up Alumni support by launching Founder Lab post-programs and the FounderX Conference.
Founder Lab offers free, advanced accelerators to help FI Alumni continue making progress long after FI Core.FounderX, an annual conference for the FI Network, has hosted speakers like Steve Jurvetson, Esther Dyson, Jason Calacanis, and many more. -
2017FI Launches its first Impact Initiatives
With little progress made on the UN SDGs, FI announces its goal to reach 70% of Alumni building businesses that address the SDGs by 2030
Impact related programming is integrated into FI programs worldwide.FI launches the "For Progress" initiative, an easy way for companies of all sizes to define realistic impact goals. -
2019FI Partners with USAID
FI Partners with USAID to train and empower aspiring entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, with a specific focus on helping women entrepreneurs through the WIE (Women in Entrepreneurship) initiative.
Two cohorts were run, resulting in 56 Graduate Founders and 22 new technology companies.Mentors included over 50 participants from the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. -
2020FI Goes Virtual
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FI quickly pivots all programs to a fully virtual format and welcomes participants from over 125 countries
To help entrepreneurs adjust to the pandemic, FI releases free crisis planning and management tools.In 2020 alone, FI hosted 600+ free online educational startup events with nearly 70,000 attendees. -
2021FI Partners with NASA
FI announces a groundbreaking partnership with the NASA Ames Reserch Center to launch accelerators helping aerospace entrepreneurs build the 'beyond Earth' future
FI Spacetech Portfolio companies include Atomos Space & Nuclear, Ceres Robotics, and more.As of 2024, several FI Portfolio companies have deployed products into space. -
2022FI Spins out VC Lab
VC Lab, an internal FI program designed to help emergning managers launch new VC funds, experiences exponential growth and is formally spun out into an independent company.
As of 2024, VC Lab (now part of "Decile Group") has launched 479 funds, and faciliated over $1.05BN in LP commitments and $314M in startup investments. -
2023FI Surpasses 7000 Alumni, Launches FIVN
To celebrate the 7000 Alumni milestone, FI announces the launch of the FI Venture Network (FIVN) to help entrepreneurs connect with investors writing "first and second checks" into startups.
FIVN now includes angels, syndicates, accelerators, and micro-VCs across nearly every geography and business vertical. -
2024Founder Institute Launches FIv5
FI introduces its most substantial curriculum update in 15 years, evolving to meet the fast-paced changes of the startup world in the 2020s.
A revamped user dashboard is released, with AI tools designed to help Founders more efficiently build a business.FI's curriculum is updated with 3 Tracks and increased feedback from Mentors.
An Unparalleled Global Footprint
We are #FIworldwide, because we believe there are entrepreneurs everywhere whose talent can be unlocked to build amazing startups.
Alumni Changing the World
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the FI Network has built communities of entrepreneurs and investors launching startups with impact.
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Udemy
Udemy is an online learning and teaching marketplace offering over 220,000 courses to 70 million students worldwide.
Founder(s)Gagan Biyani, Eren BaliFI CohortSummer 2009 Bay Area -
Unito
Unito keeps your data in sync across multiple apps with secure, 2-way enterprise-grade integrations anyone can set up in minutes.
Founder(s)Marc BoscherFI CohortMontreal Spring 2015 -
Esusu
Esusu reports rent payments to major credit bureaus, helping renters build credit while maximizing outcomes for property managers.
Founder(s)Rob HenningFI CohortSan Francisco Fall 2017 -
Realty Mogul
RealtyMogul is a platform for investors to evaluate and invest in commercial, residential, or industrial real estate opportunities.
Founder(s)Jilliene HelmanFI CohortLos Angeles Spring 2012 -
FightCamp
FightCamp delivers exhilarating and effective home fitness through interactive boxing workouts, streamed to your device on demand.
Founder(s)Khalil ZaharFI CohortMontreal Spring 2015 -
OddBox
Oddbox rescues odd and surplus fruits and vegetables straight from farms, delivering them directly to customers’ doorsteps.
Founder(s)Emilie VanpoperingheFI CohortLondon Spring 2015 -
Checkbox
Checkbox is an intake and workflow automation platform for capturing requests, gaining visibility, and automating manual work.
Founder(s)Evan WongFI CohortSydney Autumn 2016 -
Leasecake
Leasecake provides user-friendly lease management software for alerts, document storage, and financial oversight to help grow your business.
Founder(s)Taj AdhavFI CohortSilicon Valley Winter 2019 -
Atomos Nuclear and Space
Atomos is building an in-space logistics network of Orbital Transfer Vehicles to provide Delta-V on Demand for satellites and payloads.
Founder(s)Vanessa Clark, Brandon Seifert, William KowalskiFI CohortDenver Fall 2017 -
Instant Teams
Instant Teams is an all-in-one hiring platform accessing remarkable talent, partnering with companies to source from a diverse, remote workforce.
Founder(s)Liza RodewaldFI CohortWashington DC Winter 2018 -
Orange Charger
Orange Charger makes electric vehicle charging simple, equitable, and scalable at any apartment community.
Founder(s)Nicholas JohnsonFI CohortSilicon Valley Fall Virtual 2021 -
Remynt
Remynt is a startup that empowers consumers to rebuild their credit by resolving delinquent debt.
Founder(s)Gwyneth BordenFI CohortSilicon Valley Summer Virtual 2022 -
Branddu
Branddu aims to deliver the best merchandising purchasing experience to its customers.
Founder(s)Mariana VelasquezFI CohortBogota Spring 2019 -
BioFluff
BioFluff is a direct sales sustainable raw material provider for the luxury fashion industry.
Founder(s)Martin StüblerFI CohortBarcelona Virtual 2021 -
BetaStore
BetaStore is a B2B e-commerce platform helping retailers source inventory and get financing
Founder(s)Steve Dakayi KamgaFI CohortLagos 2020 -
Foodini
Foodini connects people with dietary needs to the venues and menu items most suitable for them.
Founder(s)Dylan Mc Donnell, Timo KuglerFI CohortSydney Virtual Spring 2020
A Network Passionate about Empowering Entrepreneurs
It takes a city to build a startup, and the FI Network is powered by Leaders, Partners, and Mentors dedicated towards making an impact through entrepreneurship. We could never name everyone, so below is a sampling.
The Global FI Ecosystem
Our mission is to empower talented and motivated people to build businesses that matter, no matter their location, gender, or race. This mission requires a strong global community of entrepreneurs, ecosystem leaders, advisors, and investors... and we have built just that.
Building
Startups
Join the Global Startup Movement
If you believe entrepreneurs can be a major catalyst for societal change, then we invite you to join the FI Network for what promises to be a fascinating next 15 years.
Want to Launch a Fundable Startup?
Applications are open to FI Core Accelerator programs across the globe.
Want to Lead an FI Chapter?
Utilize a proven process and global network to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Want to Mentor the Next Generation?
Join an exclusive network and make a lasting impact on tomorrow's innovators.
Want to Invest in the Next Great Founders?
Join an exclusive network of investors focused on the very earliest stages of funding.
Want to Launch a Venture Fund?
Join VC Lab, the leading accelerator helping emerging managers launch new venture funds.
Want to Foster Internal Innovation?
Leverage the network, platform, and best practices of the world's largest pre-seed accelerator.
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs raise over $1.8BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.
