The Founder Institute is the world's largest network of startup incubators, accelerators, and investors.
Our mission is to activate and empower communities of entrepreneurs to build ventures with a positive economic and societal impact.
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Exits by Alumni
Established 2009, Silicon Valley
The Founder Institute's series of highly-structured incubation and acceleration programs have given thousands of founders the direction and global network needed to build fundable, meaningful businesses.
The FI Vision
We believe entrepreneurs are the greatest catalyst for societal change, and there are new entrepreneurs everywhere whose potential can be unlocked to make a positive impact on the world.
The FI Mission
Our mission is to activate and empower communities of entrepreneurs to build ventures with a positive impact on the world, no matter their location or background.
The FI Goal
Our goal is to create a better world through entrepreneurship by empowering 30MM people by 2040 to build and support ventures with a positive and economic impact.
The Global FI Ecosystem
Our mission requires a massive global community of entrepreneurs, ecosystem leaders, advisors, and investors... so we built it.
Building Communities
Accelerator to empower Leaders to build strong ecosystems.
Building Startups
Building Funds
Accelerator and FoF to help new managers launch venture funds.
Our Founding Framework
FI's success is all rooted in our Founding Framework - designed to leverage data and network effects to empower new venture growth across all cultures and industries.
Find
high potential founders through social science
Activate
their potential through intense focus
Accelerate
their growth through systematic feedback
Scale
their ventures through a devoted and global network
Our Founding Framework is evident in all our incubation and acceleration programs, and has been proven effective across dozens of economic development, corporate, and innovation applications.
Our Programs
Real Impact, Measured in Results
Our Founding Beliefs
The Founder Institute was built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, based on a set of six unwaivering beliefs.
Great companies start with great founders
We believe founders are the greatest variable in the success or failure of any venture.
Entrepreneurial potential is wasted worldwide
We believe there are great entrepreneurs everywhere, but our educational system and society are configured to waste entrepreneurial potential at a massive scale.
Entrepreneurship drives change
We believe in the power of the entrepreneur, because they are the greatest catalyst for widespread, organic societal change.
Profit and impact are not mutually exclusive
We believe entrepreneurs can leverage the power of the market to create businesses with both societal and economic impact.
It takes a village to raise a startup
We believe great companies are not built alone, and are built across years (not months, or weekends).
Entrepreneurs have only 2 advantages
We believe entrepreneurs can only win when they leverage their 2 strengths against incumbents: speed and focus.
Over $1.85BN in Funding Raised by FI Alumni
The Founder Institute’s global scale and number of successful Alumni is truly unprecedented.
Partners in Impact
FI partners with top organizations to empower economic development and innovation worldwide.
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National Incubation Center (NIC)
The Founder Institute partnered with the National Incubation Center (NIC) in Pakistan, along with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoTT), to launch a national network of incubators and accelerators across Pakistan from Islamabad to Karachi.25+Accelerator Cohorts250+New Ventures Created1500+Total Ventures Created through NIC188,000+Total Jobs Created through NIC -
NASA Ames Research Center
The Founder Institute partnered with NASA Ames Research Center to execute a Non-Reimbursable Space Act Agreement (NRSAA) providing opportunities for startups to license NASA Ames Intellectual Property. By collaborating with the Founder Institute, NASA was able to increase the pipeline of license candidates for NASA technology.3IP Licensing Agreements facilitated3FI Alumni have deployed products into space3More Accelerators launched with NASA (AI, Robotics, and Quantum Computing) -
U.S. Department of State
The Founder Institute partnered with the U.S. Department of State to launch and support the GIST Network (Global Innovation in Science and Technology), providing strategic guidance, learning materials, and pitch training and mentorship to thousands of entrepreneurs in developing markets.15,000+Startups have now been mentored by GIST Network intiatives$1.5MM+in Grants have been distributed through GISTRecognitionby the Obama White House at the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Summit -
Siemens
The Founder Institute partnered with Next47, the $1.2BN venture arm for Siemens AG, to increase engagement and adoption for intrapreneurship programs offered to over 320,000 Siemens employees worldwide.5000+Employees engaged within 1 year1000+Employees took the Entrepreneur DNA AssessmentSignificantGrowth across internal campaigns -
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
The Founder Institute partnered with The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to drive social empowerment and economic growth in Afghanistan through a series of events and accelerators designed to empower women entrepreneurs across the country.2Accelerator Cohorts700+Unique Attendees to Educational Events50+Mentors from EMEA and the U.S.56New ventures created
Impact Initiatives
As part of our goal to make the world a better place through entrepreneurship, we have released several initiatives designed to make building startups easier, more inclusive, and more accessible worldwide.
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The Female Founder Fellowship was launched in 2011 to empower more women to launch technology startups across the globe.
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The Founder Institute launched the For Progress Initiative to empower entrepreneurs to make progress on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using a simple planning tool.
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The Founder Institute supports U.S. military veterans and spouses to launch startups through a number of initiatives, in partnership with JP Morgan, The Veteran Fund, and more.
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The Founder Institute partnered with PNC Bank to help end systematic racism and support economic empowerment for minority populations in Pittsburgh (U.S.).
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The Founder Institute partnered with the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) to empower persons with disabilities, and women, to launch new businesses in Bermuda.
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To help founders quickly and cheaply form advisor relationships, FI released the Founder Advisor Standard Template (FAST Agreement). This document is widely considered the global standard for establishing advisor agreements for startups.
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FI released the Startup Ecosystem Canvas to help startup leaders map their local ecosystem in a framework that makes it more transparent and inviting for new entrepreneurs.
Local Leaders
The Founder Institute is powered by hundreds of Local Leaders dedicated to empowering new entrepreneurs across the globe.
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Ajuma Ataguba
FI AbujaAjuma's commitment to empowering early-stage founders in Abuja has made her a startup ecosystem leader. Since 2020, she has helped launch more than 60 promising startups in the region. -
Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr.
FI LagosCFA's long history of supporting and growing multiple startup ecosystems across Africa is remarkable. Since 2019, he has helped launch more than 80 promising startups in the region. -
Ferdinand Muehlhaeuser
FI GermanyFerdinand's long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystem in Berlin is admirable. Since 2017, he has helped launch more than 50 promising startups in the region. -
Erdinc Ekinci
FI TurkeyErdinc's commitment to empowering early-stage founders in Japan and Korea has made him a startup ecosystem leader. He has helped launch more than 10 promising startups in the region. -
Lorena Sanchez
FI Mexico CityLorena's long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystem in Mexico City is admirable. Since 2019, she has helped launch more than 40 promising startups in the region. -
Guc Ozenci
FI Washington DCGuc has quickly emerged as a startup ecosystem leader in Washington DC. He has already supported the launch of several promising startups in the region within the past 12 months. -
Ingeborg Gasser-Kriss
FI SwitzerlandIngeborg's commitment to empowering early-stage founders in Switzerland has made her a startup ecosystem leader. Since 2020, she has helped launch more than 40 promising startups in the region. -
Sameer Sortur
FI GCCSameer's commitment to empowering early-stage founders in the GCC has made him a startup ecosystem leader. Since 2020, he has helped launch more than 40 promising startups in the region. -
Jason Jacobsohn
FI ChicagoJason's long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystem in Chicago is admirable. Since 2011, he has helped launch more than 120 promising startups in the region. -
James Phelan
FI HoustonJames' long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystem in Houston is admirable. Since 2019, he has helped launch more than 40 promising startups in the region. -
Mercedes Bankston
FI Silicon ValleyMercedes' long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystems in Silicon Valley & London is remarkable. Since 2019, she has helped launch more than 140 promising startups across both regions. -
Alex M. Dascalu
FI Eastern EuropeAlex's long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystems in Eastern Europe is admirable. Since 2018, he has helped launch more than 40 promising startups in the region. -
Sunil Sharma
FI TorontoSunil's long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystem in Toronto & Waterloo is admirable. Since 2014, he has helped launch more than 340 promising startups in the region. -
Ignacio Castro
FI BostonIgnacio's long history of supporting and growing the startup ecosystem in Boston is admirable. Since 2016, he has helped launch more than 50 promising startups in the region. -
Keshni Morar
FI South AfricaKeshni's commitment to empowering early-stage founders in South Africa has made her a startup ecosystem leader. Since 2021, she has helped launch more than 20 promising startups in the region. -
Reid Hamilton
FI New York CityReid's commitment to empowering early-stage founders in New York City has made him a startup ecosystem leader. Since 2021, he has helped launch more than 40 promising startups in the region.
Our Small But Mighty Team
FI is self-funded, and operated by a small team of incredibly passionate people from our homebase in Silicon Valley and across the globe.
Adeo Ressi
Jonathan Greechan
BV Satyaram
Ryan Micheletti
Andrew Crawford
Megan Todd
Scout Tweedie-Yates
Janet Todorova
Ayhan Issacs
Elena Zubiria
Donatas Petrauskas
Guru Mohan Reddy
Martín Martinez
Lara Bandeira
Ivan Germanov
Simona Irmova
Carlos Romero
Plamena Murdzheva
Emilyia Strahilova
Daniyal Ashraf
Sana Balti
Fahima Guermi
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.
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2009"TheFunded Founder Institute" is born
The majority of membership applications to TheFunded were filled with entrepreneurs nowhere near ready to fundraise.
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2010FI Goes International
After news of the program hits TechCrunch, FI launches new chapters in 10 new cities based on inbound demand.
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2011FI Launches the Female Founder Fellowship
To empower more women to launch startups, FI introduces fellowships for top female applicants in all programs.
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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").
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2013FI Surpasses 1,000 Portfolio Companies
FI celebrates its first major milestone, surpassing 1000 companies across 55 cities and 30 countries.
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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
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2016Launch of Founder Lab and FounderX
FI beefs up Alumni support by launching Founder Lab post-programs and the FounderX Conference.
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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
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2019
FI 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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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 Supercharge Economic Development?
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 7,500 entrepreneurs raise over $1.85BN 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.