Schedule
EXIST Start-up Business Grant
At the Founder Institute, you won't "learn" how to build a business. Rather, you will build your business alongside top startup experts using a proven, structured process that has helped some of the world's fastest growing companies raise over 1.9BN.
Our core program includes a series of challenging growth sprints, in addition to Weekly Feedback Sessions where you will receive constant feedback on your progress from experienced Mentors and Investors.
See the schedule for the EXIST Start-up Business Grant program below.
The Final Application Deadline for the EXIST Start-up Business Grant program is Sep 14, 2025, and you can apply to the program at FI.co/join.
When you enroll in the FI Core Program, you can immediately start onboarding by following a guided process where you will learn how the program works, tips to get the most benefits, and details on the perks of Graduating from the Founder Institute.
During the Accelerator Kickoff, you will meet the Local Leaders and your cohort of Founders, and establish how your startup will use the program to push your business forward.
In each weekly Feedback Session, Founders will pitch and outline their strategies/ progress to the Mentors for feedback, get tips and insights on the week's topic, and have multiple opportunities to ask questions. This week you'll get tips on how to develop a strong vision for your business.
In this Feedback Session, Founders will present any customer development progress to the Mentors to examine if they are pursuing a scalable business with a clear and actionable customer problem. The Mentors will also provide tips on how to validate your key assumptions, interview potential customers effectively, and best interpret the feedback you receive.
If you would like to hear the experiences of people with deep startup experience, then join us for this 'Global Startup' panel event. Hear candid talks by successful entrepreneurs, sharing best practices, strategies and mistakes to avoid from those who have done it before. How do you get started on your entrepreneurial journey? How do you appeal to global markets? How should you structure your business? How do you find talented people to join your team? What is it really like to build a successful company, and what are the steps necessary?
In this Feedback Session, Founders will share their pitch and revenue model with Mentors for feedback and continued refinement. You will also get tips on how to sustain your startup before receiving financing or revenue, identifying the most lucrative revenue source for your business, testing different revenue sources with your target customers, and more.
Post Program Resources
The 4 month Core-Program is just the beginning. We have developed extensive support programs and resources for our Alumni that far exceed any other comparable startup program.
Continued Support
- Dedicated Alumni Support Team in Silicon Valley
- Access to the world's largest network of mentors and investors (35,000+)
- Private Alumni mailing lists
- $2M+ in partner discounts
- Invites to FI sessions & network events
- Potentail introductions to investors
Post-Programs
- A series of virtual advisory programs where you work with our Silicon Valley HQ team to reach next milestones
- Funding Lab helps get your lead investor within 6 months
- P/M Fit Lab (2023) helps you get to Product Market Fit
- FI Venture Network helps you get intros to investors
- 100% customized and FREE for Alumni
