Build a Great Startup in 2023 with the FI Raleigh Startup Accelerator

The Founder Institute, the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Raleigh program!

If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from North Carolina's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Raleigh Founder Institute today.

Since 2009, our highly-structured accelerator programs have helped entrepreneurs at the earliest stages grow quickly, know what to do next, and make connections with the largest community of startup advisors.

It all starts with our renowned ‘FI Core’ accelerator, which pushes founders at the idea and pre-seed stages to reach the milestones needed for investment and sustained growth. Alumni of FI Core then receive free access to our advanced ‘Founder Lab’ accelerators for years to come, and can get matched with prospective investors in the FI Venture Network, a collection of global funds actively investing in the earliest rounds of funding.

To celebrate the launch, the Founder Institute will host several free online startup events in North Carolina, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs:

Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 1:00pm, Jul 07, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/370376
Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Founder’s Guide to AI: Building an MVP with No Coding Skills : 1:00pm, Jul 09, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373382
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Sonam Velani: 1:00pm, Jul 14, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/374476
Founder’s Guide to AI: Using AI to Increase Productivity: 1:00pm, Jul 16, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373510
Founder’s Guide to AI: Using Agentic Workflows to Automate Repetitive Tasks: 1:00pm, Jul 23, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373641
Best Practices on Building Innovation Hubs for Universities & Colleges: 1:00pm, Jul 24, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/375984
Responsible AI for Startups: Frameworks You Can Apply from Day One: 1:00pm, Jul 28, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/376138
[NEW DATE] Entrepreneurship Education: Lessons from Startup Accelerators: 1:00pm, Aug 07, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/375349
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 1:00pm, Aug 11, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/374630
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 1:00pm, Aug 18, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/374834
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 1:00pm, Aug 25, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/375541
How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 1:00pm, Sep 17, 2025 (America/New_York): https://FI.co/e/373879

See all upcoming events

The North Carolina program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Oz Merchant (CEO, ecomsellersHQ).

In addition, some of North Carolina's top investors, entrepreneurs, and CEOs will be participating in the program, providing them with expert feedback and evaluation. The list of startup mentors for the North Carolina Founder Institute includes:

Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
Anoop Anthore: VP - Engage IQ, Sales and Product Strategy, Cadalys
Anthony Rotoli: CEO, Ocelot
Ben Stacey: CEO, Pitchverk
Bill Fields: NC Market Leader for Venture Debt, Bridge Bank
Bill Harper: CEO & Chief Creative Officer, BrandBossHQ
Brian Reale: Founder, Processmaker.com
Burak Eryigit: Director of Software Engineering, Odyssey Logistics and Technology
Christian Palombo: Chief Revenue Officer , Sprockets
Clay Lehman: CTO, Firm360
Daniel Shires: Consultant, Independent
Danielle Livy: VP of Marketing, Viably
Doug Kaufman: CEO & Founder, Belongly
Ebin Ephrem Elavathingal: Director/Tecknogog, MERSTRA Foundation / MITC
Erica Jenkins: Founder, Erica Jenkins Consulting
Erik Severinghaus: VP, Bloomfilter, Inc
Fawzi Itani: Investor, Forerunner Ventures
Greg Brown: President, Cardinal Finance LLC
Greg Lissy: Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Finmark
Gregg Armitage: CEO, FoundHuman
Gregg Bordes: Managing Partner, Front Porch Venture Partners
Hannah Lehman: Software Engineering Consultant, HJL Services LLC
Jan Davis: Managing Partner, Davis Growth Partners
Jenn Summe: Startup Investor, Primordial
Jennifer Dearman: CEO, Elevate Your Outcomes
Jesse Jones: Owner, Fourscore Business Law
Jesse Lipson: CEO, Levitate
John Turner: Director of Engineering, Ampla
Jonathan Rollman: Founder, ProdUx Design
Joshua Herzig-Marx: Founder and PM Coach, Founder and PM Coach
Linda Sanders: Managing Director, Transition360 Partners
Lister Delgado: Founder and Managing Partner, IDEA Fund Partners
Mariliis Holm: Co-Founder & Partner , Sustainable Food Ventures
Mark Kelley: Co-Founder, Zero Copy Labs
Merrill Mason: Owner, Smith Anderson
Oz Merchant: CEO, Founders Local
Patrick Willhite: Director, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, TeraRecon, Inc.
Ray Antonino: CEO, Co-Founder, PERMITS.com
Reynolds Mwangi Mungai: Co-founder & CEO, Lukhu Inc.
Robert Williams: Managing Partner, 3 Waves Capital
Ryan Mc Bride: VP of Partnerships & Customer Engagement, Sirius Support
Scot Wingo: CEO, Spiffy
Sean Mitton: Professional Speaker & Coach, Question Based Mind Mapping
Sunny Su: Principal, Paradigm
Tobi Walter: Partner, Cofounders Capital
Todd Brengel: SVP, Sales, The Muse
Tom Collopy: CEO, Co-founder, Unbiased Insights, Inc.
Tom Fisher: Founding Advisory Board Member, Carry Venture Capital
Venus Liles: Startup Attorney & Founder of Liles Law, Liles Law
Yasin Abbak: CEO / CoFounder, GroupUps
Yemi Oluseun: Growth & GTM For FinTechs, The Change Hive