Build a Great Startup in 2024 with the FI Houston 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 Houston Spring 2025 program!

If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from Houston's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Houston Spring 2025 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 Houston, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs:

Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Kamal Hassan: 12:00pm, Sep 16, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/345880
Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Inside Venture Capital: Secrets to Securing Funding with Rohin Sethi: 12:00pm, Sep 18, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/355057
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 12:00pm, Sep 23, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/343532
How to Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset: 7:00pm, Sep 26, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/356785
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 12:00pm, Oct 02, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/356714
How Startup Founders Improve their Hiring Strategies With AI-Driven Solutions: 12:00pm, Oct 07, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/356293
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with J. Skyler Fernandes: 7:00pm, Oct 14, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/345911
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 7:00pm, Oct 23, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/356701
What is Entrepreneur DNA? Insights from 15 Years of Social Science Research: 12:00pm, Oct 30, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/356688
Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder : 12:00pm, Nov 04, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/343324
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 7:00pm, Nov 06, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/356996
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 7:00pm, Nov 18, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/344681
What is Entrepreneur DNA? Insights from 15 Years of Social Science Research: 7:00pm, Nov 25, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/345422
Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 12:00pm, Nov 27, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/357017
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 12:00pm, Dec 04, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/345325
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 12:00pm, Dec 09, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/344779
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 12:00pm, Dec 16, 2024 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/344898

See all upcoming events

The Houston program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including James Phelan (Investment & Growth, The Cannon), Martín Martinez (Executive Director, Founder Institute Texas), Mery Ramirez (Co-Founder/COO, ResQ TRX), Natasha Gorodetsky (Founder & CEO; Head of Product, Product Pursuit).

In addition, some of Houston'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 Houston Founder Institute includes:

Aaron Chavez: Managing Partner, (un)conventional ventures
Aaron Hines: Co-founder, Darbe
Aaron Gathmann: Executive Director, North Texas Angel Network
Aaron Swinton: Co-Founder & Managing Director , ShockVentures
Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
Abe Chu: Co-founder & CMO, NextSeed
Adeo Ressi: CEO, Decile Group / VC Lab
Akeel Bernard: Community Development Manager , Impact Hub Houston
Ali Syed: CEO / Founder, Emerald Labs
Allie Danziger: Founder, Integrate
Amy Tran: Investor, Early Stage Investments, IMPAVIDUS
Ana Rojas Bastidas: Founder & CEO, Orolait
Andrea Sager: CEO, Legalpreneur
Andres Gomez: Founder, Editeer
Anh Mai, Company of Nomads
Armando Mualumene: Founder and Project Developer & Team Leader, The iDEASLab
Ashley Connell: CEO & Founder, Prowess Project
Ashley DeWalt: Managing Director, DivInc
Atul Patel: CEO and Founder, Orbee
Austin Langley, ASL Consulting
Bade Aluko: Managing Partner, White Hibiscus Capital
Ben Ghazi: Co-founder and CTO, Codiac
Bram Cohen: Founder/Chief Scientist, BitTorrent
Brandy Guidry: Executive Director, The Cannon
Brianna Flemings, Jem
Carolyn Rodz: Founder and CEO, Hello Alice
Cassandra Iku: Community and Operations Coordinator, SheSpace
Chantell Preston: Co-founder/CEO, Facilities Management Group
Charles Dauber: CEO, Warm Commerce
Christine Galib: Founder, road less traveled enterprises
Christy Cardenas: Managing Partner, Grit Ventures
Courtnay Siegfried: VP, Communications & Impact
Creig Graham: VP Partnerships, Budapop Bottling Co.
Curt Olivares: 2x Founder | Startup Advisor | Tech Career Coach, Product Saint
Dana Marruffo: Owner, Buzz Public Relations, LLC
Dana Abramovitz: Founding Team, SXSW
Denise Giordano: Commercial Training & Development Manager, BP Energy - Retired
Didar Bekbauov: Founder and CEO, Xive Inc
Eduardo Buelna: Director Structured Products, BP Energy
Eléonore Cluzel: Sr. Director of Accelerator Partnerships, Empire State Development
Elisa Sepulveda: FI Mentor, Mentor
Elizabeth Tsai: Founder & CEO , HiOperator
Elizabeth Gore: President, Hello Alice
Eric Fishhaut: President, Gelber & Associates
Erin McClarty: Principal, Erin McClarty, PLLC
Erin Fitzpatrick: President, MendIt, Inc.
Fareed Zein: Founder and CEO, Unytag
Farell Duclair: CEO, Starborn Solutions LLC
Fernando Moguel: Creator, The Syneverse
Gabe Zichermann: CEO, Failosophy
Gaby Rowe: CEO, The Ion
Gary Katz: Patent Attorney & Managing Attorney, Katz Law Group
Gina Bianchini: Cofounder, Ning
Gina Morales: Founder & CEO, a Mana Project
Giselle Bisson: Managing Director, Chain Reaction PR
Grace Rodriguez: CEO, Impact Hub Houston
Graciela Perez: Founder & Lean Start Up Coach, Lean Sigma Tech, LLC
Guillermo Barrera: Founder and President , CliniCore International
Gustavo Sanchez: Founder, Pandata Tech
Guy Parker: Chief Strategy & Creative Officer, Ambient Way
Harini Bhamidipati: Founder & CEO, Bearable
Harvin Moore, Frontera Technology Ventures
Heath Butler: Founder/Managing Partner, Gestalt Growth Advisors
Heather Harde: Former CEO, TechCrunch
Heather Mezher: Sr. People Business Partner, Code42
Huan Le: General Counsel, DiCentral
Indrajit Datta: Co-founder & President, Equipt Innovation, Inc.
Jag Singh: Managing Director, A.R.M. Consulting
James Kaskade: CEO, Janrain Inc.
James Phelan: Co-Founder, The Cannon
James Adams: Director of Operations, Gallant
Jasmine Victoria: Founder & CEO, The Cathexis Project
Jason Assir: Principal Consultant, Opex Digital Consulting
Jason Trahan
Javier Fadul: Chief Innovation Officer, HTX Labs
Javy Martinez: Managing Director | Startup Advisor | Event Host, Founder Institute North Texas
Jay Jamison: Founder & President
Jay Steinfeld: CEO/Founder, Blinds.com/Global Custom Commerce [Home Depot]
Jay Patel: Co-Founder & CEO, Enlight
Jc Garrett: Chief Executive Officer, Dashfire
Jeff Scott: Founder/CEO, iDOMOCILIO
Jess Hughes: Founder and President, Citizen Pilates
Jessica Reitmeier: Co-Founder, Pandata Tech
Jessica Seidel: Principal, Signify Marketing
Jo Clark: Founder and CEO, Circle.ooo
Joe Betts Lacroix: CTO, Vium
Joe Daniels: Partner, Co-Chair - Emerging Companies, Partner & Co-Chair, Emerging Companies Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Joey Jones: Co-Founder/Chief Revenue & Compliance Officer, CurveBlock Ltd
John Young: principal, Alkimie Pte. Ltd.
John Ngo: DBA, John&Partners Global
Jonathan Abrams: Founder and CEO, Nuzzel
Joseph Daniels: Partner, Co-Chair -- Venture Capital and Emerging Companies Group , Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough
Joshua Wang: Software Engineering Career Coach, Over the Shoulder Coding
Joy Hutton: Founder and CEO, Joy of Consulting
Juan Felipe Campos: Partner, Manos Accelerator via Google Launchpad
Juliana Garaizar: Lead Investor, Portfolia
Julie Hartman: Founder/President, J. Hartman
Justin Moore: CEO, Axcient, Inc.
Katie Wallace: Founder, Hux Sustainables
Keith Kriegler: CEO, Ideas Are Us
Kelsey Ruger: Chief Product & Technology Officer, Hello Alice
Ken Cohen: Managing Principal, Grow Associates, LLC
Kenley Clark: Founder and CEO, TC Energy
Kennie Matthews: Chairman & CEO, M Infrastructure, Inc.
Kerry Rupp: General Partner , True Wealth Ventures
Kian Gohar: Founder & CEO, Geolab
Krishna Vattipalli: Founder and CEO, Imaginnovate Techsolutions
LaGina R Harris: CEO / Visionary / Founder, The Us Space
Levi Baer: Co-Founder, Second Shift
Levi Velez Reed: Venture Partner, Loyal VC
Levi Test Cermak Test
Lila Smith: Founder, #SayThingsBetter
Lina Mateus: Founder and CEO, Digi-Clicks
Lindsay Eulenfeld: Senior Director of Operations, MassChallenge
Lori Freese: Principal, FreeseMediaGroup
Lyndon Mouton: Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, New Paradigm Technology Partners / Veiled Growth
Marco Antonio Morales: Co-Founder, SOPLIX
Marcos Polanco: CTO, Bellwether Coffee
Maria Fernanda Burgos: Founder & CEO, Startup Advisor
Mariana Muntean: Founder & CEO, Cinevva
Mark Friedman: Mentor, retired
Martín Martinez: Founding & Executive Director, Founder Institute Texas
Matt Mandell: Principal, PayNerd.com
Meghan Hendley Lopez: Co-Founder; Director of Corporate Engagement , SUNN and TekRevol
Mery Ramirez: Co-Founder/COO, ResQ TRX
Miao Yan: Corporate Development Manager-Renewable Energy, NOV
Michael Umansky: Co-Founder & CEO, Edgy Labs
Michael Girdley: Investor and Entrepreneur, Geekdom Fund
Mike Breck: Principal, Acuity Thinking
Mike Francis: CEO, Nanotech
Molly Walsh: Director, Founder Institute, Miami Florida
Mona Defrawi: CEO & Founder, Radivision
Munjal Shah: CEO, Like.com
Muriel Foster: Director, gBeta
Natasha Gorodetsky: Founder&Head of Product, Product Pursuits
Neal Murthy: Chairman, Haven Holdings
Neal Hamil: President, Carnan Properties
Noah Wallach: Founder, Hope OS
Noah Fons: Coordinator, Greater Houston Partnership
Olayinka James: President/CEO, CYBEROPS INC.
Oleg Lysiak: Partner Success Manager, Honeycomb Software
Parag Jain: Dr, Texas Children's Hospital
Paul O'Brien: CEO, MediaTech Ventures
Paul Kwiatkowski: Co-Founder and CTO, GroupRaise
Payal Patel: Principal, Softeq Ventures
Phil Libin: Founder & CEO, All Turtles
Phil Clarke: CEO, Ecosweet, Inc.
Philip Kaplan: Founder and CEO, ADHD Labs
Rafael Kartaszynski: CEO, TechEdge Developers
Rahul Agarwal: Principal Technical Product Manager, Hasura
Rahul Brahmbhatt: Investor / Mentor, Day One
Raja Mawad: Founder, Thrv.health
Rajesh Setty: Rajesh Setty - Serial Entrepreneur and Author, WittyParrot
Rajneesh Dwivedi: Co-Founder and CEO, Second Medic
Ram Prasad: Fractional CPO/CTO, Delence
Rebecca Councill: Chief Social Officer, CLR Digital Media Services
Richard Jones: Partner, Healthseers
Richard Munassi: Co-founder, Blackfin Technology Partners
Richard Seline: Cofounder, Resilience Innovation Hub
Richard-Sebastian Alexander: Founder & CEO, Darbe.co
Riley Knox: CEO & Co-Founder, Accelerate3D
Robert Tucci: Managing Director, HALO
Robert Pieroni: Director of Economic Development, Central Houston Inc.
Roberto Moctezuma: Founder and CEO, Fractal River
Ron Palmeri: Founder/CEO , Layer, Inc/MkII Ventures
Russ Fradin: Chairman & CEO, Dynamic Signal
Ryan Micheletti: Fouder, Illuminate Nootropics
Saima Siddiqui: Director of Product Management, Joyride.com
Salvatore Grignano: Marketing Officer, Italian Trade Agency (ITA) - Houston
Sameer Sortur: Founding Partner, SquareCircle Ventures
Santiago Sanchez: Founder & CEO, Etailers Ecommerce
Sarah Hein: CEO, March Biosciences
Sarah Vega: Former Product Owner, Innowatts
Sarika Tyagi: Chief Product & Operations Officer, My22BMI
Sarika Tyagi: Product Leader, ScarletFreshShoe | Amazon
Scott Gale: Executive Director, Halliburton Labs
Sebastien Long: Founder & CEO, Lodgeur
Shlomi Podgaetz: Director/CEO, Rizasmart Consulting
Sloan Foster: Principal , Envisage Associates
Sneha Lundia Agrawal: Founder & CEO, Step2Growth
Sophia Clark: Founder & Creative Director, Galiatea
Stephen Meade: Founder & CEO, MonetaPro
Steve Jennis: Founder and CEO, Jennis Consulting Group
Steve Jennis: Founder and CEO, Jennis Consulting Group LLC
Stewart Pisecco: Director of Innovation (Ret.), Pearson
Tabbie Saenz: Founder, Business and Trade Alliance
Talha Bin Shuja: Startup and Business Consultant, High Hope International
Tanu Jain: Lead Product Manager, BioIQ
Telha Ghanchi: Managing Director, Valhalla Investment Group
Tiana Laurence: GP, Laurence Innovation
Tim Marx: Venture Partner, Baird Capital
Tim De Silva: Founder & CEO, Culture Pilot
Travis Baldwin: Managing Partner, J. Galt Finance Suite
Trey Smith: CPA, Beaumont Inc.
Ty Audronis: Founder/ ceo, Tempest Droneworx
Vijay Sekhara: Director Of Strategic Partnerships, MassChallenge
Wade Pinder: Founder, Product Houston
WAEL DOUKMAK: CEO, AHLAN, Inc.
Wenceslao Casares: CEO, Bling Nation
Will Bunker: Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of One-and-Only (became Match.com)
Winston Choe: Founder/CEO, Innoscape
Yared Akalou: CEO/Founder, Alcove Group
Yemi Oluseun: Growth & GTM For FinTechs, The Change Hive
Yj Lin: Senior Program Manager, Dell
Yogesh Kondaskar: CEO, Bizteon
Ziv Gillat: Co-Founder, Recogni Inc.`