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 Italy program!
If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from Italy's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Italy 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 Italy, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs:
- How to Find the First Customers for Your Startup Idea: 7:00pm, Aug 12, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/403208
- How to Get Customer Feeback on your Startup Idea in the Age of AI: 7:00pm, Aug 19, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/403364
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 2:30pm, Aug 24, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/398706
- FounderX Silicon Valley 2026: Global Conference in San Francisco: 2:00am, Aug 26, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/399852
- Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A: 6:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/398795
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, Sep 08, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/401111
- How to Create a Great First Startup Pitch using AI: 7:00pm, Sep 09, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/403503
- How to Build a Strong Pipeline of Entrepreneurs for your Innovation Hub: 6:00pm, Sep 15, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/398251
- Learn from FI Grads: How to Build Without a Co-Founder: 6:00pm, Oct 06, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/398709
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 6:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (Europe/Rome): https://FI.co/e/399056
The Italy program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Alberto Martellini (Founder Institute Innovation Partner, Vision to Life), Amadeus Samson, Ariona Krasniqi ( Local Leader – Mentor Network, Founder Institute), Azra Gurbuz (Local Leader - Marketing & Community Lead, FI), Giovanni Salvi (Data Scientist, Serenis).
In addition, some of Italy'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 Italy Founder Institute includes:
* Alberto Clavarino * Alberto Giusti * Alberto Martellini * Alessandro Zanchetton * Andrea Ramoino * Camilla Barlocco * Camilla Bellotti * Duygu Sefa * Emanuele Torlonia * Enrico Frascati * Fabrizio Spaolonzi * Filippo Satolli * Francesco Gia * Giancarlo Vergine * Irene Verheijen * Julián Jordan * Luigi Cito * Mahir Iskender * Marco De Biasi * Marta Marrucco * Massimo Romani * May Mor * Mimi Yagoub * Natalia Iudina * Serephina Ha * Sergio Rossi * Shubhit Khaneja * Stefano Toro * Varun Jain * Vladimir Pletyukhin
- And many more to be announced.
Join us in Italy to build a great company in 2026.
Apply to the Italy Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/overview.
