Build a Startup in 2020 with Berlin's Top Pre-Seed Accelerator. Founder Institute Applications Now Open!

Today, the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Germany Fall 2026 program!

If you could use a structured process and support from Berlin's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Germany Fall 2026 Founder Institute today.

Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities worldwide, the Founder Institute provides high-potential entrepreneurs and teams with the devoted support network and structured growth process needed to get to traction and funding. Since 2009, the program has helped over 8,900 Alumni raise over 2BN funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more.

To celebrate the launch, we will host several free startup events in Berlin, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs and hear more about the program:

Germany Events:

Meet & Greet & Cofounder search Easter Edition: 7:00pm, Apr 16, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/391859
Meet & Greet & Cofounder search Go Europe Edition: 7:00pm, May 14, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/393783

Global or Regional Events:

Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
From Idea to Startup Team: Meet Your Future Co-Founder: 2:00am, Apr 07, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394866
Stuck Without a Startup Idea? Build One That Fits You: 2:30am, Apr 08, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394876
How Multiple Pivots positioned Checkbox as the ‘Legal Front Door’ for Corporations: 2:00am, Apr 14, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394886
Real Startup Lessons From FI Alumni Across the World: 6:00pm, Apr 14, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394893
How to Go From Raw Idea to Polished Pitch using AI: 6:30pm, Apr 20, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395686
[Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, Apr 21, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395519
Turn Your Expertise Into an Audience on LinkedIn: 6:00pm, Apr 27, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394903
How to Overcome the Fear of Starting Your Own Company: 6:00pm, Apr 28, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394913
How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 6:30pm, May 04, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394938
How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 2:00am, May 19, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394968
[Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Unfiltered Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, May 26, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395376
Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 6:00pm, Jun 02, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/394983
Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact: 2:30am, Jun 09, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395026
Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 2:00am, Jun 16, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395059
Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 6:00pm, Jul 20, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395084
From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 2:30pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395112
Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 6:00pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395142
What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 6:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395197
From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 6:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395271
From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 6:00pm, Nov 03, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395293
From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 6:00pm, Dec 01, 2026 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/395340

See all upcoming events

The Berlin program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Dirk Muller-Dornieden, Dirk Lehmann (Innovation Advisor & Pitch Coach, Dirk Lehmann & Partners), Ferdinand Muehlhaeuser (Lead Director Berlin, Founder Institute), Kai Malkwitz (Sustainability evangelist and startup mentor, Founder greenergetic, pvXchange, pvStream GmbH), Rikke Klitskov, Sascha Karstaedt (Founder/CEO, CheckGeo), and Tomasz Sieron (CEO, Netkata Digital Agency). These diverse startup leaders are elevating Berlin to among the top cities globally for founders building global businesses.

Berlin founders will benefit from easy access to all the legal aid they need, as they advance and progress throughout and after the program, via Founder Institute's legal partner Hyazinth, "combining legal and strategic advice to steer their clients courageously through any situation" and its team of 20 lawyers with specialties in the niche challenge areas that startups face.

On the development side, VISUAL CRAFT Inc has partnered to help FI Berlin founders launch their businesses. Banking partner HOLVI has teamed up with Founder Institute Berlin as well, adding modern and simple-to-use services that take the pain out of business management through time-saving tools for invoicing and bookkeeping.

In addition, some of Berlin's top investors, entrepreneurs, and CEOs will be participating in the program, providing them with expert feedback and evaluation. The following individuals were carefully chosen from our total list of 300+ startup mentors for the Berlin Founder Institute, for working most closely with the founders of our last 2019 cohort. Stay tuned for more great Berlin startup mentors to be announced in 2020!

Adam Moalla - Berlin | Moalla Ventures
Alexander Kiltz - Berlin | UVC Partners
Andrey Osipov - New York | Visual Craft
Anti Jürgenstein - Berlin | Optimist Group
Antony Tikhonov - Berlin | Seedrs
Arne Wittmer - Berlin | Computerhouse Berlin
Benjamin Föckersperger - Berlin
Benjamin Gebien - Berlin | OB8
Chris Payne - Berlin | Aroundtown SA
Christian Chudoba - Berlin | Lumenaza GmbH
Claude Ritter - Berlin | Tiger Facility Services
Csaba Tamas - Berlin | Amazon Web Services
David Wortmann - Berlin | DWR eco
Dirk Bessau - Berlin | InnoEnergy Gmb
Eckart Burgwedel - Berlin | Uberchord
Felix Hofmann - Berlin | BMI Lab AG
Gilles Toussaint - Berlin | Gilles Toussaint
Heike Roettgers - Berlin | Leanovate GmbH
Ingo Juraske - Berlin | Impact51
Javier Rincon - Berlin | LeanCrush
Joerg Geier - Berlin | Joerg Geier Consulting
Johannes Steinacher - Berlin | Hyazinth LLP
Julius Bertram - Berlin | ALBA
Jyrki Vanamo - Berlin | Holvi
Kai Malkwitz - Berlin | pvStream GmbH
Karolina Attspodina - Berlin | WLOUNGE | MAGDA GROUP
Klaus Kammermeier - Berlin | InnovationLabs.Berlin
Kristian Lutz - Berlin | Hyazinth LLP
Kyrill Zlobenko - Munich | Seedrs Ltd.
Laura Kohler - Berlin | Sharkbite Innovation
Lital Aravot - Berlin | Aetion
Lubomila Jordanova - Berlin | Plan A
Magnus Lužkov - Berlin | Optimist Group
Mali M Baum - Berlin | WLOUNGE | MAGDA GROUP
Mario Steinbuch - Berlin | SPRK.global
Martin Adam - Berlin | Menschortweb
Max Costa - Berlin | United Nations World Food Programme
Michael Debuschewitz - Berlin | senden24 GmbH
Mirela Mus - Berlin | DSTOQ
Nicola Pinder - Berlin | Creatives Loop Ltd and Creatives Loop International Ltd & Co KG
Pablo Berger - Berlin | Innovationslabor GmbH
Peter Moll, Ph.D - Berlin | Self Employe
Peter Veto - Berlin | Free
Philip Strothmann - Berlin | Forum for Sustainability through Life Cycle Innovation e.V.
Philipp Seidel - Berlin | Holvi
Ramona Liberoff - London | Unreasonable Group
Rasmus Giesel - Berlin | M.O.R. Design
Regine Waldik - Berlin | Regine Investements
Sebastian Fischer Jung - Berlin | Digital Public Affairs GmbH
Simon Knittel - Berlin | OB8
Sonsoles Alonso - Berlin | Sonsoles Alonso Global Consulting
Stefan Jørgensen - Berlin | itembase.com
Tao Tao - Berlin | GetYourGuide
Thomas Broemme - Berlin | StartupTV
Tobias Dickmeis - Berlin | Tandem
Tobias Wittich - Berlin | The Place Berlin
Wilhelm Stein - Berlin | Stein E&C GmbH
Yannis Salavopoulos - Berlin | CAPITALS Circle Group GmbH & Global Sustain GmbH

The Founder Institute focuses on helping tech or tech-enabled businesses at the pre-seed stage, including both solo-founders and teams. This includes established businesses that are pre-funding and traction, MVP and prototype-stage projects, and even part-time founders with just ideas. FI's mission is to create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.