As part of the Founder Institute’s Startup Ecosystem Leaders series, we were pleased to welcome FI program co-director Craig Swiatek for an update on the latest developments in Colorado's startup and tech ecosystem.
Craig Swiatek is co-director of the Colorado Founder Institute accelerator, is currently an investment advisor for Venture Capital & Growth with Red Arrow Capital, Principal at C Squared Solutions, and an Advisor on the Due Diligence Team with Rockies Venture Club.
In this video, FI Colorado co-director Craig Swiatek shares his thoughts on the ‘state of the startup’ today in Denver, in Colorado statewide, and across the wider Mountain West tech ecosystem(s), which new and emerging developments particularly excite him for the future, what has surprised him most in working with early-stage entrepreneurs, and much more.
Plus, learn a few startup success stories of recent FI Colorado Alumni, about the amazing local program partners and mentors, and open event dates and application deadlines for the upcoming Colorado -Silicon Valley Fall 2026 Founder Institute pre-seed accelerator cohort!
Watch FI HQ's full interview with FI Colorado Co-Director Craig Swiatek:
If you're a Colorado-based pre-seed stage entrepreneur interested in finding direction on your own startup journey, and you haven’t done so already, head over here to learn more about the next FI Colorado -Silicon Valley Fall 2026 accelerator cohort.
Or, join us at one of these upcoming Colorado startup events:
- How Multiple Pivots positioned Checkbox as the ‘Legal Front Door’ for Corporations: 6:00pm, Apr 13, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/394705
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Real Startup Lessons From FI Alumni Across the World: 10:00am, Apr 14, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/394745
- How to Go From Raw Idea to Polished Pitch using AI: 10:30am, Apr 20, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395688
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 10:00am, Apr 21, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395522
- Turn Your Expertise Into an Audience on LinkedIn: 10:00am, Apr 27, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/394630
- How to Overcome the Fear of Starting Your Own Company: 10:00am, Apr 28, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/393961
- How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 10:30am, May 04, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/394464
- How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 6:00pm, May 18, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/394952
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Unfiltered Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors: 10:00am, May 26, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395378
- Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 10:00am, Jun 02, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/394985
- Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact: 6:30pm, Jun 08, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/394647
- Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 6:00pm, Jun 15, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395028
- Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A : 6:00pm, Jul 06, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395065
- Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 10:00am, Jul 20, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395086
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 6:30am, Aug 10, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395115
- Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 10:00am, Aug 10, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395144
- Build a Startup Idea Investors Won’t Ignore: 6:00pm, Aug 18, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395164
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 10:00am, Sep 01, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395199
- Break the Idea Loop and Decide What to Build: 6:00pm, Sep 21, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395212
- From Idea to Traction: Lessons From Global FI Alumni: 6:30pm, Oct 05, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395239
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 10:00am, Oct 13, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395273
- From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 10:00am, Nov 03, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395294
- From “Maybe” to Momentum: Building a Great Startup Idea: 6:00pm, Nov 17, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395307
- From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 10:00am, Dec 01, 2026 (America/Denver): https://FI.co/e/395341
Applications to the Colorado -Silicon Valley Fall 2026 Founder Institute are now open, and anyone building an applicable tech company can apply at FI.co/apply/denver.
Graduates of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over 2BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/graduates.
