Now, more than ever, the world needs entrepreneurs to build the future.
At the Founder Institute, we know times are tough, but we also know that economic downturns are a great time to start a business. This isn't just conjecture - the Founder Institute was started in April of 2009 (during the "Great Recession"), and world-leading companies like Microsoft, Tesla, and Apple also took advantage of cost savings during a recession to launch and get their initial traction.
That's why we are excited to announce today that applications are now open for the Switzerland Spring 2027 program.
If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from Zurich's top investors and entrepreneurs to build something meaningful, then apply to the Switzerland Spring 2027 Founder Institute today.
We will be hosting several free startup online events in Zurich over the coming weeks, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs from the comfort of your home:
Switzerland Events:
- Pitch Ambulance: Live Feedback from the Pitch Doctor : 6:30pm, Oct 15, 2026 (Europe/Zurich): https://FI.co/e/402666
Global or Regional Events:
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. Participants in the 4-month Agentic program also get access to a lifetime of support through the Founder Institute's industry-leading post-programs.
The Zurich program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Ingeborg Gasser-Kriss (Board Director, Innovation Advisor , FoodTech), Kasia Sadowska (Founder, FutureHabits.Tech), Lilla Peczely (co-director, Founder Institute Switzerland - Israel chapter), Stephan Kreiger (Director, FI Vienna).
In addition, some of Zurich'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 Zurich Founder Institute includes:
- Alain Nydegger: Founding Partner, 21Celsius Ventures
- Aleksandar Bradic: Chief Technology Officer, Supplyframe
- Aleksandrina Ikonomova: Startup Advisor & Angel Investor, Pisana Labs
- Alexander Schmitt: CTO, FYTA GmbH
- Amit Grinvald: Communication Strategist & Pitch Coach, Amit Grinvald Consulting
- Ana Veremyova: Founder & PR Advisor, Trust
- Andrew Ive: Founder / Managing General Partner, Big Idea Ventures
- Annu Gmeiner: Principal , Xista Science Ventures
- Antoine Mallard: VP, Causality Link
- Arcui Usoara: Global Board Advisor and Brand Strategist, Founder, Iaculus
- Ari Veltman: Business Strategy Advisor | Board Director | CBDO@, Sparko.TV
- Ari Aaltonen: CEO , Efides.io
- Aron Braun: Founder / Co-Founder, Epigenomics AG / Arpega AG / Zimballo GmbH
- Barak Peled: Managing Partner, DR Ventures
- Barbara Van Lodensteijn: Founder & Business Psychologist MSC, Vision Aligns
- Benjamin Elad Rubin: CEO, Advisor & Angel Investor, Sirenum, Insectika, Pro-Active,
- Bob De Wilde: Founder, ADELANTUM Services
- Bogdan Krinitchko: CEO & Founder , BRU
- Carl P-Conquilla: Director / Design Engineer, Torson Injex AG
- Carolin Schneider: Founder & CEO, 4di2 GmbH
- Charlotte Christensen: Executive Director, Fintocat
- Christian Zeidler: Co-Founder and CEO, Adaptive
- Christof Tremp: Founder and CEO, REBELS 0.0%
- Christoph Sollich: Freelancer, The Pitch Doctor
- Daan Weddepohl: CEO & Founder, Sellster.ai
- Daniel Puerta Diaz: Founder and expert on Industrialization and Scale-up, Sunflower Labs
- Daniel Neder: Venture Partner, Flashpoint Venture Capital
- Daniel Michael Böhi: Executive Coach, Founder & Investor, Founder Institute
- David Lunsford
- David Minkovski: David Minkovski, Microsoft
- Dominika Wojtanek: Founder & Technical Recruiter, placementist
- Dominique Dufour: CEO, Blue Wave Consulting
- Eddie Laventman: Founder & CEO, Goodpoint - Storytelling Masters
- Edgar Kussberg: AI Group Product Manager, Snyk
- Elena Walder Schiavone: Managing Partner, Übermorgen Ventures
- Eleni Lialiamou: Founder, Kimolian Academy
- Elisa Chiarelli: CEO and Founder, Yoordi
- Eliza Sophia: CEO, Aleonz Consultancy Sdn Bhd
- Enrico Dal Re: Head of Finance, Born
- Erika Darmstaedter: Co-Founder, Collective63
- Ethan Aiem: Founder & CEO, Klendify
- Fabian De Vos: User Journey Manager, MoneyPark
- Felix Kernbichler: Attorney at Law, Kernbichler Law
- Ferdinand Dietrich: Co- Founder, Storebox
- Fiorella Erni: CEO and Founder, Cheetah Stories SA
- Florian Kandler: Pitch & Fundraising Expert, Der Perfekte Pitch
- Frank Mertens: Founder & CEO, FM Consulting GmbH
- Gal Nachum: Active Chairman, xFind / Cognishape
- Galit Farkash: Corporate Counsel & Strategic Advisor, Galit Farkash
- Georg Molzer: CEO & Founder, Shadowmap
- Gregor Zehetner: Founder, GZE Advisory
- Guillaume Balas: Angel Investor | Mentor | Entrepreneur, 3scale / Meta Pool / The Inbound Labs / Tings
- Guy Zurawel: Angel Investor
- Helena Frumson: Systemic Growth Architect, Co-Founder at NeoClear, Founder at infinita Club, Infinita Club & NeoClear
- Henrietta Hearth: Investment Principal , Big Idea Ventures
- Huang Chen: DigiDream Solutions e.U. || CEO & Founder || Product Owner & Manager, DigiDream Solutions e.U
- Ingeborg Gasser Kriss: Board Member, Advisor , Agent21
- Ivo Ronner: VC & Advisor, Swiss Post Ventures, Digital Twins, etc.
- Janne Saarikko: Director, Food Ecosystems Accelerator, Founder Institute
- Jay Marathe: Fundraising adviser and investment banker for growth companies in energy technologies, Bryan, Garnier & Co.
- Jeff Shapiro: Partner, Bounty M&R
- Jeroen Maudens: Managing Partner, ONEtoONE Corporate Finance
- Jiaran Wang: CEO, Expand Future GmbH
- Jimmy Jaspers: Founder, CEO, Vincitori Technologies
- Julia Devecchi: Mentor/Entrepreneur/Student, Venturelab
- Julien Lepetit: Director Europe, The Business of Trust
- Kamran Houshang Pour: Patent Expert , Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
- Kasia Sadowska: Founder, FutureHabits.Tech
- Ksenia Sukhova: Co-Founder, ob.session
- Laurentiu Christian Nat: Co-Founder, Easyplan Hospitality
- Lea Von Bidder: Co-Founder and CEO, Ava Science
- Lilla Peczely: co-director, Founder Institute Switzerland
- Liran Akavia: Serial entrepreneur (2 exits) | Executive Chairman | , CallMarker / Seebo / Sogomatic / Intelichain
- Lukas Wieser: Co-Founder, myflexbox
- Magdalena Tarasinska: Investor, SICTIC
- Malgorzata Goraczek: Founder, Funding Coach
- Manpreet Kohli: Senior Principal, Adobe
- Mara Rada: Chief Operations and Strategy, Loon (loonbio.com)
- Marita Price: Founder & Director, Hello
- Mark Leinemann: Founder & President, Crowdfoods.com - the 1st AgriFood/-Tech Startup Association in DACHLI
- Markus Haas: Regional Director, Asia & Oceania, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA
- Martin Frühwirt, enablico
- Martin Habfast
- Martina Frick: Attorney at Law and Mediator SBA, lic. iur., LL.M., Eversheds Sutherland
- Martina Vitezova: Managing Director, NextPlay
- Matthias Käch: Senior IP Trainer, Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
- Max Itskovich: Director of Global Markets Development, Apriorit
- Michael Striligás: Founder, Vertliner
- Michael Mosimann: Partner, Eversheds Sutherland Ltd.
- Michael Dudli: CEO and Founder, Xelon
- Mike Suprovici: Head of Acceleration, VC Lab
- Mike Lingle: Entrepreneur / Mentor, Rocket Pro Forma
- Mohammad Hossein Tavangar: Director , Founder Institute Germany
- Moshe Mikanovsky: Product Director, Rootquotient
- Naomi Swalve: Head of Legal Product, Centari
- Natasha Drapeau: Founder, Augeous Advisory
- Nik Zechner: Founder & Managing Director, Grauberg
- Noah Pickholtz: Founder & VC Investor | +$100M Raised for Startups & VC Funds, Champel Capital
- Olena Bochulia: Co-Founder, Severus
- Orel Yamin: Managing Director | Investor | Mentor | Founder, Miller Capital Partners
- Pamela Wolf: Operating Partner / Advisor, ex-Coty / ex-Salesforce
- Patricia Kastner: Angel Investor, Strategic Advisor
- Patrick Blumenthal: Investment Manager, Ecosystem Ventures
- Pierre Gaubil
- Pouria Kay: Founding Partner, Atlan
- Réginald Bien Aimé: Founder & Managing Director, Veelab
- Rene Lehmann: Co-Founder, Kanbii Solutions AG
- Ricardo Perez Font: Head of Marketing, BOBST
- Rolf Van De Velde, Undagrid
- Ryan Micheletti: Head of Global Operations, Founder Institute
- Sebastian Kirsch: CTO & Co-founder, MambaHR
- Sharon Tal: Author & Facilitator, Where to Play
- Shira Teger: Attorney, Arnon, Tadmor - Levy
- Simon Gerstler: Helped over 200 companies increase sales | 2 tech exits | Founder UAE-Israel Business Council | Angel investor, Pipe Global
- S.K. Lee: Angel/LP + Coach, Launch Lab
- Stavros Pavlidis: operator, risk-taker, venture builder, and capital allocator | direct investments, venture capital, multi-asset, derivatives | family office | zero-to-IPO, independent advisor
- Stephan Kreiger: Director, FI Austria
- Sush Bapna: General Partner, 10Ten Ventures
- Suzanne Van der Maarel: Lead Food & Retail | Investor Program, Kickstart Innovation
- Tal Tuchman: Global Director, Deel
- Thomas Ackermann: Co-Director, Founder Institute Switzerland
- Thomas Walbert: Ecosystem Leader, DEEP Ecosystems
- Tim Delhaes: CEO, Restacked.ai
- Unnat Bak: CEO, Revscale
- U Shin Kim, U-Shin Group Agency (UGA)
- Valentina Podda, Radical Value
- Vincent Irrling: Co-Founder | CEO, KAPSLY
- Yael Daniely: A start-up psychologist, coach and Co founders therapist, YD- Scale Up your Business
- And many more to be announced.
Since 2009, the Founder Institute has helped over 9,000 Alumni raise over 2BN funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more (see the FI 10 Year Impact Report here).
Join us in Zurich and help build the future.
Apply to the Switzerland Spring 2027 Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/overview.
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