Today, the Founder Institute, the world's premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Korea - Japan 2025 Semester!
If you want to build a startup in Seoul and could use expert training and feedback, then apply to the Seoul Founder Institute today, or attend a free event.
Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (Mar 23, 2025) will have their application fees waived (typically $50), and if you enroll by the Early Deadline you are also eligible for Founder Institute Fellowships.
Since launching in Seoul in 2017, the Founder Institute has helped launch several promising companies in the region, and our efforts in Seoul have also been profiled by several high profile media channels.
To celebrate the launch, the Seoul Founder Institute will several free startup events for the general public, where you can meet top entrepreneurs and learn more about the program:
- FI Alumni Panel: Meet Portfolio Companies and Ask Questions: 9:00am, Apr 24, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/367748
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- CVC in Japan: Connecting Startups with Corporate Innovation & Trends: 6:00pm, Apr 24, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/371157
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 9:00am, Apr 29, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/366709
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 9:00am, May 06, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/370047
- What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 9:00am, May 08, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/366607
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Nathan Beckord: 2:00am, May 13, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/366565
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 2:00am, May 27, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/370425
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 2:00am, Jun 03, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/370914
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 9:00am, Jun 10, 2025 (Asia/Tokyo): https://FI.co/e/370831
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, and more - like Udemy, Realty Mogul, iCarsClub, Itembase, goplaceit, and Appota. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
Running the Founder Institute's efforts in Seoul are local startup leaders Duke Lee, Jinah Kim, and Myung Jong Lee.
In addition, some of Seoul's top entrepreneurs will mentor founders in the program, providing them with expert training, feedback, and evaluation. The list of mentors for the Korea - Japan 2025 includes:
- Ahram Chui: Director , Gyeongnam Venture Investment
- Aki Ohashi: Vice President, Evolution Ventures
- Alexander De Vore: CEO, 3D Printing
- Andreea Marinescu: CEO, Tech Add-Venture
- Andrew Shuttleworth: Mentor, Founder Institute
- Arcui Usoara: Founder/CEO, Iaculus
- Benjamin Joffe: Founder & CEO, Plus Eight Star
- Cedric Wagrez: VP, ML Tech & Japan AI, TaskUs
- Cenk Baladura: Mentor,Venture Partner, Namcebawon Group | Founder Institute Korea
- Chiamin Lai: Managing Partner, UB Ventures
- Chintan Oza: Founder, Anantam Ecosystems
- Chris Foltz: Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Founder Institute
- Christoph Sollich: Christoph Sollich - The Pitch Doctor, The Pitch Doctor
- Conrad Kimball: CEO, ADU.Works
- Darren Menabney: Professor and Partner Faculty , GLOBIS University - Graduate School of Management
- David Yeng: Managing Partner, Founders Venture Capital
- Dr. Joe Hüg: Managing Director, IOAK, Corp., Professor, iU University
- Dr. Mayank Singh: Co-founder, CEO , Impute Inc.
- Ed Thompson: Marketing Consultant / Founder, Concept Design I/O
- Erdinç Ekinci: Co-Founder & CEO of Openfor.co & Co-capital.co, Managing Director of Founder Institute Japan/Korea/Taiwan
- Evan Burkosky: Co-founder & CRO , kimaru.ai
- Fuminori Gunji: Global Head of GTM, ZooKeep
- Giang Trịnh: Managing Partner, VMCG Capital
- Hideki Suzuki: CEO , TSUCREA Co., Ltd.
- Hiroko 裕子 Nishiyama 西山: ディレクター, NPO Seitaikai
- Hiroshi Nishikawa: Representative Director, Solve AI
- Hiroyuki Anno: Founder and CEO, DELIGHT Global Inc.
- Jack Huang: Managing Partner, Dreamhub Ventures
- Jacky Lou: Advisor/Coach for , Startups and Founders
- Jad Tarifi: CEO & Co-founder, Integral AI
- Jared Campion: Founder & CEO, Dream Drive
- Jatin Kataria: Founder & MD, InMeSta + JK Venture Studio
- Jay Onda: Director (Investments) | CVC Advisory Board Member, Marubeni Ventures | National Venture Capital Association
- Jeffrey Paine: Founding Partner, Golden Gate Ventures, Singapore
- Jeni Chang: Founder | Investor | Advisor
- Jet Son Tan: Head of Product - Asia Pacific, Tom Tom
- Jihun Yeon: Investment manager, Nautilus Investment
- John Kirch: Director, Ichigo Asia K.K.
- Jonathan Nguyen: Founder & CEO, Unsensible
- Jordan Fisher: Co-founder & Executive Chairman, Zehitomo
- José Francisco Fernandez Serna: Angel Investor, AgriFood Founder and Executive, CEO of E-motion Foods, Partner in DesertTech Ventures, and Board member in different organizations
- Joshua Flannery: Founder & CEO , Innovation Dojo Japan
- Karin Wellbrock: Executive Leadership Coach and Co-Founder, Kay Group K.K.
- Kei Shimada: Executive | Entrepreneur | Award-winning Innovator | Global Keynote Speaker| Startup Mentor | Angel Investor | EMBA, Liquid One Studio
- Kei Watanabe: Co-founder, Glasp Inc.
- Ken Covey: Investment Manager, QXLV
- Kevin Brockland: Founder & Managing Partner, Indelible Ventures:
- Khalil Maaouni: Head of Data and Digital, Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc.
- Kiyotake Sugita: Founder, KLAR株式会社
- Kojiro Seto: Startup Advisor, bTANK LLC
- Krishan Caldwell: APAC Commercial Solutions Leader (Flexibility) , Kraken
- Lauren Nham: Investor, MetaCap Ventures
- Leo Ma: Founder, EO Studio Japan, EO Studio
- Lu Dong: Founder and CEO, TakeMe Co.,Ltd.
- Luca Meguro: Investor, MS&AD VENTURES
- Luca Meguro: Manager, Strategic Partnerships & Investment Senior Associate, MS&AD VENTURES
- Maaike Doyer: Founder, Epic Angels
- Mahesh Kasar: SVP, Head of Sales - APAC / Global Partner Alliance and Indirect Channel Sales, Rakuten Symphony
- Makihara Arisa: Junior Associate , Anobaka
- Marco De Biasi: Startups Investor & Advisor /Program Director, FI/LGA /LAAS
- Mari Nishiyama: Startup Partner Lead, Stripe
- Marko Simic: Chief Technology Officer, Ascent Robotics, Inc.
- Masumi Shimafuji: Co-Founder and CEO, xRsion Inc.
- Max Zheng: Director of Investments, Blockchain Founders Group
- Maximillian Naza: Chief Executive Officer , PasciVite
- Michael Sheetal: Founder / CEO, PlayBrain Inc.
- Michael Sudano: Senior Robotics Operations Engineer, Woven Planet Holdings
- Michael Lee: CEO and Founder , CreBiz Factory
- Mikio Kawahara: Chief Investment Officer / Head of Investment and Business Development, UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.
- Naoko Kurosawa: Senior Manager, TSUCREA Co., Ltd.
- Noriya Tarutani: Director of Innovation Division, JETRO / J-Startup Affairs
- Paloma Lecheta: Regional Director - LatAm, Founder Institute
- Pina (Yoichiro) Hirano: CEO, Asteria Corporation
- Rancho Lee: Co-founder & APAC Partner, Simsan Ventures
- Raphael Hodé: CEO, Design Director, nowthen
- Rebecca Chai: Ventures Associate, Plug and Play Japan
- Reisa Matsuda: Community Manager, Google Japan
- Rene Budeck: Venture Capitalist, Stealth
- Roger Do: CEO, Co-Founder, Watchdog Cyber Defense
- Rosario B Casas: Co Founder, XR Americas, LLC / Business Creative Partners SAS
- Rosario B Casas: Co-Founder, BCPartners Tech
- Sameer Sortur: Founding Partner, SquareCircle Ventures
- Sanjaykumar Patel: Founder & Principal IP Attorney, EXCELON IP - Patent & Trademark Attorneys
- Satoshi Nunokawa: Associate , Incubate Fund
- Schyler Alexandra Cole: Managing Director, Qrea8iv Venture Studio
- Sean Kwon: Investor, 500 Global
- Sergio Escobar: CEO & Partner, BCF Ventures, Managing Director, Lalotte Ventures
- Sergio Elias Wilson: Foreign Associate, So & Sato Law Firm
- Shinya Yamamoto: Founder & CEO, Link & Innovation, Inc.
- Sho Sato: CEO, LUDiMUS Inc.
- Shuji Honjo, Tama Graduate School of Business
- Sinjin Wolf: Co-founder & CEO , kimaru.ai
- So Saito: Founder, So & Sato Law Offices
- So Yeon Kim: Founder & COO, Lapis APAC Pte Ltd.
- Stella (Jeehyon) Yoh: Principal, SOSV and Orbit Startups
- Steve Monaghan: General Partner, Finmirai
- Sush Bapna: General Partner, AIDGE Ventures
- Taku Furukawa: Founder & Organizer, Tokyo Fabhub
- Takujiro Oto: Co-Founder and CEO, Drive Japan Inc.
- Tao Romera Martinez: Chief Operating Officer, Soundraw
- Tilo Bonow Piabo: Investor, Cavalry Ventures
- Timothy Connor: CEO & Founder, Synnovate
- Todor Panev: Co-Founder, CBDO, Talnets AG, Sindex, Sigoor
- Tomohiro Uchida: Partner, Translink Capital
- Tyson Batino: Co-Founder, SmartStart Japan
- Vladimir Pletyukhin: Founder and Creative Director, Launch Deck
- Xinmei Cai: Engineering Director, Google Japan
- Yamato Sasagawa: Investor, World Innovation Lab (WiL)
- Yoichi Morimoto: Head of Business Development, HiJoJo Partners Inc.
- Yoichi Ito: Dean of entrepreneurship dept., LINE Yahoo academia
- Yuichi Terada: Founder & President , Hiyoura Lab
- Yuji Tanabe: Co-Founder and CTO, Aeterlink
- Yuki Shirato: Managing Director, Yakumi
- Yuki Sato: Co-founder, CEO , Obniz Inc
- Yu Li Shein: Co-Director , Founder Institute Japan/ Korea/ Taiwan
- And many more to be announced.
The Founder Institute is the most challenging and effective step-by-step startup launch program for talented and motivated aspiring entrepreneurs. If you are serious about launching a startup, the Founder Institute can give you the structured process, constant feedback and evaluation from expert mentors, and global network of entrepreneurs you need to start an enduring company. In addition, the Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that focuses on people versus ideas, accepts founders with day jobs, and shares equity with all participants.
