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 Amsterdam - Austria Fall 2026 Semester!
If you want to build a startup in Amsterdam and could use expert training and feedback, then apply to the Amsterdam Founder Institute today, or attend a free event.
Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (Aug 30, 2026) 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 Amsterdam in 2011, the Founder Institute has helped launch several promising companies in the region, and our efforts in Amsterdam have also been profiled by several high profile media channels.
To celebrate the launch, the Amsterdam Founder Institute will several free startup events for the general public, where you can meet top entrepreneurs and learn more about the program:
- How to Think Like a Founder and Take Action: 2:00am, Jun 16, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395054
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 6:30pm, Jun 22, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/400793
- Economic Development: How to Build Entrepreneurial Communities: 5:00pm, Jun 23, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/400951
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, Jun 30, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/401148
- Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 6:00pm, Jul 07, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395140
- Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 6:00pm, Jul 20, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395082
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 2:30pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395107
- FounderX Silicon Valley 2026: Global Conference in San Francisco: 2:00am, Aug 26, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/399801
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 6:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395195
- How to Build a Strong Pipeline of Entrepreneurs for your Innovation Hub: 6:00pm, Sep 15, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/398286
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 6:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395269
- From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 6:00pm, Nov 03, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395286
- From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 6:00pm, Dec 01, 2026 (Europe/Amsterdam): https://FI.co/e/395333
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 Amsterdam is local startup leader Oliver de Leeuw (Managing Director, Nameshapers).
In addition, some of Amsterdam's top entrepreneurs will mentor founders in the program, providing them with expert training, feedback, and evaluation. The list of mentors for the Amsterdam - Austria Fall 2026 includes:
- Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
- Adrian Zettl: Managing Director, Austrian Startups
- Adrian Rhomberg: Senior Investment Associate, Gateway Ventures
- Ajay Singh: Head of Technology, Innovations and Startups, Austrian Embassy Commercial Section, India
- Alexander Schwartz: Partner, xista science ventures
- Alexander Brix: Former COO of Kaleido AI (acq. by Canva), Canva
- Alvaro Egido: VC Analyst, Fund F
- Amit Grinvald: Communication Strategist & Pitch Coach, Amit Grinvald Consulting
- Ana Veremyova: Founder & PR Advisor, Trust
- Andras Galffy: Founder, CEO & Head of Research, Turbulence Solutions
- Andreas Fischer: Founding Partner, First Momentum Ventures
- Andrei Podlesnyi: Investment Manager, Triple Impact Ventures
- Annu Gmeiner: Principal , Xista Science Ventures
- Barbara Van Lodensteijn: Founder & Business Psychologist MSC, Vision Aligns
- Benjamin Ruschin: Managing Partner, Big Cheese Ventures
- Bernhard Holzer: CEO, Woodspr
- Bernhard Hauser: Founder, Waterglass.io
- Carol Constant: Founder & CEO, WhomLab 🧩
- Charlotte Christensen: Executive Director, Fintocat
- Christian Csank: Founder & CEO, Sorex
- Christian Zeidler: Co-Founder and CEO, Adaptive
- Christopher Polligkeit: Investor, Plug and Play
- Cihan Kadir: CEO, VolaTec
- Cristina Fonseca: Innovation Lead, Rockstart
- Daan Weddepohl: CEO & Founder, Peerby
- Daniela Haunstein: Managing Director, invest.austria
- David Cabezon Egurrola: Plug and Play Health Ventures Fellow, baby vc | Plug and Play | Slush
- Dominique Dufour: CEO, Blue Wave Consulting
- Dr. Karen Wendt: President, SFTL - SwissFinTechLadies
- Ebin Ephrem Elavathingal: Director/Tecknogog, MERSTRA Foundation / MITC
- Edouard Renard: Founder Founder, The Robotics Backend
- Eleni Lialiamou: Founder, Kimolian Academy
- Elisabeth Siencnik: Startup Coach, Elisabeth Siencnik
- Emma Rees: Executive Chair, Deployed
- Erika Darmstaedter: Co-Founder, Collective63
- Evelina Lundqvist: Sustainable business development and upskilling consultant, The Good Tribe
- Fabian Geyrhalter: Founder and Principal, FINIEN
- Felix Kernbichler: Attorney at Law, Kernbichler Law
- Felix Günther: M.Sc. MBA, FIVE MORE
- Ferdinand Dietrich: Co- Founder, Storebox
- Firas Saedaddin: CEO, AGA Group GmbH
- Florian Wimmer: Co-Founder & CEO, Blockpit AG
- Florian Kandler: Pitch & Fundraising Expert, Der Perfekte Pitch
- Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Co-Founder, Vitamin CS Coaching
- Gal Nachum: Active Chairman, xFind / Cognishape
- Georg Schmidt Sailer: Serial Founder, Country Leader myneva Austria
- Georg Molzer: CEO & Founder, Shadowmap
- Gernot Singer: Founder, Angel Investor
- Gregor Zehetner: Founder, GZE Advisory
- Hannah Wundsam: Managing Director, Austrian Startups
- Huang Chen: DigiDream Solutions e.U. || CEO & Founder || Product Owner & Manager, DigiDream Solutions e.U
- Ifeoluwa Ogunbufunmi, SWIF
- Ivan Zamesin: Founder, Advanced JTBD Academy
- Jack Eastwood: Co-Founder, Protium
- Jacqueline Kressner: Co-lead, Founder Institute Vienna
- Jakobus Schuster: CEO & Co-Founder, notarity
- Jay Marathe: Fundraising adviser and investment banker for growth companies in energy technologies, Bryan, Garnier & Co.
- Jiaran Wang: CEO, Expand Future GmbH
- Jimmy Jaspers: Founder, CEO, Vincitori Technologies
- Johannes Blaschke: Partner, Calm/Storm
- Julia Wagner: VC, Positron Ventures
- Kambis Kohansal Vajargah: Head of Startup-Services and Deputy Head of Founder-Services, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
- Kasia Sadowska: Founder, FutureHabits.Tech
- Kiziltan Yüceil: Venture Strategy Domain Lead, Niterra Ventures
- Klaus Fuchs: Venture Lead , Wien Energie GmbH
- Konstantin Steiner: Sefl employed , Name
- Laura Raggl: Managing Partner, ROI Ventures
- Laura Warnier: Chief Growth Officer, Sunrise
- Leen Segers: Managing Director, ForsVC
- Linda Lorenzoni: Founder & CEO, Gastro Exclusive GmbH
- Lisa Pallweber: Managing Partner, Hans(wo)men Group
- Lubomila Jordanova: CEO, Plan A
- Lucy Izquierdo Greene: VC Investor, Fund F
- Lukas Wieser: Co-Founder, myflexbox
- Maggie Childs: CEO , mypaperwork.ai
- Malgorzata Goraczek: Founder, Funding Coach
- Marco Kogler: Co-Founder & Managing Partner, FuzeQube Group
- Mariya Konstantinova: CFO, Founder Institute
- Martin Frühwirt, enablico
- Martina Vitezova: Managing Director, NextPlay
- Michael Schneider: Founder, Seedraisr
- Michael Kowatschew: Founder, Heizma
- Michael Innerebner: Angel Investor, Investor
- Michael Dobersberger: Co-Director, Open Austria
- Michaela Stephen: Co-Founder and Co-CEO, MATR
- Moritz Lechner: Founder & CEO, New Fluence
- Nicolas Benady: CEO, SWAN
- Nik Zechner: Founder & Managing Director, Grauberg
- Nikhil Ninne: CEO , Fermapulse
- Niklas Benesch: Principal, ROI Ventures
- Nikolaus Hutter: Partner & Co-Founder, Relevant Ventures
- Nina Sophie Sczepurek: Co-Founder & COO, leitzcloud by vBoxx
- Oleksandr Kalinchuk: Investment Officer, EIT Manfacturing
- Pamela Wolf: Operating Partner, exCoty / exSalesforce
- Peiman Zamani: CEO, 4u-ventures
- Philippa Allen: Investment Manager, Calm/Storm
- Pouria Kay: Founding Partner, Atlan
- Rachana Ramchand: Co-Founder, Care&Bloom
- Réginald Bien Aimé: Founder & Managing Director, Veelab
- Rima Suppan: CEO, Peachies
- Rudolf Dömötör: Director, WU Entrepreneurship Center
- Salmine Sassi: Entrepreneur in Residence, Seedstars
- Sara Bentsen: COO and Co-Founder, Scale to Global
- Sarah Lechner: Founder & Coach, Centered Leadership & Culture
- Sebastian Haid: Founder, HeadwAI GmbH
- Sergiu Ardelean: Co-Founder, CEO, Artivive
- Simon Führer: Associate, FI Austria
- Stanish Gunasekaran: Investor, Included VC
- Stavros Pavlidis: Head Direct and Strategic Investments, Deep Capital Group
- Stefan Kainz: Investment Director Impact Investing, C.E.L.L. Investment GmbH
- Stephan Kreiger: Director, FI Austria
- Steven Desmyter: President, Man Group
- Suraj Nathwani: Regional Partner, Boardio
- Taryn Andersen: President & Co-Founder , Impulse4Women
- Thomas Walbert: Ecosystem Leader, DEEP Ecosystems
- Umida Tulieva: Advisor, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Central Asia
- Urška Jež: Founder and CEO, Transformation Lighthouse
- U Shin Kim, U-Shin Group Agency (UGA)
- Valentijn Koppenaal: Co-founder & CEO, leitzcloud by vBoxx
- Valentin Krenkel: Deputy Managing Director, invest.austria
- Valentina Podda, Radical Value
- Verena Judmayer: CEO , MATR
- Viktoria Zimm: Managing Director Impact Investments, C.E.L.L. Investment GmbH
- Viktoria Tollinger: Programme Lead, I.E.C.T. - Hermann Hauser Management GmbH
- Vlad Gozman: Co-Founder & CEO, involve.me
- Vladimir Pletyukhin: Founder and Creative Director, Launch Deck
- Xiaomin Mou: Head of Venture Capital Investments, Central Eastern Europe, IFC - International Finance Corporation
- Yuliya Daineko: Head of Product Portfolio Evolution B2X, A1 Telekom Austria
- 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.
