Economic downturns are a great time to build a business, because the cost of doing business is low, unique talent is available, and the needs of consumers and businesses are quickly shifting. All of these factors are a boon for entrepreneurs.
To encourage and support people interested in building a business during this transformative time, we have opened applications to over 70 Founder Institute programs across the globe. This is the most programs in our 11+ year history.
In addition, all programs starting in 2020 will be held online. This is not only to help keep everyone safe, but also to give more people an opportunity to participate and benefit from the program.
Any aspiring entrepreneur or team interested in building a business with top entrepreneurs and investors can see the current list of enrolling chapters at FI.co/enrolling, or attend a free online startup event at FI.co/events.
Our application volume is as high as it has ever been, because times like these are when smart entrepreneurs build the future,” says Adeo Ressi, CEO of the Founder Institute. “Making our 2020 programs online not only makes the program safer, it also allows us to help entrepreneurs in new regions where we’ve never had a physical presence. No matter where you are located, you can now find an FI program that works for you.
In the Founder Institute, entrepreneurs follow a structured and focused process to get to traction and funding, with constant input and feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs and investors every step of the way. Since 2009, the program has helped over 7,500 portfolio companies across 100+ countries raise over $1.85BN in funding, solve big problems, build products people love, recruit amazing teams, and more.
This is the best time in history to build a digital business,” says Jonathan Greechan, Co-Founder of the Founder Institute. “When customer needs change quickly, as they are now, entrepreneurs are uniquely equipped to move fast and build new solutions while the big companies reorganize and narrow their focus. This is why many of the companies that defined the last decade in startups, such as Airbnb, Uber, Cloudflare, Udemy, Square, and Venmo, were formed during the last economic downturn. The companies being formed and getting their initial traction now will be the ones that define the 2020s in tech.
To help as many entrepreneurs as possible across the globe, the Founder Institute has also:
- Reduced the Course Fees for all programs worldwide
- Released internal technology for founders to book Virtual Office Hours with mentors in the FI Network
- Created weekly AMAs (“Ask Me Anything”) events for enrolled founders with their Silicon Valley HQ Team
The Founder Institute program is open to all entrepreneurs and teams at the pre-seed stage, which includes solo (or part-time) founders that just have an idea, small teams with a prototype/ MVP, or established businesses that are still pre-traction or professional funding.
See the current list of enrolling chapters at FI.co/enrolling, or learn more about the program at FI.co.
