Following the successful completion of their inaugural cohort, Startup 425 and the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, are launching their next accelerator program in a virtual format. Applications are now open for this 15-week program designed to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses.
The next Startup 425 accelerator will run from February 25th through May 20th, with sessions held every Tuesday from 6-8 pm PST via Zoom. Admitted founders will begin their journey with an orientation session on Monday, February 24th at 6 pm, culminating in a graduation ceremony tentatively scheduled for June 3rd. While primarily virtual, the program will include optional in-person events, and participants can expect breaks during major holidays.
Catering to the diverse needs of entrepreneurs, the Startup 425 Accelerator offers two distinct paths: a Venture Capital Track for startup founders planning to raise capital and scale rapidly, and a Small Business Track for traditional entrepreneurs focused on building sustainable local businesses. This comprehensive program is ideal for first-time small business entrepreneurs seeking guidance and support, potential founders exploring and validating startup ideas, and early-stage founders preparing for their first capital raise.
The First Cohort’s Success and Impact
The first Startup 425 cohort, powered by Founder Institute, demonstrated the profound impact of this initiative. Participating mentors included executives and top leaders from prestigious organizations such as Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z), Atlassian, Etsy, SVB, Clearlink, and Serval Ventures. The cohort successfully produced 19 new graduate companies, spanning industries from AI and robotics to traditional businesses like artisan gift shops and a furniture warehouse.
The inaugural cohort also earned significant news coverage, received a public endorsement from the Mayor of Bellevue, and secured financial backing from the Port of Seattle and Amazon. The program attracted over 175 applications in less than three weeks, ultimately selecting 38 high-potential entrepreneurs using FI’s research-backed methodology.
Startup 425, an economic development initiative of the Eastside cities bordering Seattle, sought a program that would harness their region's immense talent—talent often being exported to larger tech companies rather than being utilized to build the local economy. The organization aimed to create a program that empowered first-time entrepreneurs, built sustainable businesses, and went beyond high-tech startups to support traditional “main street” businesses such as retail and restaurants.
To achieve this vision, Founder Institute launched the Startup 425 curriculum, an idea-stage accelerator that, for the first time, incorporated a dedicated track for traditional businesses. This customized approach allowed Startup 425 to activate and support first-time founders with varying business models, industries, and levels of progress. The program was entirely free for participants and leveraged FI’s proven methodology, software platform, and expansive network to drive successful business launches in the region.
Why Startup 425 Chose the Founder Institute
Startup 425 selected Founder Institute over several other national programs for multiple reasons:
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Ease of Use: The platform and available tools have made the process of recruiting, setting up a cohort, and managing the founders over the 14-week program a task that can be handled by one person, even for the cohorts of 40 founders that we’re operating.
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Proven, Idea-Stage Methodology: The program is truly designed to accommodate the earliest-stage founder with just an idea. Its caliber, quality of the curriculum, enormous network, and comprehensive topics cover the fundamentals of starting a business rather than just a focus on raising VC investment like most other accelerators.
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Flexible, Customized Approach: The ability to modify the curriculum to meet the needs of a wide range of business models, industries, and verticals.
Levi Reed, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Startup 425, shared his enthusiasm for the program's influence: "The feedback from our partners and the founders themselves has been overwhelmingly positive, with founders praising the quality of the platform and curriculum, and the utility of the resources FI has collected or created to support founder education. As a result, we’ve decided to expand the contract with FI to triple the number of cohorts we’ll run through the end of 2026."
About Startup 425
Startup 425’s purpose is to boost innovation on the Eastside. Understanding that founding a company is both a significant decision and a challenge, Startup 425 provides essential resources and information to support entrepreneurs in Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond, and Renton.
The organization maintains an active events calendar featuring coworking sessions, panels, workshops, and networking opportunities, helping entrepreneurs connect and learn from their peers and industry experts.
The collaboration between the Founder Institute and Startup 425 continues to drive economic growth and opportunity in the region.
Join the Next Cohort
Ready to bring your business idea to life? Apply now here
As part of Startup 425’s mission to support local entrepreneurs, the program is available free of charge to ambitious founders in the partner cities Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond, and Renton. Don’t miss this opportunity to turn your vision into reality!
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our highly-structured accelerator programs have helped entrepreneurs raised over $1.85BN in funding across over 200 cities worldwide.
Learn more about the Founder Institute at FI.co, join an upcoming startup event at FI.co/events, or subscribe to our Insights Newsletter.
