Apply
Founder Institute Image

Starting a company is exciting—but it’s also a steep climb. The odds are real, and established companies have significant advantages: resources, recognition, and reach. As a founder, your edge lies in two things: speed and focus. You can move fast, and you can build something highly specific for a niche audience that big players often overlook.

To help founders make the most of those strengths, Founder Institute created the Startup Ideation Bootcamp.

Build a Startup Idea That Actually Works — Before You Waste Time or Money

This intensive 8-week program is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs shape, refine, and validate their ideas through expert feedback, practical tools—including AI—and a step-by-step process proven across thousands of startups.

From July 17 to September 4, 2025, participants will attend eight live online sessions, guided by seasoned mentors and supported by a global community of founders. Each session is designed to be interactive and results-driven. Along the way, you’ll receive input from more than 10 experienced entrepreneurs and angel investors from the Founder Institute network, with additional mentors to be announced soon.

Reserve your spot now: fi.co/bootcamp/ideation

What Is This Bootcamp About

The truth is, most people pitch their startup ideas only to friends and family who say, “That’s a great idea, keep going.” But that’s not useful.

You need real feedback from real people.

The Startup Ideation Bootcamp will help you define your idea, test your assumptions, and gather honest feedback from others who are actually trying to build something too.

Who This Is For

Making 'the leap' into building a startup can be scary. That's why we created this bootcamp specifically for:

  • First-time founders and aspiring entrepreneurs considering launching a startup

  • Anyone with rough ideas that need feedback and guidance

  • Anyone ready to take the first steps of entrepreneurship, but don't know where to start

  • Anyone interested in teaming up with other aspiring entrepreneurs

The Biggest Startup Killer? Being Unfocused.

Forget funding. Forget competition. The number one killer of startups is being unfocused.

If you only have two advantages—speed and focus—and you don’t use them, you’re dead on arrival. Worse, you might become a zombie startup: still walking around, still burning money and time, but already dead.

The bootcamp helps you avoid that path by implementing an intensive, step-by-step process to learn the latest best practices - and keep you accountable.

What You’ll Learn in the Startup Ideation Bootcamp

This bootcamp is not theory. It’s practical, tactical, and designed for real progress. You’ll learn

how to reframe your idea around solving a problem:

In just 2 months, you'll follow a proven process to:

  • Create, improve, and validate startup ideas with experienced experts - and real customers

  • Connect with potential co-founders, advisors, and partners

  • De-risk the decision on whether or not to pursue your startup idea

  • Build a great elevator pitch to help you attract collaborators

  • Leverage the power of AI to move faster and smarter

What’s Different About This Bootcamp?

At the Founder Institute, we’ve worked with over 7,500 companies in more than 100 countries, and we’ve seen what works—and what doesn’t. The Startup Ideation Bootcamp brings those learnings to life in a live, hands-on format. You'll connect with peers from around the world, exchange feedback with people outside your usual circles, and leave the program with greater clarity and confidence in your next steps.

And don’t worry about someone “stealing your idea.” The value is in the execution, not the idea itself. 

Join the Startup Ideation Bootcamp

If you're serious about testing and refining your startup idea the right way, then this bootcamp is for you.


Reserve your spot now: fi.co/bootcamp/ideation
 

*  *  *

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.


Related Insights

More insights
Founder Institute Image
Announcement

Summer Startup Funding Bootcamp: Raise Capital with Confidence

By Emiliya Strahilova on Jun 04, 2025
Founder Institute Image
Announcement

Announcing the Graduation of Startup425 Accelerator Cohort 2

By Emiliya Strahilova on May 26, 2025
Founder Institute Image
Announcement

Expand to the U.S. with Confidence: Pitch Practice Featuring SelectUSA

By Emiliya Strahilova on Feb 14, 2025

Are you ready to apply to the world's largest pre-seed accelerator?

Apply to the Program