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The Founder Institute, the world’s premier pre-seed startup accelerator, is launching the first of its kind virtual program in collaboration with WomenTech Network as part of the Washington DC Fall 2024 program 

The Female Founder Program helps early-stage women entrepreneurs build innovative businesses in the Washington DC Fall 2024 Founder Institute through:

  • Mentorship and feedback from +100 top entrepreneurs and industry experts 

  • Access to a local and global support network of mentors, investors, and advisors

  • Introductions to business angels, VCs and corporates investing globally 

  • Over €1.5MM in partner deals and resources

This collaboration with WomenTech Network is part of Founder Institute’s goal of improving the gender gap in technology. Together we aim to build additional promising female-led startups in 2021, and help further establish Washington DC Fall 2024 as a center for female leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Who Should Apply?

The Founder Institute is the world’s premier pre-seed startup accelerator, with chapters across 185+ cities and alumni companies that have raised over $1.85BN in funding. Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used our program to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, building a co-founding team, and more. 

The Regional Female Founder Program (scheduled with Washington DC Fall 2024 program) takes place from  Oct 01, 2024 to Jan 08, 2025. Any pre-seed female entrepreneur interested in building an innovative startup is encouraged to apply, including aspiring founders with a full-time job, solo founders, teams, and founders of established companies (pre-funding). 

The entire program is run virtually, so no physical presence is required. The weekly mandatory sessions are scheduled to take place starting 8.30AM PDT / 11:30AM EDT / 5:30PM CET / 6:30 EET and will last for 3 hours.

 

What to Expect?

To apply to the Washington DC Fall 2024 Female Founder Program you must complete your application below. 

During the program you can expect:

  • 3.5 months of systematic development on your idea and your company

  • 200+ specific tasks to develop your idea and your company

  • Direct and honest feedback about your business

  • Weekly online group sessions with top mentors giving practical guidance and Q&A session on specific topics

  • Personal and group office hours with hand-picked experienced mentors

  • Later in the program, introductions to corporates and potential investors

  • Global online demo day webinar for the graduates!

Rules of the game:

  • A limited number of applicants will be accepted to the program

  • We require execution - if you are not learning and executing, you may be dropped from the program

  • You will get strong peer support from other founders in your cohort

  • No need for physical appearance but mandatory remote video appearance for three hours on Wednesdays

After the short form, you will be invited to take our Entrepreneur DNA Assessment, which is our main criteria for evaluating applicants. 

The Final Application Deadline is on Sep 15, 2024. Female Founder Program recipients will be chosen from the top overall applicants to the program, and be notified via email within a few days of applying. 

Apply to the Founder Institute Female Founder Program

The Washington DC Founder Institute is not currently accepting applications, but will be soon. 

You can see our currently enrolling chapters at FI.co/enrolling, our full list of cities at FI.co/global, or register below to get notified when there are new startup programs in Washington DC.