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Your someday starts now
Go from zero to funded faster than ever before with Founder Institute - the world's largest AI-native company builder.
- Startups Built
- 8,900+
- Alumni Funding
- 2BN+
- Countries
- 100+
- Mentors & Investors
- 40,000+
- Founders Trained
- 750,000+
- Company Exits
- 200+
- Estimated Portfolio Value
- $20BN+
- Chapters in Developing Nations
- 26%
- Years in Operation
- 17+
Everything you need to become an AI-native founder
Nobody has helped more first-time founders, solo-founders, and small teams bootstrap their way to growth and funding.
Core Platform
AI-Powered
Custom AI tools and agents based on 17+ years of experience launching startups worldwide.
Proven Methodology
The Rule of One
Step-by-step business-building sprints to eliminate 'analysis paralysis'. Bootstrap the business and get to work - no theory.
See our Methodology 
40,000+ Mentors
Constant Mentor Feedback
Hundreds of feedback touchpoints from entrepreneurs and investors when you need it the most - at the earliest stages.
Meet the mentors 
200+ Cities
Global Community
You don't have to do it alone. Join the world's largest network of idea and early-stage founders, ecosystem builders, and investors.
See the Core Program 
Funding
Founder Capital
Increase your chances for first funding through the FI Venture Network (a global network of 'first-check investors') and 'Founder Capital' (FI's global VC fund).
Explore funding 
Trusted by world-class organizations
- Microsoft
- NASA
- e
- Accenture
- USAID
- UNDP
- UN Women
- Joint SDG Fund
- Government of Bermuda
- Startup Portugal
- Corfo
- BEDC
- California State University
- DePaul University
- Claremont
- NUS
Oddbox wouldn't exist without the Founder Institute. FI gave me the structure I needed to take Oddbox from idea to an MVP.
Emilie Vanpoperinghe
Founder, Oddbox
Without Founder Institute, Udemy may have never raised any money.
Gagan Biyani
Founder, Udemy
I had the most incredible learning experience. I wouldn't be the founder I am today without Founder Institute as my backbone.
Evan Wong
Founder, Checkbox
Success Stories Across 6 Continents
Real stories from alumni who turned ideas into global, funded companies.
Joining the Founder Institute was a defining chapter in my founder journey. The experience, the pressure, and most importantly the mentorship shaped how I think, build, and lead TransTRACK today.
Anggia Meisesari
Founder, TransTRACK
FI's accelerator was tough, but it prepared me for life as an entrepreneur. The support from local leaders, mentors, and ecosystem partners helped us close our first round.
Renata Redondo
Founder, SleepUp
Grateful to the FI team for their support and belief in our journey, and proud of what we're building at Tespire as we keep pushing forward.
Abdulkadir Suleiman Lapai
Founder, Tespire
There's no better time than the present.
Apply to the Oslo Spring 2020 program today.
AI Has Rewritten the Rules of Company Building
Skills are no longer a barrier to entry. Your domain expertise is your unfair advantage, but only if you become AI-enabled.
RECRUIT A TEAM TO START
No Co-Founder? No Problem.
AI tools and agents can get you to first traction and funding. Solo founders can go further than ever without funding or a team.
6 MONTHS TO LAUNCH AN MVP
Launch an MVP tomorrow
Building product is no longer a barrier to entry with AI tools. Every founder can be AI-enabled, and speed is the new moat.
RAISE FUNDING TO LAUNCH
Bootstrap to prove
Bootstrapping is no longer optional - it's required. Prove your business case with real metrics and then raise funding or hire from a position of strength.
The World's Largest Network of Startup Founders & Investors
We live in a global economy, so FI connects you to entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors across 100+ countries.
- AF
- AL
- AO
- AR
- AM
- AU
- AT
- AZ
- BD
- BE
- BT
- BO
- BR
- BG
- BF
- CM
- CA
- TD
- CL
- CN
- CO
- CG
- CR
- HR
- CY
- CZ
- DK
- DZ
- EC
- EG
- EE
- FI
- FR
- GE
- DE
- GH
- GR
- GT
- HN
- HK
- HU
- IN
- ID
- IQ
- IE
- IL
- IT
- CI
- JM
- JP
- JO
- KZ
- KE
- LB
- LU
- MY
- MV
- MX
- MD
- MN
- MA
- MM
- NP
- NL
- NZ
- NG
- NO
- PK
- PS
- PA
- PE
- PH
- PL
- PT
- QA
- RO
- RW
- SA
- SN
- RS
- SG
- ZA
- KR
- ES
- LK
- SE
- CH
- TW
- TH
- TN
- TR
- AE
- GB
- US
- UG
- UA
- UY
- VE
- VN
- ZW
...with Oslo Support
Global businesses must start local, so FI builds sustainable startup ecosystems to help aspiring founders.
Founder Institute Oslo
Apply to the Oslo Spring 2020 Core program and build alongside top local investors, advisors, and mentors.
Top Local Leaders, Mentors & Investors
Events
Learn from the world's best founders and investors, for free.
1,000+ events per year — online workshops, panels with top investors, fireside chats, and in-person networking mixers. 750,000+ attendees to date.
Hundreds more coming up — 10,000+ events hosted since 2009 across 200+ cities and 6 continents.
View all events Bootcamps
Ready to build? Try a bootcamp.
Short virtual programs that go deep on a single topic. Cohort-based, action-oriented, with live expert sessions and AI-powered tools.
Startup Ideation Bootcamp
The Startup Ideation Bootcamp is an intensive 2-week program to help aspiring entrepreneurs build a great startup idea using expert feedback, helpful AI tools, and a proven process.
Advanced AI Productivity Bootcamp
The Advanced AI Productivity Bootcamp teaches busy professionals how to set up a personal AI assistant and build custom apps, no coding required.
Insights
Lessons from 17+ years of building founders.
Deep-dive essays, data stories, and tactical playbooks on launching and funding startups.
Built for the Next Generation of Founders
You don't need to call yourself an entrepreneur yet. You just need an idea, ambition, and the right system behind you.
Employee to Entrepreneur
The Career Changer
You have 5-15+ years of experience and deep domain knowledge in your industry. You've been thinking "someday I'll start something." AI just made someday today. Your industry expertise is the unfair advantage that AI can't replace — we help you turn it into a company.
Solo Founder
The First-Time Founder
You have the idea. You need the system — structure, feedback, community, and the right AI tools to move forward. No co-founder required. No technical background needed. Just clarity, momentum, and a proven process.
AI-Curious
The AI-Curious Professional
You see the AI revolution reshaping every industry and you want to be on the building side, not the sidelines. Learn to leverage AI to create a startup from scratch — even if you've never built anything before.
Your industry expertise is your unfair advantage
AI handles the rest — we help you turn domain knowledge into a company.
No co-founder or technical background needed
Just clarity, momentum, and a proven process to move forward.
From spectator to builder — start from scratch
Leverage AI to create your startup, even with zero experience.
Applications Open · Oslo Spring 2020
Stop Planning.
Start Building.
Join thousands of founders who turned their ideas into funded startups. AI rewrote the rules — you bring the vision, we bring everything else.
