Build a Fundable, Global Startup in Test Startup425

The Founder Institute is the world's most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses.

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Fully Virtual

Program Dates

Jul 07, 2026 Aug 25, 2026

Deadline

Jul 7, 2026

Take Your Startup to the Next LevelWe help aspiring entrepreneurs:

With a lot of things.

Lifetime Support from Seasoned Silicon Valley Leaders: FI’s Portfolio Success team is comprised of successful entrepreneurs and investors who are there to support your company throughout its entire lifecycle.
Access a Global Network: Search and connect with the Founder Institute Global Network to scale your team, develop new business opportunities, and recruit an amazing advisory board.
Participate in Advanced Accelerator Programs: FI Alumni receive access to our advanced post-graduate programs for the lifetime of their company, such as FI Fundraising and Leadership Lab, where you work closely with our HQ team to unlock the next phase of your business.
Gain Global Exposure: Be featured at large startup events, like the Founder Showcase, Investor Roundtable, or FounderX to get global reach to amplify your business and generate a following.
Meet the Right Investors: Graduates of FI Fundraising will be matched with investors through the FI Venture Network - a collection of investors focused on first and second rounds of funding. FI Alumni have raised over $1.85BN+ to date.
Receive Personalized Help from our HQ Team: Our Silicon Valley-based Portfolio Success Team will answer questions, review term sheets, and help you through any specific business challenges as you grow the company.

Who Should Apply?

The program is open to a variety of different entrepreneurs.

An international startup looking to enter the US market
A US-Based startup considering to expand into the East Coast
At the seed stage (post- MVP)
Willing to relocate to Washington, D.C. for the duration of the program

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Submit an application for the upcoming program

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Session Calendar

Below are the dates for the upcoming program

Onboarding

Jun 09, 2026

06:00pm PDT

Kickoff: From Idea to Focused Product Scope

Jul 07, 2026

06:00pm PDT

AMA #1: Idea Validation & Scope Check

Jul 14, 2026

06:00pm PDT

Building Your MVP with AI

Jul 21, 2026

06:00pm PDT

View Full curriculum

The real question is: can the Founder Institute be game-changing for your business? The answer is yes. Without FI, Udemy may have never raised any money.

Gagan Biyani

Udemy (IPO, 2021)
Oddbox wouldn't exist without the Founder Institute. FI gave me the structure I needed to take Oddbox from idea to MVP but also pushed, challenged and guided me through the steps, insecurities and excitement of building an impact-led business.

Emilie Vanpoperinghe

Oddbox (£20M in funding)
The Founder Institute was instrumental in helping us understand how to validate our idea in the market, and helped us develop the entrepreneurial mindset required to build a startup.

Renato Paquet

Polen (top 10 in Open Startups Ranking)

FI Partners

Quickly increase connections to other ecosystem organizations, investors, and industry experts.

Powered by the Founder Institute

Based in Silicon Valley, the Founder Institute is the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator. Since 2009, FI's accelerators have helped launch thousands of fast-growing, funded technology companies across nearly every geography, industry, and sector.

9,000+

Portfolio Companies

2BN+

Portfolio Company Funding

200+

Chapter Cities

100+

Chapter Countries

Continents

40,000+

Global Mentors & Advisors

Delivered via World Class Tools

Participants get access to the Founder Institute's 'FounderGen Platform' - the world's leading LMS for startup creation.

Experiential learning and structured, action-oriented sprints
Embedded videos, templates, and resources to help with every step of the business-building process
State of the art AI tools to help students augment their capabilities and speed up progress

Frequently Asked Questions

: It all starts with the FI Agentic Program. Apply to the Test Startup425 program here, or check FI.co/enrolling for other options.
: There is no cost to the program!
: There is no equity component to this program!

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The Founder Institute is the world’s largest agentic company builder, turning ideas into fundable startups, and startups into unicorns. Since 2009, the Founder Institute program has helped over 9,000 entrepreneurs build 9,000+ companies, including unicorns like Udemy and Esusu, raise over 2BN in funding, and grow a portfolio worth an estimated $20BN. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities and 95 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide. Learn more about the Founder Institute.

Build a Fundable, Global Startup in Test Startup425

Program Dates

Deadline

Take Your Startup to the Next LevelWe help aspiring entrepreneurs:

Who Should Apply?

Apply Now

Session Calendar

FI Partners

Powered by the Founder Institute

Delivered via World Class Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which program should I apply to?

How much does it cost?

Is there an equity component?

Apply Now

Apply