Founder Institute Core Program
Business Profile
Core Value Proposition
Founder Institute Core Program provides a highly-structured pre-seed accelerator program and global network to turn ideas into fundable startups.
Target Customer
Idea-stage and pre-seed startup founders worldwide seeking mentorship, feedback, and fundraising.
Key Differentiator
Equity Collective with long-term vesting, a global network of 35,000+ mentors and advisors across 200+ cities and 6 continents, and a program structure including Growth Sprints, weekly feedback, and live office hours.
Implementation Timeline
Core program and growth milestones typically unfold over a few months; FI emphasizes making years of progress in just several months through Growth Sprints.
Pain Points
- 1Founders struggle with knowing what to focus on and when, especially if aiming to raise funding.
- 2Lack of access to structured, ongoing feedback from a broad network of mentors and investors.
- 3Limited access to early-stage funding networks and investor opportunities.
Key Features
- 1FI Core Program: aggressive growth sprints, milestone-driven progress, and constant feedback from experts; weekly Feedback Sessions, Office Hours, and Working Groups.
- 2Founder Lab: post-Core, free access to virtual advisory programs (Leadership Lab, Funding Lab) and private networking events; discounts with partners.
- 3FI Venture Network: access to investors, syndicates, and opportunities to pitch at demos and Founder Showcase; connections to Fund with VC Lab.
- 4Equity Collective: long-term vesting of program Leaders, Mentors, and FI HQ in participant success.
- 5Global network: FI connects entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors across 200+ cities and 6 continents; 70+ cities and verticals for Core Programs.
Target Customer Industries
Decision Makers
- 1Managing Partner, ConnectOp Consulting
- 2Managing Director, Founder Institute Boston
- 3Co-Founder, Udemy
Client Results
- 18,100+ Alumni Companies
- 21.9BN+ Funding for Alumni
- 335,000+ Mentors & Advisors
- 4$20BN Estimated Portfolio Value
Competitive Advantages
- 1Equity Collective aligns incentives across Leaders, Mentors, and FI HQ for long-term startup success.
- 2Structured, milestone-driven growth with ongoing feedback from a global advisor network.
- 3Global reach with 200+ cities and 6 continents, enabling broad investor and partner access.
- 4Founder Lab provides continued guidance post-Core at no additional cost.
- 5Access to FI Venture Network and potential funding through Founder Capital and partnerships.
Key Benefits
Case Studies & Success Stories
Udemy (IPO 2021) – FI Alum
Udemy, an FI alum, went public in 2021 with an IPO, illustrating FI alumni activity and funding/scale success.
FightCamp – Series B
FightCamp announced a $90M Series B in June 2021, highlighting FI alumni progression to significant funding rounds.
Esusu – Unicorn status & Series B
Esusu reached unicorn status with a $130M Series B led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 (reported Jan 2022).
Peerby – Funding
Peerby raised more than $4.7M in funding, illustrating FI alumni success in the sharing economy space.
VOA Educação – Acquisition
VOA Educação was acquired by Vivado in Nov 2021, demonstrating FI alumni exits and acquisitions.
Additional Product Information
Product Description
The Core Program is a highly-structured pre-seed accelerator that pushes idea- and pre-seed founders to achieve investment-ready milestones through growth sprints, live feedback, and a global mentor network, with post-Core access to virtual advisory programs (Founder Lab) and investor networks (FI Venture Network).
Target Market
Early-stage founders globally seeking structured startup-building guidance, mentorship, and investor access across 70+ cities and verticals.
Unique Value Proposition
A globally scaled, milestone-driven accelerator with an Equity Collective and free post-Core advisory programs, plus an exclusive investor network, enabling founders to turn ideas into fundable businesses and access capital earlier.
Technical Requirements
Programs are location-based across 70+ cities; requires applying and admission; online and in-person elements; includes live sessions and working groups.
Pricing Model
One-time Entrance Fee to start the Core Program, with zero fees thereafter. Fee is 100% refundable before the 'Revenue & Business Models' session. In Washington DC region, entrance fee is $699 USD.
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