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

1Clear milestone-driven progress and rapid iteration.

2Extensive mentor and advisor network (35,000+).

3Direct access to investors via FI Venture Network and showcased opportunities.

4Post-Core ongoing support through Founder Lab (Leadership and Funding Labs).

5Global reach and local chapter support in 200+ cities.

Case Studies & Success Stories

Udemy (IPO 2021) – FI Alum

Case #1

Udemy, an FI alum, went public in 2021 with an IPO, illustrating FI alumni activity and funding/scale success.

FightCamp – Series B

Case #2

FightCamp announced a $90M Series B in June 2021, highlighting FI alumni progression to significant funding rounds.

Esusu – Unicorn status & Series B

Case #3

Esusu reached unicorn status with a $130M Series B led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 (reported Jan 2022).

Peerby – Funding

Case #4

Peerby raised more than $4.7M in funding, illustrating FI alumni success in the sharing economy space.

VOA Educação – Acquisition

Case #5

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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