Start an Accelerator.
Launch Startups.
Build a Portfolio.

“ Running Founder Institute has been an advantage for my role as Managing Director of Techstars Toronto.

Founder Institute has proven to be a high-calibre source of startup deal flow for Techstars in Toronto as well as in many of our locations across the world.

Operating Founder Institute Toronto has been a great opportunity to encourage the Techstars alumni from our various accelerators to "give back" and mentor the up and coming class of startups. ”

“ Being able to help local entrepreneurs is priceless. We're building bridges between people all around the country and the globe.

This brings to life new ideas and realities that wouldn't exist without the FI community.

I'm proud of #MakingCaracasHappen! ”

“ Helping entrepreneurs on their startup and innovation journey at scale was very aligned to my personal interests and sense of purpose!

4 years and 55 startups founded later, I can only say that it was a great, challenging, but also extremely rewarding experience to help founders when it is most needed at the start and also to see them grow with our continued support over the years after their graduation. ”

“ Helping the founders make their companies a reality has been not only a rewarding experience but also a great learning experience.

Being a Local Director for the past 3 years and running 5 cohorts gave me the chance to work with dozens of amazing mentors & founders.

Over the years I was able to establish myself as a startup ecosystem leader in the state. ”

“ The Founder Institute is not only the best place to kickstart your business. It’s also the best place to kickstart your leadership journey, on a local and global level.

The network's involvement, the daily learnings and the positive impact your work has on early stage Founders is truly special ”

“ My journey pivoted from being a former entrepreneur/operator to becoming a global expert in accelerating pre-seed & seed-stage technology companies, to being an angel investor, and now an institutional venture capital fund manager.

Being a Director is a very humbling experience and a unique chance to help me change my hometown & the world.

Every single human interaction with an entrepreneur or mentor is so rewarding in a personal and professional way.

Founder Institute helped me develop my city’s ecosystem further and I will forever have tremendous gratitude to the Institute’s network. ”

“ Our local chapter plays a unique role in the startup ecosystem because it serves entrepreneurs before they have even become entrepreneurs!.

The reason I choose to pour my energy into this instead of any other programs is because Founder Institute is the real deal!

Put in the hard work & build your company. No other agenda. The only metric of success is the success of our grads ”

“ I got involved in Founder Institute because no early-stage accelerator prepares founders better. FI is the fastest, and has the best network, out of all early-stage accelerators.

Being a Founder Institute Director has made me a better business advisor and asset at the boardroom table. I am constantly sharpening my skills, expanding my network, and the Founders force me to move faster. ”

“ I have been a Director since 2017 and ran 13 cohorts till now. Across all my programs I had 400 Founders enroll out of which 130 graduated.

It has been a wonderful experience. The quality of companies have been really high. And I’ve developed a strong network of relationships.

I've received triple in what I've put in and learned so much from the founders and Founder Institute. ”

“ FI is a tough accelerator. It's inspiring to see the growth that a founder has while going through the FI program, often starting from scratch with a half-baked idea.

I'm constantly learning new things and best practices from around the world. Starting FI in Sri Lanka really helped to boost the startup ecosystem here.

I am thrilled to be able to bring FI to other countries in South Asia and support FI's vision of unlocking people's potential to make an impact on the world through entrepreneurship! ”

“ For the past 5 years I've had the privilege of building this phenomenal accelerator program in my home state and helping Texas-based founders launch enduring, venture back-able startups.

We've created a world-class community of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and partners in the Lone Star State.

Running a chapter has given me a unique opportunity to influence the economic development of an entire region. ”

“ My goal for start-ups is to prevent them from making costly mistakes that often result in failure.

The proven curriculum and mentor support network enables our graduates grow faster and on track to being well funded! ”

“ Being part of Founder Institute ecosystem has been nothing but great so far!

I managed to meet and work with amazing companies. It is rewarding to see them progress so fast within 14 weeks.

Bringing change through innovation is a purpose that Founder Institutes serves perfectly! ”

“ Serving as a Director provided me a platform to expand my professional network and given me a deeper understanding & appreciation of the global entrepreneurial ecosystem.

I gotten the opportunity to mentor Founders, from all over the globe. Developing my knowledge in Startup funding, Angel Investing and Venture Capital.

Investing my time and other resources, into businesses that matter, is pivotal for strengthening the African entrepreneurial ecosystem. ”

“ FI has helped me develop an impressive set of portfolio companies and further my ambition of supporting the early stage entrepreneurs through a structured & vetted Silicon Valley process.

In addition to cementing my position as a Leader in the regional startup ecosystem, FI has supported build a regional & global network of Mentors, EIRs, Investors and great Founders.

FI has also deepened the foundations of the pre-seed ecosystem in our region by developing truly impact-driven startups ready for global disruption.

I am grateful to FI for this opportunity. ”

“ Running FI in Mongolia has been both intense and rewarding. By bringing global best practices and a comprehensive system.

We launched FI in Mongolia in 2021.
951 people interested .
322 applications were submitted.
Out of which we enrolled 44 founders.
From this, 8 founders (4 startups) graduated.

And all 4 startups received funding or funding offers! ”

" After running 7 cohorts. I am even more motivated to help entrepreneurs based in Romania & Eastern Europe to launch global businesses.

The most fulfilling part of my journey as an ecosystem builder and angel investor is the constant intellectual challenge that comes with my role as FI Leader.

In all these years, I was fortunate to work with and get inspired by more than 1.000 Founders and Entrepreneurs. That helped me to constantly develop and challenge myself, to be most of the time out of my comfort zone.

And I hope many leaders around the globe will be fortunate enough to discover & participate as a FI Leader. ”

“ Being a leader in the Founder Institute is a challenging yet rewarding experience. Through the process of helping founders build the next generation of sustainable and impactful technology-driven businesses.

You'll develop skills in motivation, communication, learning, analysis, adaptability and organization.

And you'll also develop a network of established and emerging business leaders in your local community & abroad.

I'm grateful for the opportunities Founder Institute has given me. ”

“ Leading a Founder Institute chapter is a great learning experience. The global community of leaders from around the world is one of the best peer support groups I've been involved in.

10 years with the Founder Institute has given me so much value that it keeps me going! “

“ Being the Valencia FI Director has helped me become a leader within the Valencia Startup Network.

FI has definitely opened doors for me.

I have 20 years of experience as an Entrepreneur, running events and hosting sessions. However I never stop learning from our top Mentors and graduates! ”

“ Starting with an idea or MVP and embarking on a mission to construct a scalable, investor-friendly start-up is a challenging experience.

Founder Institute's Accelerator Lab assisted me in building and orchestrating a local ecosystem of mentors, founders, and partners.

I strongly suggest the Accelerator Lab Program to any prospective local leaders who want to begin their journey & connect their city's start-up ecosystem to a worldwide network.

The program has assisted me in learning best practices and connect with like-minded professionals all over the world. ”

“ Since launching FI Ghana in 2019, there are three key reasons I find leading the chapter more and more rewarding.

Firstly, our accelerator is unrivalled in quality and opportunity on the market.

Secondly the local and global network FI offers to our Founders. Graduates and the local team gain international exposure, expand personal networks, and uncover new opportunities.

Lastly each cohort we graduate demonstrates the capability, innovation, and ingenuity of entrepreneurs in not only Ghana, but prevalent on the African continent.

We are raising the bar of credibility, quality, and expectation of the local ecosystem. At the same time empowering more and more future Founders - the next generation of leaders - we are demonstrating what is possible, and what can be achieved. ”