Founder Institute

The Founder Institute is the world’s premier idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program for talented entrepreneurs. If you are up to the challenge, our comprehensive step-by-step program will give you the structure, mentor support, and global network you need to start an enduring company. In addition, the Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that accepts solo-founders and founders with day jobs, and that shares equity with all participants. Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing companies have used our program to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, and more.

Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100+ cities and 60+ countries, the Founder Institute’s mission is to “Globalize Silicon Valley” and empower talented and motivated people to build impactful companies that create one million jobs. We have helped launch over 2,000 companies across 100 cities and 50 countries. Our goal is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" by launching 1,000 meaningful and enduring technology companies per year in over 100 cities worldwide.

The Founder Institute was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Adeo Ressi, and is operated out of a small warehouse in the heart of Silicon Valley.