Accelerator

Founder Institute

Idea and pre-seed accelerator in 200+ cities, now run as FI Agentic with an AI-powered curriculum and free AI agents.

Invests

No cash investment

Takes

Warrants in a shared founder pool

Length

—

Where

Boston

The deal

No cash investment; companies formed in a semester grant warrants priced at fair market value set by a qualified financing round.

A global pre-seed accelerator that helps founders turn an idea into a fundable company through structured semesters with local mentors. The current FI Agentic program pairs an AI-powered curriculum with free AI agents for founders. Graduates join a shared warrant pool rather than getting a cash investment.

Invests: No cash investment
Takes: Warrants in a shared founder pool
Format: Hybrid
Based in: Palo Alto, US
Runs in: Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Berlin, Lisbon, Remote
Stage: Idea to pre-seed
Focus: Sector agnostic
Cohorts: Fall and Spring semesters by city (Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 listed)
Perks: Local mentor network, free AI agents, post-graduate programs, FI Venture Network investor matching

Notable alumni and portfolio

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Apply ↗Website ↗Ask the room

Terms as published by the program; verified October 2026. Programs change their deal every year, the apply page is the source of truth.

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