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The Founder Institute is a global network of startups and mentors that helps entrepreneurs launch meaningful and enduring technology companies.Through our four month idea-stage incubator program, you can launch your dream company with expert training, feedback, and support from experienced startup CEOs, while not being required to quit your day job. Our unique Bonus Pool also shares equity upside with all participants, creating local, teamwork-based ecosystems where great startups can flourish.

In under three years of operation, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 485 companies across 22 cities and five continents. Based on companies launched, we are the world's largest idea-stage incubator. 

The Institute's goal is to Globalize Silicon Valley by launching 1,000 meaningful and enduring technology companies per year in 30 cities worldwide. The company is based in Palo Alto, Calif. and was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur, Adeo Ressi. For more information visit: www.fi.co.

• Press Contact: Jonathan Greechan - Partner, Founder Institute. j (at) fi (dot) co, or 914-447-8632.
• Assets: Downloadable Logo and Photo Package
• Local Leaders: http://fi.co/contents/leaders
• Infographic Illustrating our Model: http://fi.co/system/upload/FI_Info_12-08-11.jpg
• Recent Coverage of Founder Institute Companies: http://fi.co/s?category=Grad+News

Statistics*

 *Last updated December 10th, 2011

• 415 technology companies launched
• 79% operating on or ahead of schedule, vs. 21% dormant or in the process of a pivot 
• ~2,000 jobs created
• 21% have a female founder
• ~40% of graduate companies are funded
• >$30 MM in outside funding secured
• Geographic Breakdown:
• US: 74% (307)
• Europe: 15% (61)
• Asia: 40, or 9% (40)
• South America: 2% (7)
• 4,780 total applicants
• ~25% global acceptance rate
• ~40% global graduation rate
• 711 Mentors worldwide (http://fi.co/globalmentors - please be patient for all names to load)
• >95% are CEOs or founders
• 20 existing locations: Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Houston, Chicago, Boston, New York, Washington DC, Santiago, Bogota, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Singapore, Jakarta, Hanoi

Notable Press Coverage

• Jakarta Founder Institute Graduates Its Fall Batch of Startups (Penn-Olsen, 02/10/12)
• Prepared by the Founder Institute - (Dutch - TechBusiness.nl, 01/31/12)
• GrantSnap gets the Highest-Rated Pitch at Founder Institute Graduation (Dutch) -  (Dutch - Knack.be, 02/09/12) 
• With 415 Graduates, Founder Institute Claims to be the Largest Incubator (TechCrunch, 12/04/11)
• Entrepeneurship is Not Confined to the Young (Spanish - Dinero.com, 09/29/11)
• Free Startup Docs: How Much Equity Should Advisors Get?  (TechCrunch, 09/22/11)
• Cautious Optimism: Startups will Come Out Ahead (VentureBeat, 08/23/11)
• Is There a Peak Age for Entrepreneurship? (TechCrunch, 05/28/11)
• Startups Now Take the Money and Maintain Control (New York Times, 04/07/11)
• The Adeo Ressi Impact in Columbia (Tropical Gringo, 03/05/11)
• Take an Online Crash Course in Entrepreneurship from the Founder Institute (ReadWriteWeb, 02/18/11)
• Founder Institute Aims to Launch 175 Female Led Businesses in 2012 (TheNextWomen, 02/16/11)
• New Female Founder Fellowship at the Founder Institute (Women 2.0, 02/11/11)
• Founder Institute Kicks Off Global Female Founder Fellowship Program (TechCrunch, 02/11/11)
• Founder Institute on a Roll – Amsterdam Now Open Too (TechCrunch, 01/24/11)
• How Latin American Startups are Tapping Silicon Valley (VentureBeat, 01/21/11)
• Founder Institute Expands to South America, Should Your Country be Next? (TechCrunch, 01/19/11)
• Founder Institute's Adeo Ressi Says You Can't Teach Entrepreneurship (VentureBeat, 12/30/10)
• Madlibs for Pitching - How to Perfect the One Sentence Pitch (TechCrunch, 11/03/10)
• Founder Institute looks to incubate 50 Seattle startups (TechFlash, 10/08/10)
• Founder Institute – How to Launch in 10 Steps With Less Than $2000(TechCrunch, 08/29/10)
• Exporting Silicon Valley (The Fifth Conference, 08/20/10)
• Predicting Entrepreneurial Success – Got What it Takes? (CNN Money, 07/28/10)
• Want to Know How You Rank As an Entrepreneur? Take the Founder Institute Test (TechCrunch, 07/21/10)
• Founder Institute is Training Minds for a Great Idea (Denver Post, 05/14/10)
• Adeo Ressi's Founder Institute coming to town in July (Boston.com, 05/07/10)
• Adeo Ressi's Advice to Entrepreneurs at Founder Institute Lunch (The Huffington Post, 04/23/10)
• The Founder Institute Goes Global (VentureBeat, 01/20/10)
• Founder Institute on Track to Graduate 300 Startups Per Year, Expands to New York (TechCrunch, 11/05/09)
• The Founder Institute's Adeo Ressi on his Plans to Leave No Entrepreneur Behind (VentureBeat, 10/12/09)
• TheFunded Founder Creates a Startup Camp for Young CEOs (TechCrunch, 03/03/09)