Sponsor the Institute

The Founder Institute gathers all members of the local start-up ecosystem, including founders, experienced CEOs, investors, key influencers and supporting organizations. The Institute creates a collaborative environment to launch meaningful and enduring technology companies.

Sponsoring the Institute will align your brand with start-up economic development, provide opportunities to engage the local start-up community and deliver leads. Sponsorships start at $2,000 USD and can be highly customized to the needs of any sponsor. Past and current sponsors include Microsoft, WSGR, AON Techshield, Charles River Ventures, .CO and many more. 

Institute Sponsorship Platforms:

• Category Exclusive Sponsor: This is the premiere sponsorship for legal, banking, accounting, financing and technology companies to offer relevant services to enrolled Founders. Historically, over 80% of enrolled Founders will engage with the Category Exclusive Sponsor. Sponsors are included in the curriculum, address enrolled Founders throughout the semester, speak at relevant sessions, hand out physical materials, make special offers and have onsite branding.
• Legal Partners: There is a special Category Exclusive opportunity for local law firms. Read more about it here.
• Session Sponsor: Sponsor a relevant session to inform enrolled Founders about a startup-oriented offering, hand out physical materials and have onsite branding. Each session covers a different and potentially relevant company-building subject, ranging from Research to Public Relations. Sponsor the larger Investor Sessions and the Graduation to engage with the broader startup ecosystem.
• Institute Service Provider: Offer services, products or discounts through the Partner page to enrolled Founders and Graduates, generating leads and establishing relationships during the company formation period.
• Course Fee Fellowships: Cover the Course Fee for a limited number of Founders in a specific vertical, such as wireless, with a specific skillset, such as technology, or in a certain demographic, such as female, to build brand affinity with a segment of applicants and create local publicity opportunities.
• Admissions Test Fellowships: Cover the predictive Admissions Test processing costs and create more opportunity for local Founders to be admitted to the program.
• Mentor Travel Sponsorship: Cover travel stipends for top startup CEOs to visit the local program, and, in exchange, the Mentors can meet with your organization or constituencies.
  
• Graduate Prizes: Provide top Graduates with a cash prize or a free offering, allowing you to work with the best companies from the Founder Institute and to secure publicity in the graduation news.
• Meeting Space Sponsor: Host the sessions in your facility as a means to build brand affinity among enrolled Founders and the larger startup ecosystem, and, for coworking spaces, as a means to generate future customer interest.
• Food and Beverage Sponsor: Provide catering either to all sessions or to select larger investor or graduation events in exchange for onsite branding and special recognition.

All Sponsors Receive:

• Logo, link and company description on every page of the local FounderInstitute.com site
• Limited number of invitations to select sessions
• Listing on the local semester Partner page
• Exposure on Founder Institute blog and Twitter stream (@founding)