Build a Startup with Sydney's Top Pre-Seed Accelerator. Founder Institute Applications Open

Today, the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Australia Spring 2024 program!

If you could use a structured process and support from Sydney's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Australia Spring 2024 Founder Institute today.

Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities worldwide, the Founder Institute provides high-potential entrepreneurs and teams with the devoted support network and structured growth process needed to get to traction and funding. Since 2009, the program has helped over 7,000 Alumni raise over $1.75BN funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more.

Alumni from Founder Institute programs in Australia include some of the continent's fastest growing companies. Read more about the success of Founder Institute Alumni in Australia in this Impact Report.

To celebrate the launch, we will host several free startup events in Sydney, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs and hear more about the program:

How to Acquire Your First Customers with Actionable SEO Strategies : 3:00am, Apr 25, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341128
Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Co-Founders Connect: Find a Business Partner Online: 10:00am, May 02, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/340818
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas (Interactive Online Event): 3:00am, May 09, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341134
How to Build a Fundable Start-up Brand: 3:00am, May 21, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341140
Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 10:00am, May 23, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/340331
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00am, May 28, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/340898
How to Quickly Establish Safe, Reliable, and Compliant AI Startups: 3:00am, May 30, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341146
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with a Venture Capitalist: 10:00am, Jun 06, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/340941
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 10:00am, Jun 11, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/340999
Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 3:00am, Jun 13, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341170
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 3:00am, Jun 18, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341164
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 3:00am, Jun 27, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341158
Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Make the Transition to Startup Founder: 10:00am, Jul 02, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341152
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00am, Jul 16, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/341214
What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of Research: 10:00am, Jul 23, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/343923
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 11:00am, Oct 24, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/344473
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 12:00pm, Nov 19, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/344652
Startup Fundraising Q&A: Meet Investors from the FI Venture Network: 12:00pm, Dec 24, 2024 (Australia/Sydney): https://FI.co/e/342592

See all upcoming events

The Sydney program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Benjamin Chong, Chris Clark, Paul Krajewski, Phoebe Zhang (Ambassador, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center).

In addition, some of Sydney's top investors, entrepreneurs, and CEOs will be participating in the program, providing them with expert feedback and evaluation. The list of startup mentors for the Sydney Founder Institute includes:

Adam Long: Managing Director, ThunderLabs
Adeline Chu: Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Western Sydney University
Adrian Bunter: Corporate Advisor | Angel Investor | Non-exec Director, Modus Partners
Aivee Robinson: Co-Founder, Catalyser
Alan Jones: CEO, Fishburners
Alanna Wright: Solicitor, Addisons
Albert Bielinko: Venture / growth investor, Telstra Ventures
Alejandro Patterson: Principal Product Manager , Honey Insurance
Alex Guyer: Partner Firemark Ventures, Associate Partner Black Nova Venture Capital
Allan Lalic: Co-founder, Kebloom
Amit Verma: Listing Manager, ASX
Anna Cheng: Head of Growth Marketing, Turo Australia. Ex HealthMatch Ex Brighte Ex Spaceship
Anne Marie Elias: chief disrupter, Founder, PrimeLife Partners, innovating longevity & care
Annie Le Cavalier: Venture Partner, FI and Former GM & Community, Stone & Chalk
Annie Liao: Investor, Aura Ventures
Ant Moorehouse: CEO and Co-Founder, EarthTech
Asher Vukelic: Chair, Southwest Angels
Ashton Bishop: CEO, Step Change hellostepchange.com
Ben Pecotich: Design & Innovation Director/Founder, Dynamic4
Benjamin Ranck: Principal, MacroReactor
Benjamin Chong: Partner, Right Click Capital
Bill Trestrail: CEO, Market Momentum Pty Ltd
Bill Trestrail: Venture Partner, Black Nova Venture Capital
Brendan Yell: Former Director, Twilio Startups
Brodie Mc Culloch: Founder, Spacecubed, Perth, WA
Brodie Mc Culloch: Founder and Managing Director, Spacecubed
Bronwen Kaspers: Customer Success Coach, Culture Amp cultureamp.com
Cam Walshe: Director, Pitchblak
Caroline Lepron: CEO & Founder, Skoutli
Cheryl Mack: CEO & Founder, Aussieangels.com + Activator at SheEO™
Chintan Oza: Founder, Anantam Ecosystems
Chris Clark: Co-Founder & CEO of BEERLOVE
Chris Clark: Chris Clark, Sportsfusion
Chris Braine: Founder, Cellr
Chris Gillings: Venture Capital @ Five V Capital, & Founder @ Cut Through Venture
Christopher Krainer: Director of Hardware Engineering at Zoomo, & co-founder at rk-collective.com
Damien Messina: Manager, Impact Angel Network
Dane Eldridge: CEO, 4mation Technologies
Daniel Lohrmann: Managing Director, ikaros
Darsel Keane: Director, University of Auckland
Dean Mc Evoy: Non Executive Director, Investor and Adviser, TechSydney
Debra Taylor: Non Executive Director, Stone and Chalk
Dennis Kibirev: Chief Growth Officer, Mesh Ai
Dmitri Voronenko: CTO & Investor, virtualintegrity.com.au
Dylan Mc Donnell: CEO, Foodini
Ed Stevens: Entrepreneur in Residence, AGL
Eitan Bienstock: Managing Director, Techbench Capital
Elizabeth Kaelin: MSc, RDN & Finance Lecturer, UTS Business School
Erwin Van Der Koogh: Founder/CEO, Linc
Evan Wong: CEO, Checkbox.AI
Franziska Iseli: Founder, Basic Bananas
Gautam Mishra: Founder / CEO, inkl
Gawin Fernando: Co-Founder, CreativeCubes.Co
George Hedon: Founder & CEO, Pause Fest
Greg Campbell: entrepreneur, former Ops Director, information security specialist, Current Head of InfoSec and Compliance
Gwendolyn Ong: Director, Cultivate
Harshu Deshpande: Start-up & Scale-up Advisor, Google
Jack Qi: Director, William Buck
James Moody: CEO, Sendle
Jane Cockburn: CEO and Founder, Kairos Now
Jared Kristensen: Co-founder/CEO, Playground xyz
Jeeva Suresh: Founder & CEO, Helix
Jeff Perlman: Founder, Revenue Ninja (revenue.ninja)
Jeremy Chetty: Co-founder, Student Edge
Jo Ucukalo: CEO, Handle My Complaint
Jo Ann Suchard: A/Prof, Sydney Angels & University of New South Wales
Joanna Ng: Former Early-stage investor, Investible
Joanne Jacobs: Co-CEO, Disruptor's Handbook
Jodi Boylan: Executive Producer, Director and Development Producer , Independent
Jonathan Greechan: Co-Founder & CEO, Founder Institute
Joshua Ross: CEO and Founder, Humanitix
Joshua Boccamazzo: Head of Business Operations and Strategy, Perx Health
Justus Hammer: MR, Axis7
Kate Ringvall: Co-Founder, Galactic Cooperative
Kim McGuinness: Strategic Relationships Director, SBE Australia
Lauren Capelin: Principal, Startmate
Leila Alem: Chief Design and Innovation and Adj Professor, ArcSense
Magdalena Reith: Startup- and Business Consultant, Magdalena Reith Pitch Decks
Marshall Hughes: Freight Manager, Freight Companies Australia
Marshall Hughes: Consultant, Freight Companies Australia
Matt Allen: CEO, Tractor Ventures
Matthew Browne: Co-Founder @Upflowy upflowy.com, @Donesafe donesafe.com, @Whispli, Investor @Black Nova Group etc
Michelle Gilmore: CEO, heyjuno.co
Mitchell Pham: Chairperson, NZTech
Neil Smith: CTO, Simple KYC
Nhat Nguyen: CEO, Otrafy
Nicola Rushton: Product designer & lean user researcher, nicolarushton.com
Oliver Ranck: Co-Founder | CMO | Exec Director, Future Neutral | MYSALE | Octomedia
Paul Wenck: Chair, Co-Founder Checkbox
Paul Krajewski: Product Management professional, Co-Director Founder Institute Australia+NZ
Paul Grimes: CTO & Founder, OK200
Paula Taylor: Executive Director and Co-Founder, West Tech Fest
Pavel Reddy: Former Managing Director, Clearpoint Ventures Pty Ltd (Formerly)
Pete Cooper: Founder, The Start Society
Pete Cooper: Former CIO, KBZ Bank
Pete Lead: Head of Programs, BlueChilli Group
Pete Horsley: Founder, Remarkable Tech
Peter Van Bruchem: Co-Founder, Techboard
Peter Browne: Owner, Intangible Communications
Prashant Gami: CEO & Founder, x•enabler
Rachel White: CFO, Part time CFO / fractional CFO
Rayn Ong: Director, Ong Heng Investments
Rebecca Dooley: Senior Associate, Addisons
Richard Dale: Committee Member, Sydney Angels Inc.
Roger Do: Co-Founder, QSearch
Roman Kovalenko: Chief Data Officer, Reserve Bank of Australia
Ron Hill: Managing Director, sunramp.co
Ryan Cross: Manager for Prototyping, AWS, ANZ & APAC
Sam Richards: Managing Director, Brightlight Impact Advisory
Sameer Babbar: Director, SVB Group
Sameer Sortur: Founding Partner, SquareCircle Ventures
Sandrina Postorino: Committee Member, Sydney Angels Inc.
Scott Crowe: Lead Recruiter, Canva
Scott Glew: Organizer, Morning Startup Perth
Sorrel Osborne: Head of Growth, Playground xyz
Srikanth Muthyala: Investor, Melbourne Angels
Stefan Korn: General Manager, Callaghan Innovation
Stuart Reynolds: CEO & Founder, Fullstack Advisory
Tamar Boas: Community Manager, The Generator Bundaberg
Tim Silverwood: Co-Founder, Ocean Impact Organisation
Timo Kugler: Co-Founder, NASH + BANKS
Tom Dawkins: Founder/CEO, StartSomeGood
Tomaj Bayat: Growth, beforepay.com.au
Tony Sinclair: Director of Venture Debt, Cataliize
Vanessa Ronan Pearce: Head of Growth, Wych Money
Vern Chan: Startup Coach, Your Pivot
William Mc Cahey: Partner, Think & Grow, and Growth Advisor

And many more to be announced.

The Founder Institute focuses on helping tech or tech-enabled businesses at the pre-seed stage, including both solo-founders and teams. This includes established businesses that are pre-funding and traction, MVP and prototype-stage projects, and even part-time founders with just ideas. FI's mission is to create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.