Spring 2010 Denver Area
The Founder Institute is a four month training program for both new and seasoned entrepreneurs. The Institute prepares founders to lead the next generation of world-class technology companies across a wide range of industries, from the biotech to the internet. Weekly company-building sessions are guided by experienced CEOs, and they are held in the evening to allow participants to keep their day job or develop their companies during business hours. All of the program stakeholders, from the participating founders to the experienced CEO Mentors, share in the upside generated by the companies formed during the program. Participants also enjoy free services from three dozen Institute Partners, fundraising opportunities at fair market value, and a teamwork-oriented environment to build a company.
Institute News
San Diego Exposure
03/09/2010: Adeo Ressi
There is a great article in the San Diego Union-Tribune by Dean Calbreat discussing the Graduates, the Mentors and the startup ecosystem in Southern California.
"After going through a four-month business boot camp, a dozen local entrepreneurs have become the first graduating class in San Diego of The Founders Institute - a program that matches would-be startups with successful chief executives from other firms.
A number of the graduates, ranging from students at San Diego State University to middle-aged workers with well-established careers, now say they are on their way to launching businesses of their own, with ideas ranging from a cell phone-based memory aid to a computer program that centers graphics programs at one easily accessible location on a Web browser."
The Institute is accepting applications for the next San Diego semester, and the early admissions deadline is this Sunday. Apply here today.
The Benefits of Graduating
03/06/2010: Adeo Ressi
As the Institute attracts candidates for semesters in San Diego, Paris, Singapore and Denver, a number of applicants asked about the benefits once the program is over.
Graduating from the Founder Institute is challenging. A Founder needs to develop an engaging idea for a technology company, plan out the business, work on an offering and incorporate a company, all within a four month timeframe. For the Graduates, there are multiple rewards. Here are ten, ordered from tangible to intangible:
- Bonus Pool: Each Graduate joins a ten year Bonus Pool that distributes cash generated from peer success. The shared upside reduces the risk of launching a company and creates camaraderie between Mentors and Founders, who all share in the pool.
- Discounts: Over 40 product and service partners, ranging from office space to legal, provide free or discounted offerings to Graduates, reducing the cost of starting a technology company from over $20,000 in the first year to as little as $2,000.
- Media Outreach: The Institute works closely with top technology publications and has developed release templates to ensure that each Graduate gets coverage in target blogs and publications when launching major offerings.
- Investment Support: The Institute has forged relationships with a dozen regional investment groups to fast track applications of Graduates, and the Institute has innovated in the creation of the Class F stock to protect Founders, the Plain Preferred term sheet for fair investments and fundraising guides. When ready, the Institute works with each Graduate to secure key meetings with appropriate local investors.
- Events: TheFunded operates a series of events to assist seed stage companies in exposure and fundraising, such as the quarterly Founder Showcase and the annual Future of Funding, and Graduates get special access, free tickets, prizes and other discounts.
- Alumni Network: Each Graduate joins a network that will include 300 meaningful and enduring technology companies in 2010, and the Graduates communicate through a mailing list and other tools to organize monthly alumni gatherings and discuss progress.
- Mentor Network: Graduates are invited to attend any session in any location around the world to meet one of the 200 top startup CEO Mentors, and Mentors regularly help Graduates that request assistance.
- Safe Haven: The scale of the Founder Institute encourages fair treatment of Graduates by investors and discourages service providers from taking advantage of Graduates with poor service and bad rates. The Institute proactively confronts investors and service providers that take advantage of Graduates.
- Credibility: The training and apprenticeship program offered by the Institute have helped Graduates secure investment, close partnership deals, find cofounders and win industry awards.
- Prestige: The growing success of Graduates combined with the difficulty in completing the program and the credibility of the Mentors make graduation a prestigious accomplishment.
There are other intangibles benefits. The Institute helps Graduates get exposure of new offerings across all enrolled Founders, sometimes as customers and other times as beta users. Graduates regularly meetup at large events and share information on different programs, business challenges and opportunities. Graduates even share workspace.
If you have not done so, take a moment to apply to one of the four semesters accepting applicants: San Diego, Paris, Singapore and Denver.
Extended Deadlines
03/01/2010: Adeo Ressi
The Founder Institute has extended the Founder application deadlines for Paris, Singapore and Denver based on multiple qualified applicant requests. The Los Angeles semester is now closed, since sessions are starting next week. If you have been accepted into any of the semesters, please complete the requirements to reserve your spot in the program.
Paris applications are due next Sunday, March 7th, and Singapore on March 14th. Denver applications are now due on Sunday, April 4th. If you have not done so already, take a moment to apply to Paris, Singapore and Denver. More news on these locations and Mentors will be announced over the next couple of days.
Good luck!
Founder Institute Graduates 12 Companies in San Diego and Returns for More
02/27/2010: Adeo Ressi
The Founder Institute has just graduated 12 companies from the Fall 2009 San Diego semester. The local community supported the Institute's goal of launching enduring and meaningful technology companies with both mentor and investor participation, so the Institute is planning a second semester that will start sessions in April 2010. Applications are being accepted now. Three graduates that wish to recieve mention include:
- CloudCanvas: an online image editing suite built in HTML 5 that was previewed in the TechCrunch50 Demo Pit. The tool is in private beta.
- Live On Campus: an interactive publishing platform for college and university students to share campus information.
- XBand Technologies: a consumer electronics device for cyclists to do advanced performance, nutrition and hydration motoring. The device is being prototyped and tested.
The institute expects graduates to be launching over the next few weeks and months. Enrolled Founders were lead through an aggressive four month training program that included weekly company building assignments set by 26 Mentors from the region and from around the country. Mentors included:
- Trip Adler, CEO, Scribd
- Philip Kaplan, Cofounder, Blippy
- Peter Pham, CEO, BillShrink
- Ryan Alfred, Founder, BrightScope
- Joe Bezdek, Cofounder, DivX
- Jon Carder, Founder & CEO, Mojopages
- Charlie Jackson, Founder, Silicon Beach Software
- Steve Iverson, Founder & CEO, Diomede Storage
- Neil Senturia, CEO, US Local News Network
"The Founder Institute appreciates the warm welcome from San Diego, and we're excited to come back ," states Adeo Ressi, CEO of the Founder Institute.
"It's been an invaluable asset to the San Diego technology community. We've pushed forth a new generation of companies, and more importantly, Founders." said Jeanine Jacobson, San Diego Partner, Founder Institute.
Graduate Quotes
"The Founder Institute is a perfect blend of practical advice, experiential knowledge, and networking. The mentors and founders are very passionate and bright individuals. You come for the knowledge and leave with strong bonds and connections that are indispensable as you start your entrepreneurial endeavors."
Jose Doval, CEO & Founder, XBand Sports
"Being involved with the Founder Institute program has already opened huge doors and great opportunities for CloudCanvas. We are excited and prepared to take it to the next level. We've all spent a lot of time getting our houses in order to complete the program and now our bases and backs are covered."
Chance Roth, CEO & Founder, CloudCanvas
"Founder Institute is designed to be a Top Gun for creating the world class founders and companies. My experience as part of the inaugural class in San Diego was exactly that... It made me a better founder and having Adeo as a wingman is invaluable. The program was 100 times better than my experience at Babson."
Uday Gupta, CEO & Founder, Live on Campus
Mentor Quotes
"We saw amazing growth in the Founders who attended Founders Institute San Diego. A few months of close mentoring and feedback give these founders a clear advantage over those who choose to go it alone. From naming, to pitching, to business model development, leveraging the powerful Founders Institute network is a no-brainer for founders of all levels of experience."
Ryan S. Alfred, Cofounder & President, BrightScope Inc.
"Being a mentor for the institute not only gave me the opportunity to give back to fellow entrepreneurs but also to learn from them and the other mentors as well. Truly nothing else like it for tech startups. Wish I had this when I started my first company."
Jon Carder, Chief Mojo, MojoPages.com
"The Founder Institute provides an excellent head start and support network for new technology entrepreneurs. As a mentor for the Fall 2009 class, I enjoyed meeting several of the great startups sure to emerge from the program, as well as listening to the varied speakers. I highly recommend the Founder Institute for new entrepreneurs looking to build great businesses and not just how to make a pitch."
Steve Iverson, CEO & Founder, Diomede
Partner Quotes
"The Founder Institute really captured what is great about San Diego's environment for entrepreneurs; these 12 exciting companies now have the network, mentors, and peer support to ignite into highly successful companies. Cooley is thrilled to have been part of the team helping these new ventures in their launch and is committed to leveraging its resources to help these companies grow."
Patrick Loofbourrow, Cooley Emerging Company Partner
Final Deadline Sunday
02/25/2010: Adeo Ressi
If you are interested in applying for the Spring 2010 Semester, take a moment to apply today - the Closing Application Deadline is this Sunday, Feb 28th.
- Apply to the Singapore Program
- Apply to the Paris Program
- Apply to the Los Angeles Program
- Apply to the Denver Program
Now 40 Partners for Founder Institute Companies
02/25/2010: Jonathan Greechan
We are constantly signing up new partners to get free and discounted services for our companies - and today we are happy to announce our 39th and 40th partners.
Many more deals are on the way over the next few weeks. Activation details for these partnerships are in the members-only section below.
Some Founder Institute Testimonials
02/18/2010: Jonathan Greechan
We've gotten a lot of great feedback from participants in our program, and here's a small sample;
- “I participated in this Summer’s program as a mentor and have spoken with a number of entrepreneurs who have graduated. All found it to be a great experience.” – Michael Arrington, Editor of TechCrunch
- ”Having participated in several ‘incubators’ over the years, I can tell you that the Institute is a whole new take on the idea – one based on real entrepreneurs sharing real stories and advice in a very relaxed and supportive environment.” – Lauren, Summer 2009 Graduate
- ”I was in the unique position of being in an executive MBA program and at the Founder Institute at the same time. While the MBA provides an awesome theoretical base, the Founder Institute was the best real-world experience on how to get a company off the ground. The quality of the mentors as well as my fellow classmates was beyond anything I had ever imagined.” – Nitin, Summer 2009 Graduate
Continuing Admissions Deadline is Sunday, February 21st
02/16/2010: Adeo Ressi
The Founder Institute has introduced another opportunity for applicants to gain early admission into the program, the Continuing Admissions Deadline. Well over 100 applicants signed up for Los Angeles, Singapore and Paris in the last few days. The Institute deliberately restricts the size of a semester so that the ratio of Founders to Mentors is low, and the various semesters are filling up quickly. Apply before this Sunday to make the Continuing Deadline.
- Apply to the Singapore Program
- Apply to the Paris Program
- Apply to the Los Angeles Program
- Apply to the Denver Program
Like Early Admissions, applicants before the Continuing Deadline will (1) have more time to prepare for the program by being accepted earlier and (2) have two separate opportunities to be accepted into the program, once after the Continuing Deadline and again after the Final Deadline.
Good luck!
A Graduate makes SXSW Finalists
02/16/2010: Adeo Ressi
Skimble, a Founder Institute Graduate, is a finalists for the "Innovative Web Technology" category at the SXSW conference in Austin. Skimble has been making strong progress since graduating in September, 2009. Congratulations!
A Founder Institute Graduate Launches
02/15/2010: Adeo Ressi
A Founder Institute graduate, Molo Rewards, launched a major product release today with a nice article on TechCrunch:
Startup MoLo Rewards is a mobile software that allows you to scan your phone at the point of sale to automatically redeem all your coupons or loyalty rewards using the company’s Near Field Communication (NFC) or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Today, the startup is launching time-sensitive deals for 50 percent or greater in savings at local businesses and retailers to promote the adoption of the company’s point of sale technology. MoLo Rewards has launched its deals in San Diego and Toronto, and expects to expand into three more cities by the end of the year.
A number of great companies from the first semester are preapring for launch in February and early March, so watch the site for exciting new ideas. MoLo Rewards has an interesting patent in the NFC and RFID field, and the Institute is confident of their success.
If you have not applied yet to one of the new semesters in Los Angeles, Denver, Paris, or Singapore, please take a moment to do so now. Early admission instructions are being sent out first thing Tuesday morning Pacific time, so there is still a few hours.
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