Turn your startup idea into a reality
Founder University is a 12-week pre-accelerator helping tech startups build, launch, and delight customers.
We invest $25k or $125k into the top graduates.
Cohort 11 — Summer 2025
To date, we’ve invested $25k or $125k into 100+ companies from Founder University.
See what Founder University alumni have to say
During the program we went from one PT and one FT Co-Founder to 2 FT Co-Founders, launched our site, identified new teammates, found a niche market to test and so much more. It was a great way to stay accountable and meet so many driven fellow founders.
The focus on customer conversations and traction are super useful! This program was the accountability partner I needed.
I’ve learned a lot about startups from some amazing books, videos, and podcasts, but I still felt like I was missing how to best prioritize the wide variety of tasks every founder needs to do. Founder University provided me with clear, actionable and proven steps to launch and grow well.
It's a great program, especially for foreign founders. I'm not from Silicon Valley or the US, so for me to be able to build a network in Silicon Valley with other founders was super valuable. I'd highly recommend it if you’re just starting out on your founder journey.
The most valuable part for me was how actionable every live session was. After the call I had actual steps and processes to follow rather than each one saying the same things, like in many other startup workshops I've attended.
Most valuable part was getting tactical advice to set up some of the key systems that are needed to grow a startup. Landing pages, search advertising, accounting/record keeping. I was able to immediately put these into practice.
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Where founders
worked previously
What's included?
What you'll learn in the 12-weeks
Build an MVP or iterate on your product
Hone in your target customers and business model
Onboard early users and improve marketing and sales efforts
Sharpen your fundraising pitch
Participate in a passionate community of builders holding each other accountable & celebrating wins along the way
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Overview of the 12-week format
Weekly Live Session (Monday)
Attendance Required
60 minutes (Monday)
Weekly presentations from industry experts
Review activities and learnings
Founder Q&A with the LAUNCH team and speakers
Weekly Pod Sync (Thursday)
Attendance Required
60 minutes (Thursday)
Content deep dive with the LAUNCH team, special guests, & fellow founders
Ask questions, discuss challenges, practice pitches, and gather candid feedback
Asynchronous Learning
Expect 5-10 hours of videos + reading each week
Gain insight into every level of building a company with our step-by-step content pacing guide
Community
Collaborate with 300+ cohort members, sharing wins and exchanging expertise
In-person meetups and opportunities in Austin to personally
Knowledge sharing and live Q&A
Curriculum
What you'll learn each week
Foundational Knowledge
Being a Founder
Building an MVP
Business Model
Customer Profiles
Validation Research
Metrics & TAM
Iterating on MVP
User Feedback
Competitive Matrix
Perfecting Pitch
Accelerator Prep
Tuition: $500*
*The $500 will be returned to you if you attend all the required live sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Founder University cost?
$500, after you are selected.
If you attend all live sessions, we will return the $500!
We simply want to ensure founders have skin in the game and are motivated to finish.
What are the investment terms?
Our Founder University standard investments are $25k for 2.5% or $125K for 7%. We make investments from the top 10% of companies per cohort.
Can I apply if I don't have an idea for a product?
Yes!
We will briefly touch on ways to come up with an idea, but you will need to make a decision quickly as this course is hands-on and moves very FAST!
Some founders are just starting to build, others have a product in market and early customers.
What happens if i need to skip a required session?
Attendance is tracked at the company level.
As long as one founder participates, the company gets credit for that session.
I have customers and recurring revenue — should I apply?
Congratulations! Yes, you can still apply.
Coursework is self-guided so that you can focus on areas most relevant to your business and stage.
Founders with traction report immense value from the program, including the content, the community, and the accountability.
How many startups will be accepted?
Each cohort will have about 300 companies.
Founders are accepted on a rolling basis.
If you are not accepted — please apply for the next cohort!
Are there any prerequisites to attend Founder University?
No.
We prioritize teams of multiple builder founders. Builders may be developers, UI/UX designers, and/or growth hackers.
When is the deadline to apply?
You can apply to Founder University at any time.
Upon acceptance, founders will be assigned to either the current or the next cohort.
Who from the company can participate in Founder University?
All founders and co-founders are encouraged to participate!
Is Founder University in-person or remote?
The program is remote, and the live sessions are on Zoom.
However, select in-person sessions, including the kickoff, will be held in Austin, Texas (optional).