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  — September 2025

Cohort 12 — Early 2026

OUR PARTNERS

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What alumni
are saying

"The focus on customer conversations and traction are super useful! This program was the accountability partner I needed!"

Santoash Rajaram, BeAssured

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“I’ve learned a lot about startups through books, videos, and podcasts, but I still felt like I was missing how to prioritize the wide variety of startup tasks. Founder University provided me with clear, actionable, and proven steps to launch and grow well.”

Scott Bair, Timewell

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"Even as a repeat founder, Founder University gave me a fresh perspective on building. The sessions clarified our path, and the built-in accountability partner kept momentum high." 

Ari Nazir - Loopsmart AI

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"So thrilled to have gone through the Founder University program… If you're building something and want highly actionable weekly feedback and venture insights from the best in game… I highly recommend applying." 

Allison Reilly - Closai

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Where founders worked previously

  • Meta logo with a stylized infinity symbol above the word 'Meta' on a black background.
  • Microsoft logo with four squares arranged in a grid and the word 'Microsoft' below it.
  • NASA logo in white on a black background.
  • Black background with the IBM logo in white, stylized with horizontal stripes.
  • Black background with the white Amazon logo, including the lowercase 'amazon' text and a curved arrow underneath pointing from the letter 'a' to 'z'.
  • Black background with a large white capital letter G in the center.
  • LinkedIn logo with white lowercase letters 'in' inside a square, on a black background.
  • Black background with a white Apple logo in the center.

Do the work.

  • $25K or $125K

    standard check size

  • 120+

    investments made to date

  • 35+

    companies accepted to LAUNCH accelerator

  • $6M+

    total external funds raised during Cohort 10*

* self-reported data

Where our alumni have gone after Founder University

  • Y Combinator logo with a black background, white text, and a white square around the letter Y.
  • Black background with white text displaying the word 'al6z'.
  • Logo for 'forum ventures' in white text on a black background.
  • Logo with the word 'LAUNCH' in bold white letters and an arrow pointing upward, with 'Accelerator' written below.

What you’ll accomplish

1

Build and iterate your MVP

2

Identify your target customers and business model

3

Onboard users; employ marketing and sales strategies

4

Sharpen your pitch; identify sources of funding

5

Build alongside peers who challenge and support you

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Here’s how

  • Monday live sessions

    Virtual Attendance Required

    1 hour at 5PM CT

    Weekly presentations from industry experts

    Review activities and learnings

    Founder Q&A with the LAUNCH team  and speakers

  • Thursday Pod Sync

    Virtual Attendance Required

    1 hour at 5PM CT

    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

    Knowledge sharing and live Q&A

 FAQs

  • $500, after you are selected.

    ‍If you attend all live sessions, you are eligible for a tuition refund.

  • 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.

  • Attendance is tracked at the company level.

    As long as one founder participates, the company gets credit for that session.

  • 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.

    On average, half of the accepted companies have already generated revenue.

  • No.

    We prioritize teams of multiple builder founders. Builders may be developers, UI/UX designers, and/or growth hackers.

  • You can apply to Founder University at any time.

    Upon acceptance, founders will be assigned to either the current or the next cohort.

  • All founders and co-founders are encouraged to participate!

  • 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).

Apply today

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We value commitment.


Tuition: $500


Join every live session to be eligible for a tuition refund.