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Founder Institute
Adeo Ressi co-founded the pre-seed accelerator in 2009. Its 9,000-plus graduates have raised over $2B across 100 countries.
Founder Institute
We help aspiring, first-time, and solo-founders go from zero to funded using AI tools, a proven methodology, and a supportive global network.
General information
Firm type
Generalist
Year founded
2009
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Palo Alto
Corporate office
3337 El Camino Real, Suite 60417, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Additional offices
Cambridge Avenue Office, Palo Alto, CA
Principals
Adeo Ressi
Co-Founder and Chairman
Jonathan Greechan
Co-Founder and CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does Founder Institute take an economic interest in participating startups?
Founder Institute does not take direct equity. It uses an Equity Collective, a pooled carried-interest structure that aligns the Institute's headquarters, local program leaders, and mentors with the long-term success of each graduating company. Terms are publicly posted at fi.co/agreements, per the firm's website.
Who makes investment decisions at Founder Institute?
No central investment committee writes checks. Founder Institute operates a structured accelerator — founders pay a program fee — and any investment exposure comes through the Equity Collective, not a discretionary fund. Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechan control the Institute as co-founders, while local chapters are run by volunteer Directors.
How is Founder Institute related to VC Lab and Decile Group?
VC Lab started as an internal program to coach emerging fund managers. It was spun out in 2022 as an independent company under Decile Group. Founder Institute remains a separate entity, sharing a co-investor relationship and common founding team via Adeo Ressi.
Does Founder Institute commit capital from a fund or is it purely an accelerator?
Founder Institute does not operate a committed venture fund. It runs a fee-based pre-seed accelerator. Its investment exposure comes solely from the contingent, future equity interest it earns through the Equity Collective when participating companies exit or raise priced rounds.
What investment stages does Founder Institute target?
Founder Institute exclusively targets the pre-seed, idea, and earliest startup stages. Its Core program serves founders who have not yet raised institutional capital and often do not yet have a product. Follow-on funding is left to its Venture Network and external venture firms.
How does Founder Institute source its pipeline of founders?
Pipeline is generated through 200-plus local chapters globally, free online workshops attracting over 750,000 attendees to date, and the Entrepreneur DNA Assessment — a quantitative screening tool. The firm does not rely on warm introductions from venture networks as its primary filter.
Does Founder Institute maintain any philanthropic or diversity-focused programs?
Yes. It launched the Female Founder Fellowship in 2011 and runs partnerships with USAID, UNDP, and NASA Ames Research Center. The For Progress Initiative helps founders align with UN Sustainable Development Goals, though these programs run alongside, not inside, the Equity Collective economics.
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