Founder University

Duration

10-12 weeks

Industry

Education

Program Type

Pre-accelerator for tech startups

Target Audience

Builder founders, idea to early revenue

Operational Model

Virtual, with optional in-person components

Investment Offered

$25k or $125k to top graduates

N/A

2025-09-01

## Overview Founder University is a 12-week pre-accelerator helping tech startups to build, launch, and delight customers. 📚 Program: 12 weeks, pre-accelerator 🏗️ Looking for: builder founders, idea to early rev 👥 Run by: JCal & LAUNCH 💰 Check size: $25k, $125k, direct+ 🥇 Round: love to be 1st check in, not a requirement 📍 Where: virtual, some optional IRL too ✨ Apply: ### Website ### Crunchbase N/A ### LinkedIn ### Industry Education [...] provides an incredible community and resources to founders right from the very start, before you even think about an accelerator. Every founder should consider Founder University as their first step!” 🥇 Big #win from Founder University: 📈 Nearly 10x revenue in 3 months We’re proud to support early-stage companies like Ithy . Onward and upward! 💪 [Likes: 16, Comments: 0]; Founder University (5d): 🚀 Founder University Spotlight: Medozai Medozai helps #doctors run their clinics using an AI [...] founders." Keep your eye on Lineup — they’re tuning up the future of live #events . 🎶 [Likes: 2, Comments: 0]; Founder University (1w): 🚀 Founder University Spotlight: Viva Care Viva Care uses AI to guide women through #fertility planning, egg freezing, and #IVF treatment. 🎯 Meet the #founders : Ariel Sun (CEO) – NYU alum and former Dexcom product designer, combining personal IVF experience with a passion for women’s health equity. CTO – 14+ year tech veteran with expertise in cloud, mobile,

Founder University (FU for short) will teach you how to start a technology company. It’s a 12-week pre-accelerator for startups that is run by Kelly and Presh, and is part of a larger LAUNCH venture investment firm/accelerator headed by none other than Jason Calacanis himself. [...] Curriculum Jason has been in the Silicon Valley arena for the last two decades, has done more than 1800 episodes of the This Week in Startups podcast and has access to the most prominent people in the industry. Self guided courses take all that knowledge, learnings, content and condense everything into several hours of course material that you can take at your own pace. It’s a secret sauce of Founder University that is specifically aimed at early-stage companies. [...] For example, I always struggled with pitching my startups. Most of the advice on the internet just covers high-level points and it sometimes seems that nobody actually knows what to do. Founder University provided me with a super-detailed checklist and the reasoning behind each item. Our pitch for Fiestos was taken to the next level basically overnight. From a long story that tries to boil the ocean to a short 2-minute movie trailer that has a clear goal. Also, we had a chance to submit a video

# Turn your startup idea into a reality Founder University is a 10-week pre-accelerator helping tech startups build, launch, and delight customers. We invest $25k or $125k into the top graduates. Apply Now Cohort 11 —September 2025 Cohort 12 — Early 2026 OUR PARTNERS # 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 [...] “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 "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 [...] 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! ####

Skip to content ## Search Founder's College # About Founder’s College ## Honoring our roots. Building your future. Butler University has long been a trailblazer in education, from its pioneering history of inclusiveness to its nurturing culture of care that helps students find their place in an ever-changing world. Now, with the introduction of Founder’s College, Butler proudly extends its commitment to expand the opportunity of a college education. [...] Founder’s College continues this historic mission of inclusiveness and accessibility by focusing enrollment on Indianapolis-area students who face financial barriers or other obstacles to attending college. Associate degrees in industry-aligned fields can be earned in just two years, with the possibility of continuing to a four-year degree at Butler. [...] > “Launching Founder’s College continues our University’s historic pledge to expand higher education access as a means of helping all people access opportunity. We continue to be inspired by our founder’s personal story. This name celebrates his legacy and uplifts our University’s values.” James Danko Butler President ## Transforming Dreams Into Degrees