Healthcare company-building profile
Founder Institute HealthTech
Founder Institute
Source-based profile
Program at a Glance
- Program type
- Accelerator
- Program category
- Independent accelerator
- Organization
- Founder Institute
- Organization type
- Independent
- Location
- Palo Alto, Multiple
- Company stage served
- Pre-seed to Seed
- Cohort or participation model
- Approximately six months per cohort; city- and vertical-specific chapters including a HealthTech track; multiple cohorts per year; cohort size not published
- Investment or funding offered
- Yes
- Published investment terms
- One-time entrance fee that varies by geography (for example $999 early / $1,299 standard for the Columbus Midwest Fall 2026 program), fully refundable before the Revenue and Business Models session; equity participation through the Equity Collective
- Equity or fee model
- Equity
- Clinical or hospital connection
- Not publicly documented
- Application status
- Active
- Founded
- 2009
Public description
About the program
Founder Institute is a Silicon Valley-based pre-seed accelerator and company builder founded in 2009 that runs cohort programs in cities worldwide, including a dedicated HealthTech track (listed as Healthtech Fall 2026). The roughly six-month program takes founders from idea through revenue and business model validation, run largely in the evenings alongside day jobs. Rather than a flat equity purchase, it charges an entrance fee and uses an Equity Collective in which chapter leaders, mentors and Founder Institute headquarters share a vested interest in graduates.
What the program publicly emphasizes
Focus areas and features
- Category: Independent accelerator
- Program structure: Approximately six months per cohort; city- and vertical-specific chapters including a HealthTech track; multiple cohorts per year; cohort size not published
- Published terms: One-time entrance fee that varies by geography (for example $999 early / $1,299 standard for the Columbus Midwest Fall 2026 program), fully refundable before the Revenue and Business Models session; equity participation through the Equity Collective
Publicly documented people and network
Program leadership and alumni
- Program leader
- Connor Sattely — Incoming CEO
- Notable alumni named in public materials
- Udemy; Esusu; Oddbox; SleepUp
Sources
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