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# Founder University

> Founder University is a 12-week pre-accelerator by LAUNCH helping tech startups build, launch, and delight customers. We invest $25K or $125K into the top graduates.

## About

Founder University is a remote, 12-week pre-accelerator program. Each cohort includes live sessions, structured coursework, and mentorship. The tuition is $500 (refund eligible with full attendance). Top graduates receive investment of $25K for 2.5% or $125K for 7%.

## Program Structure

- **Weeks 1–4: Build** — Build and iterate your MVP
- **Weeks 5–8: Launch** — Identify target customers, onboard users, employ marketing and sales strategies
- **Weeks 9–12: Delight** — Sharpen your pitch, identify sources of funding, delight your customers

## Key Stats

- $25K or $125K standard check size
- 140+ investments made to date
- 40+ companies accepted to LAUNCH accelerator
- $8M+ total external funds raised during Cohort 11 (self-reported)

## Partners

- Mercury
- Every
- Render
- PayPal
- Goodwin
- Backblaze

## Where Founders Worked Previously

Alumni come from companies including Apple, Meta, Microsoft, NASA, Google, Adobe, Tesla, and Amazon.

## FAQ

### How much does Founder University cost?
$500, after you are selected. If you attend all live sessions, you are eligible for a tuition refund.

### What are the investment terms?
Our standard investments are $25K for 2.5% or $125K for 7%. We make investments from the top 10% of companies per cohort.

### 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?
Yes! Coursework is self-guided so you can focus on areas most relevant to your business and stage. On average, half of the accepted companies have already generated revenue.

### Are there any prerequisites?
No. We prioritize teams of multiple builder founders (developers, UI/UX designers, growth hackers).

### When is the deadline to apply?
You can apply at any time. Cohort 12 is currently in progress. Cohort 13 begins Fall 2026. Upon acceptance, founders will be assigned to the next cohort.

### Who from the company can participate?
All founders and co-founders are encouraged to participate.

### Is it in-person or remote?
The program is remote with live sessions on Zoom. Select in-person sessions (including kickoff) are held in Austin or SF (optional).

## Apply

Apply at: https://forms.launch.co/apply?prog=fun&Src=fun-home&mkt=organic

## Links

- Website: https://founder.university/
- Apply: https://forms.launch.co/apply?prog=fun&Src=fun-home&mkt=organic

## Pages

- [Home](/): Founder University overview, program, FAQ, and how to apply.
- [Company Profile](/companyprofile): Accepted founders submit their company profile.
- [Weekly Update](/weeklyupdate): Active cohort founders submit weekly updates.