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The Founders Club
Join the Startup Wise Guys Founders Club. Find your team, develop an idea and launch a B2B startup. Build something massive!

Founders Club is a 12-week, interactive program led by a team of experts who will guide teams and individuals through matchmaking, ideation, customer discovery, business plan and MVP development, and finally pitch preparation in front of an investment committee.
If you have entrepreneurial spirit, are looking for a shake up from your corporate job or maybe you are just really passionate about innovative B2B business solutions this program could help you get on your way to founder success.
Incentives
Meet people and cofounders
Find a like minded co-founder or reinforce your existing team. Access a diverse network of entrepreneurs with complementary skill sets.
Secure your first investor
When your startup succeeds, The Startup Wise Guys commits to investing up to €100K, with follow on possibility.
Expand your knowledge and skills
Refine your business idea and benefit from our mentors' expertise. Upskill your sales, marketing and pitching abilities.
About the program
Application Process
Applications are now open as we use a rolling process. Please note that the applications deadline for the next batch is October 19, 2023.
Our team will carefully review all application. Once we identify potential candidates that fit our requirements, we will reach out to schedule an interview
Note: applications are checked on first come first serve basis.
The program costs €500+VAT for individuals and €750+VAT for teams, however CTO’s /Developers may apply for a full scholarship and attend per free. We expect participants not to miss more than one session to complete the required assignment for each session.
- Present the required assignments each session;
- Attend a all sessions (missing only one session is acceptable)
Module 1
Team Building and Customer Discovery
Week 1: Program kickoff & introduction to team and participants
Week 2: Matchmaking, team building, and vision planning
Week 3: Create value Propositions and engage in customer discovery
Module 2
Customer Validation and Defining Your Business Model and Revenue Stream
Week 4: Validate Key Assumptions by engaging in customer validation
Week 5: Synthesize information from customer interviews to strengthen customer profile and value proposition
Week 6: Define your business model and revenue stream
Module 3
Building Your MVP and Investment Pitch Deck
Week 7: Covering the basics of Financial planning
Week 8: Best practices for developing your MVP
Week 9 - 10: Product Sprint sessions
Week 11: Building your pitch deck and investor presentation
Week 12: Investment Committee Pitch Day
Program Aftercare
And when you think it’s all over… it has only just started. Once you have completed the program we don’t stop working together, and you could have the possibility of a followup investment as your startup continues to grow.
You will still benefit from the support and program aftercare of the Startup Wise Guys community channels, expert mentors and continue to achieve support to help you build your next big thing !
Program Agenda
It would be a great match if you are
Ambitious, motivated and looking for an adventure…
This program is designed for individuals who meet one or more of the requirements listed below.
- Over 7 years experience working, ideally, in a fast-growing or scale-up company
- Relevant leadership experience in:Strategy, leading sales (CEO/CMO candidates), Product development, strategy and/or operations team (CTO/ COO candidates) or Finance (CFO candidates).
- Resolution to launch a scalable B2B startup (preferably SaaS, XR, Sustainability, Fintech, Cyber, PropTech or Web3 focused).
- A MSc or MBA in Business Administration or any other relevant field.
Let’s crunch some numbers
Startup Wise Guys (SWG) is one of the leading investors in the broader CEE and CIS regions, as well as Nordics. With 370+ successful startups in our portfolio and a strong team of top-notch mentors and serial entrepreneurs, we have the experience and knowledge to help you grow your startup—sustainably, wisely, and globally.
13
Exits
370+
850+
80%
Team
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is the Founders Club, and who is it for?
Founders club program is an online 3 months program for people determined to found a B2B startup. As many participants are working, the sessions of the program occur once or twice per week between 16:30-18:30 CET.
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What does the program content look like?
The program is focused on three main areas: networking and team formation, ideation and idea validation, and business modeling.
Detailed agenda will be confirmed closer to the start of the program, but here's a quick overview:
October 25: Kick off the Program
October 30 - Nov 3: Matchmaking, team reinforcement, Networking
November 8: Team Vision Definition
November 16: Customer Discovery I
November 20-24: Customer Discovery 1-1s
November 27 - Dec 1 : Business Modelling 1-1s
December 4: Financial Model and Valuation
December 13: MVP
December 19 - 21 : Product Sprint (Scoping & Ideation)
January 8-12: Product Sprint (Prototyping & Testing)
January 16: Building Your Pitch Deck
January 18: Business Presentation Event
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Do I need to pay to participate?
The program cost is €500+VAT per individuals or €750+VAT per teams (to be paid with an inscription). CTOs/Developers may apply for a full scholarship and attend per free.
We will ask for a €1000 commitment deposit at the moment of the inscription. You will be reimbursed this amount after the program is over unless you fail to:
- Present the required assignments each session;
- Attend to all sessions (missing only one session is acceptable).
Note that the assignments/homework will require an average of 4 hours weekly, not counting the online sessions.
By the end of the program, you can pitch to Startup Wise Guys and may receive up to €100k for your startup. Only if funded, you will be expected to pay €20k to cover program costs and for the follow-up sessions: Ideally, we will continue to help you and participate also in your next investment round.
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Do I need a business idea to participate in the program?
No, you can team up with other program participants who have already existing idea propositions.
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Are there any geographical restrictions for who can apply?
No
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Are there any industry specific or business vertical requirements?
No, but we will prioritize participants willing to build a B2B scalable startup (preferably SaaS, XR, Sustainability, Fintech or Cyber).
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What is expected from me as a participant in the Founders Program?
Determination, ambition and hard work. We expect you to attend all the sessions and to work seriously on the homeworks. To successfully finish the program, you'll have to attend to all sessions (missing only one session is acceptable) and do a presentation of the business idea/plan you have developed throughout the program.
We will ask for a €1000 commitment deposit at the moment of the inscription. You will be reimbursed this amount after the program is over unless you fail to:
- Present the required assignments each session;
- Attend a all sessions (missing only one session is acceptable)
Note that the assignments/homework will require a minimun of 4 hours weekly, not counting the online sessions.
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Will the program happen online or on-site?
Online
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Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes, for learning purposes.
If you didn’t find what you were looking for get in touch with us at hello@startupwiseguys.com.