The Founders Club

Find co-founders, refine ideas, develop an MVP, engage your first customers, and ensure your first funding in a 3-month online program designed to create a scalable B2B startup.

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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.

If you are an early-stage startup, with no significant revenues, this program may help you to speed up sales and find your first investment (up to €100K).

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. The Founder Clubs allows you to look for the best co-founder in more than one cohort, until you find your ideal match.

Secure your first investor

Receive a convertible investment up to €100,000 (with a program cost of €35,000) and an additional €250,000 as a follow-on opportunity. If you register a legal entity in Bilbao, there's a chance to secure an even higher investment of up to €200,000. 

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 for the 19th Founders Club cohort are now open until April 19th.

Our team will carefully review all applications. Once we identify potential candidates that fit our requirements, we will reach out to schedule an interview.

We are accepting participants on a rolling basis, and the scouting window might close earlier.

Note: applications are checked on first come first serve basis.

The program costs €1000+VAT for individuals, €1500+VAT for teams, and €500+VAT for CTO’s /Developers. It is expected that participants attend all of the sessions (only missing one session is allowed) and complete the required assignments and pre-work for each session.

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Note that the assignments/homework will require a minimum of 12 hours weekly, not counting the online sessions.

Module 1

Team Building, Customer Discovery and Validation

Week 1: Program kick-off & introduction to team and participants

Week 2: Matchmaking, networking, team building, and vision planning

Week 3: Create a value propositions and engage in customer discovery

Week 4: Validate Key Assumptions by engaging in customer validation. ​​Prepare the customer interview guide, work on your value proposition and refine your customer conversation questions.

Week 5: Further customer discovery - synthesise information from customer interviews to strengthen customer profile and value proposition

Module 2

Define your Business Model and Revenue Streams. Build your MVP and Investment Pitch Deck. Develop a Go-To-Market plan.

Week 6: Define your business model and revenue streams

Week 7: Covering the basics of Valuation and Financial Planning

Week 8: Best practices for developing your MVP and Sprint Introduction

Week 9: Product Sprint sessions - Scoping and Ideation 

Week 10: Develop a Go-To-Market plan and Product Sprint sessions

Week 11: Building your pitch deck and Sprint Presentation

Week 12: Graduation Presentations

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 (up to €250K).

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!

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.

Early Stage Startups:

  • Working on B2B tech scalable ideas
  • With a complete team or still looking for additional Co-founders
  • Have not reach a significant MRR, big enough to attract early-stage investment

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 440+ 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.

20+

Exits

440+

portfolio companies

800+

founders network

70%

Survival rate

The Founders Club Partners

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What is the Founders Club, and who is it for?

    A 3-month online program designed to accelerate or create B2B scalable tech startups. Designed for talented individuals with or without teams and ideas and for early-stage startups that have not reached significant revenues. 

    The sessions of the program occur once or twice per week between 16:30-18:30 CET.

  • What is the value for startups during the first sessions of the program?

    This is an opportunity to: i) Find additional cofounders and network with other startups, ii) review or define the cornerstones of your company (Mission, vision, values), iii) assess your value proposition and increase the knowledge of your customer persona.

  • 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:

    • April 21: Kick off
    • April 21 - May 5: Matchmaking, team reinforcement, networking
    • May 5: Team Vision Definition
    • May 12: Customer Discovery I
    • May 19: Customer Discovery II
    • May 26: Business Modeling
    • June 2: MVP
    • June 9: Financial Model and Valuation
    • June 10: Sprint | Onboarding
    • June 16: Sprint | Scoping
    • June 18: Sprint | Ideation
    • June 23: Go-to-market
    • June 25: Sprint | Prototyping
    • June 30: Building Your Pitch Deck
    • July 2: Sprint Presentations
    • July 7: Graduation Presentations

  • Do I need to pay to participate?

    The program inscription fee is €1000+VAT per individual or €1500+VAT per team (to be paid upon inscription) and €500+VAT for CTOs/Developers.

    By the end of the program, you will have the opportunity to pitch to Startup Wise Guys and if, under their sole discretion, they decide to invest in your company, you will receive one of two alternatives:

    1. €100,000 investment for your startup: if you accept the investment, this will oblige you to a payment of €35000 to cover i) the SWG Founders Club program costs you have gone through, and (ii) for the follow-up sessions.
    2. €50,000 investment for your startup: if you accept the investment, this will oblige you to a payment of €20000 to cover i) the SWG Founders Club program costs you have gone through and (ii) for the follow-up sessions.

    Ideally, we will continue to help you and participate as investors also in your next investment round.

    If you don't get an investment offer or you decline the offer, you won't be obliged to make any additional payments

    By the end of the program, you will have the opportunity to pitch to Startup Wise Guys and if, under their sole discretion, they decide to invest in your company, you will receive one of two alternatives:  

    1. €100,000 investment for your startup: if you accept the investment, this will oblige you to a payment of €35000 to cover i) the SWG Founders Club program costs you have gone through, and (ii) for the follow-up sessions.
    2. €50,000 investment for your startup: if you accept the investment, this will oblige you to a payment of €20000 to cover i) the SWG Founders Club program costs you have gone through and (ii) for the follow-up sessions.

    Ideally, we will continue to help you and participate as investors also in your next investment round.

    If you don't get an investment offer or you decline the offer, you won't be obliged to make any additional payments

  • Do I need a business idea to participate in the program?
  • Are there any geographical restrictions for who can apply?

    No

  • 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).

     

  • 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.

     

  • Will the program happen online or on-site?

    Online

  • 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.