Following in line with tech giants such as Google and Facebook which recently announced that they will extend remote working options for employees until 2021 in response to the current COVID-19 situation, startup and tech organizations of all shapes and sizes are putting measures in place to ensure the safety of their stakeholders. Leading accelerators are following suit. Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator, has announced that its Silicon Valley program will be held virtually for the first time in its history.
The group of founders accepted into the program will operate fully online with interviews, office hours, evening talks and meetups taking place over video conferencing.
Entrepreneurs in cities where Founder Institute is not operating will be able to work the organization’s management team and top Silicon Valley mentors from their own homes.
They will also have access to the accelerator’s network of resources and mentors from a variety of professional backgrounds.
“Where there is disruption in the world, that’s where entrepreneurs live,” said Founder Institute co-founder Jonathan Greechan.
“It’s time for entrepreneurs to look at that change, see where the world is going, and start to basically build the future.”
Many of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, and to raise funding.
The accelerator was founded in 2009 by Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechan. The idea for the organization came from operating TheFunded.com, where it became apparent that many entrepreneurs lacked the structure and support network needed to be successful.