FOUNDER.org Kicks Off European Recruiting for Class of 2016

SAN FRANCISCO, November 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

 

CEO Michael Baum visits European universities from Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Sweden, Switzerland and UK to unveil his eight secrets of building a billion dollar company. 

FOUNDER.org, the global student entrepreneur investor and company building program, today announced the kickoff of its Class of 2016 recruiting for top student entrepreneurs at European universities. This year's schools include Cambridge University, Edinburgh University, Imperial College, Oxford University, and University College London in the UK; Ecole Centrale, Ecole Polytechnique, EDHEC and ESCP in France; KTH in Sweden; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Technische Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Munchen and CDTM in Germany; Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania and Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia. For full list and kickoff dates, see http://www.founder.org/tickets.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141125/717884 )

FOUNDER.org is a global non-profit started in 2012 by serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former venture capitalist Michael Baum, the founding CEO of Splunk (NASDAQ: SPLK), a pioneer in big data. Michael is visiting each European school and unveiling his Eight Secrets to Building a Billion Dollar Company. FOUNDER.org works with leading universities throughout North America and Europe with the mission to significantly increase the number of students starting companies. Its 8D© Company Building Program ensures that more young companies not just survive, but thrive and positively transform the world.  

Annually FOUNDER.org selects 50 teams from its partner schools to enter the annual 8D program where founders learn the critical skills needed to turn their ideas into high impact ventures. Every team gets a free assessment of their idea across the eight critical dimensions of building a billion dollar company. Teams accepted into the program receive up to $100K in grant money, one on one coaching by successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs plus a dedicated executive mentor for 12 months. FOUNDER.org also leads Seed and Series A investment rounds in student companies from its partner schools and has invested in a broad range of industries, technologies and geographies.  

Dr Colin Adams, Head of Commercialisation at the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics, said: "The opportunity to have support from FOUNDER.org represents an amazing opportunity for student entrepreneurs. It has enabled students to bring their ideas to fruition and focus on developing companies that can scale significantly, with the help of mentors from around the globe."

Former student entrepreneur companies from the Class of 2014 and 2015 include: 3D body scanning, air cleaning biowalls, aquaculture, biofuels from coffee waste, calorie burning athletic gear, counterfeit drug protection, digital health, drone data analytics, indexed meetings, optical mechanical sensors, standing wheelchairs, tinnitus protection and wearable keyboards.  

Student entrepreneurs with big ideas can learn how to participate by visiting http://www.founder.org/apply.

About FOUNDER.org 

FOUNDER.org is an investor and company building program for student entrepreneurs solving big problems. Our intense 8D© company building program fast tracks these courageous innovators through the challenges of building a high impact company. The hands-on transformative experience is designed to increase the odds of survival and to help young entrepreneurs grow their companies faster and take them further. FOUNDER.org provides the capital teams need to get started, investing directly in student startups from 36 partner schools in nine different countries. FOUNDER.org was founded by a team of serial Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who have built billion dollar companies and are now working with the next generation of creative, audacious student founders to positively transform the world. Learn more at http://www.founder.org .

Martha de Monclin
[phone]
[e-mail]