FL

Application Guide

Detailed guidance to help you prepare your application for Founder Labs.

Applicant Guide

Preparation Checklist

Before you start, ensure you have the following ready to avoid searching for information mid-application:

  • [ ]Company Registration Details: Company Number (if incorporated), VAT number (if applicable).
  • [ ]Founder Details: LinkedIn URLs, emails, and home addresses for all co-founders.
  • [ ]Pitch Deck: A PDF version of your deck.
  • [ ]Video Pitch: A link to a video hosting site (e.g., YouTube/Vimeo/Loom).
  • [ ]Product Link: URL to your product or download (if applicable).

Section 1: Eligibility & Logistics

This section determines if you meet the basic criteria. Be honest; if you answer "No" to a mandatory requirement, explain your plan to fix it.

  • Residency: Are you a current Northern Ireland resident? If not, will you move here if accepted?
  • Legal Entity: Do you have an NI Limited Company? (If not, do you have one elsewhere? Is it in good health?)
  • Commitment: Will at least one primary founder attend the program Full-Time for 6 months?

    Tip: This is often a deal-breaker. If you can't say "Yes," you have 600 characters to provide a very compelling explanation.

  • Right to Work: Do you have the legal right to work in NI?

Section 2: The Core Pitch (The "Meat")

This is the most critical part of the application. Investors and program directors read this to judge the viability of your business.

1. The One-Liner (200 characters max)

Question: Describe your startup in one sentence.

Tip: Use the format: "We help [Target Audience] achieve [Benefit] by [Mechanism]." Avoid fluff; be specific.

2. The Problem (1,600 characters max)

Question: What problem have you discovered? How big is this problem?

Tip: Don't talk about your product here. Talk about the pain.

  • Who is the customer?
  • How much money/time are they losing?
  • Why are current solutions failing?

Goal: Make the reader feel the frustration of your customer.

3. The Solution (1,600 characters max)

Question: How will you solve this problem? What makes your solution unique or innovative?

Tip: Now introduce your product.

  • Focus on the "Magic Sauce"—what is your unfair advantage? (Tech, IP, unique insight?)
  • Explain why it is better, not just what it is.

4. Industry/Category

Question: Select your Tech Start-up Category (e.g., AI, Enterprise Software, HealthTech).

Section 3: The Team

Accelerators invest in people first. Prove you are the right team to execute this idea.

1. Founder Details

You will need to input details for up to 2 founders (Name, Email, LinkedIn, Equity Split, Demographics).

2. Motivation (300 characters max)

Question: What motivates you as a founder? Why are you building this company?

Tip: Be authentic. Is it a personal mission? A market obsession? Avoid generic answers like "to make money."

3. Founder-Market Fit (300 characters max)

Question: What makes your team the right one to solve this problem?

Tip: Highlight unique skills or experiences.

  • "I have 10 years of experience in this specific industry."
  • "My co-founder is a PhD in this specific technology."

4. Cap Table (300 characters max)

Question: Does anyone else own part of the company (investors, advisors, universities)?

Tip: Be transparent about your equity structure.

Section 4: Traction & Execution

Prove that you are not just "idea-stage" but "execution-stage."

1. Current Status

  • Stage: Select from Idea, MVP, Pre-Revenue, Revenue, Scaling.
  • Metrics: Current Users? Current Revenue?
  • Tech Stack: Have you used AI tools to build your product? Who is building it (In-house vs. Outsourced)?

2. Challenges (600 characters max)

Question: What are the biggest challenges you're currently facing?

Tip: Show self-awareness. It's okay to have problems (that's why you need an accelerator!).

Good: "We have a great product but lack B2B sales experience to close enterprise deals."

Bad: "We have no challenges."

Section 5: Vision & Support

Show your ambition and how Founder Labs fits into your journey.

1. The Future (600 characters each)

  • 1 Year Goal: Be realistic (e.g., "Launch V2, acquire 1,000 paid users, raise pre-seed round").
  • 5 Year Goal: Be ambitious (e.g., "Become the market leader in Europe, expand to US market").

2. The Ask (600 characters max)

Question: What specific support are you looking for Founder Labs to offer you?

Tip: Be specific. "Mentorship on pricing strategy," "Introductions to FinTech investors," or "Legal support for IP" is better than "Help us grow."

Section 6: Funding History

  • Grants: Have you received non-equity funding? (Who/When/Amount)
  • Investment: Have you received equity funding? (Who/When/Amount)
  • Accelerators: Have you attended other programs?

Section 7: Attachments

  • Pitch Deck: Upload your standard investor deck.
  • Video: Provide a link.

    Advice: If not specified, a 1-2 minute video introducing the founders and the problem/solution is standard. Keep it high-energy.

  • Product: Link to download or view the product (if live).