Founders I

Students wishing to participate in the Founders' Option need to register for this course in order to receive ECTS credits as recognition for their effort in working on their startups.

The Founders' Option supports student founders who work on their own startup – individually or in groups of USI students. It is currently available for the Masters in Financial Technology and Computing, in Management and Informatics, in Artificial Intelligence and in Management. This first course of a series of three aims at accompanying student founders during the early part of their startup journey and preparing them for Milestone 2 of the Founders' Track: the shaping and pitching of their idea as well as the creation of a first prototype.

• Decent work and economic growth
• Industry, innovation and infrastructure
• Responsible consumption and production
• Climate action

In presence

Learning is mostly experience based, featuring individual coaching, office hours, moderated peer meetings, short presentations and needs-oriented short courses on startup skills.

Passing Founders I is a core condition for being promoted to Founders II and being allowed to continue the Founders' Track in year 2. Evaulation is pass/fail with the option to re-apply in the fall session. 

Students have to submit the following deliverables

• Detailed business plan, with financials and technology
• Founders' diary with documentation of progress and individual contributions
• Basic paperwork: IP agreement and founders' agreement
• Your product/solution – we expect a first prototype.

Additionally, each group has to present a 15-min pitch.