Co-Founders begins with forming a team. You might be someone with an idea looking for talent. You might be talented and looking for an idea to pursue. Or maybe you are already a small team looking for the missing link. All are welcome – and at our Hothouse weekend we will bring the full cohort together to facilitate that teambuilding process. 

So, you have a team – and your team has an idea. Now begins the process of validation. Working alongside subject–matter experts, and through direct contact with our leadership team, you will begin to learn how to assess your own idea, how to make sure it tackles a real-world problem and verifying that the demand is there to create a scalable business. 

Once your idea has been validated – it’s time to start building a solution to tackle the problem. Again, utilising subject–matter experts and course materials, we will take you through the process of turning a great idea into a great solution. We will show you how to prototype, how to test and how to understand what makes your business proposition unique and valuable. You will then pitch your start-up at the final demo evening event for a potential £10K Proof of Concept Award.  

If your team is one of the teams to win one of the £10K Proof of Concept Awards, then you will be invited to join the second phase of the programme, Co-Founders+. It is a mentor–led, learning track programme which is specifically tailored to suit your start-up needs and is facilitated by some of the best minds in your solution’s industry. The goal is to craft achievable milestones to push your start-up’s potential to its upper limits.  

No – to form well-balanced teams we need people with “can do” attitudes and skills focused on the technology, engineering and science sectors. Previous candidates have included experienced professionals through to undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers – what’s important is getting the right balance on the team. We’ve had people from the following sectors on previous cohorts of the programme: Product Managers/Designers, Data Scientists, Medical Professionals, Software Developers / CTOs, Engineers, Architects, Wealth Managers, Lawyers, Project Managers, Entrepreneurs, Product Developers, UX Designers, Marketing / Digital Specialists, Sales/Business Development Professionals

On the first night of the Hothouse weekend, everyone will do a personal pitch by way of introduction to the group. For the remainder of the weekend, we will facilitate a series of energetic challenges aimed at getting to know each other and building relationships. A team of experts will also be analysing the group and providing suggestions for team formation. We encourage everyone to network over the first few weeks of the programme to help make an informed decision about who they want to work within a team. Everyone has to be in a team for entry into the Core Programme.

Yes, you can apply if you’re already part of a team but you have to apply as individuals and everyone has to take part in the Hothouse weekend. For readily formed teams, the programme can help identify if they need to bring an additional person onto their team. We know from experience that early-stage startups usually have 2 to 4 people so 4 is the maximum number for a team on the programme.

This is perfectly normal and if you don’t meet someone in the first 4 weeks, you will have developed your network with a bunch of like-minded and skilled individuals and will have learnt new skills. You are welcome to come back to a future cohort and try again with a fresh batch of candidates.

No, the Co-Founders programme is the first step on your entrepreneurial journey, introducing you to the support and help available and more importantly helping you to validate your idea.

No, we are not a funding body but will provide advice on funding available in Northern Ireland to help you build a minimal viable product and hopefully a successful startup.

All candidates have to sign NDAs at the start of the programme however it is up to each candidate and/or team to manage their own IP.

Currently we do not allow start-ups to apply directly to Co-Founders+. Co-Founders+ is designed for start-ups that have gone through all the learning elements of the core programme and received a PoC award. If you believe you have an idea that would benefit from Co-Founders+ then consider applying to Co-Founders Core Programme first.

Co-Founders is open to individuals or teams based in Northern Ireland.