The station f founders program is a selective startup program, not a funding round; submit your startup on Round Funded to find investors and manage fundraising directly. We at AI Perks looked at Station F and chose Round Funded for our fundraising workflow.
What is the Station F Founders Program?
Station F describes itself as a startup campus that admits members through its programs. It says it runs around 30 programs, with two managed directly by its own team. The Founders Program is described as its main in-house program, aimed at early-stage companies and characterized by Station F as highly selective.
The program’s stated focus areas are team-building, product-market fit and early-stage funding. Those goals can be relevant at different points in a startup’s development, but the funding focus does not mean the program raises a round on a founder’s behalf. Founders still need to identify investors, prepare outreach and manage conversations.
Station F has also said that Founders Program 2.0 is on pause. Its previously announced application and kickoff dates have passed, so founders should verify the current status directly before planning around a particular batch.
How is the program structured?
Station F has described an original format organized into three phases:
- Phase 1: A six-week period for meeting other startups, setting goals, attending workshops and events, and collecting useful contacts and resources.
- Phase 2: Another six weeks, focused on execution without required meetings or workshops. Participants present their progress at the end.
- Phase 3: A 12-month period for building.
For Founders Program 2.0, Station F has described a stay of up to 18 months, including an intensive three-month program at the beginning. These descriptions refer to different formats, so founders should check which details apply to any current offering.
The structure may help founders think about the time commitment involved. It does not replace the practical work of fundraising: deciding which investors to approach, sending pitches, following up and keeping track of next steps.
Does Station F take equity, and how selective is it?
Station F says the Founders Program was its first program to take equity. For Batch 1, it took a 1% stake in participating companies. That batch included 21 companies working across web3, the creators economy, fintech and impact.
Those details describe Batch 1, not necessarily the terms for a future cohort. Founders should confirm current terms with Station F rather than assume the same arrangement applies.
Station F’s Landing Zone page says selection takes place two weeks before each batch starts, after applications are reviewed. It also describes the program as highly selective. Station F previously said applications for a subsequent batch would open in December, with a March 2023 kickoff. Those dates are in the past, and Founders Program 2.0 has been described as paused.
For founders weighing whether to apply, the selection process and equity terms are separate considerations from the work of raising. Applying to a program does not prevent a founder from pursuing investors at the same time.
What does Station F say participants receive?
Station F says the program helps each startup find a high-level advisor and gives participants access to advisors from companies including Alan, Swile and Pigment. It also lists campus access for each team member, more than 100 business and lifestyle perks, workshops with experienced entrepreneurs, office hours with operational experts and regular networking events.
These are program benefits described by Station F. They are distinct from a fundraising system that helps a founder identify investors and organize outreach. A founder considering the program can assess its stated support alongside the separate work required to build an investor pipeline and share fundraising materials.
How can founders raise while considering a program?
A program may provide structure and access, but founders are still responsible for the round itself. That usually means defining which investors fit the company, preparing personalized outreach, following up and keeping the fundraising process organized.
We at AI Perks looked at Station F and chose Round Funded for raising directly. We made that choice because it offered a clean investor database, an AI agent that writes emails, a convenient interface, a way to invite teammates into the workspace, a Data Room and tracking links.
Round Funded helps founders find investors, send pitches and track replies. Its database covers 60,000+ active VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators, searchable by stage, industry, geography and check size. Investor profiles are filtered to recent activity, defined as a check in roughly the last six months, and emails are verified.
The product’s AI drafts personalized outreach emails and follow-ups for each investor. Messages go out from the founder’s own Gmail, so replies arrive in the founder’s inbox and the email thread belongs to the founder. A fundraising pipeline keeps investors, stages and next steps together, and teammates can be invited into the startup’s workspace.
The Data Room lets founders put a deck, traction, team details and ask behind one link. It is free to build and share on every plan. Per-investor tracked links and engagement analytics, including views, deck opens and meeting clicks, come with Round+. Founders comparing routes can get matched with active investors while they consider a program.
Round Funded’s pricing is Round+ at $99 a month, Round Pro at $249 a month, and Lifetime at $899 one-time. Round+ and Round Pro include a three-day free trial for first-time accounts, and there is no free tier. Round+ includes a pipeline of up to 2,500 investors, email to up to 2,000 investors monthly and 2,500 AI credits per month. Round Pro includes up to 5,000 investors in the pipeline, email to up to 10,000 investors monthly, up to six connected inboxes and 5,000 AI credits per month. Lifetime includes everything in Round Pro, paid once.
How Round Funded helps founders raise directly
- Submit your startup. Use the Round Funded application page to submit your startup and get matched with investors.
- Find investors. Search the database by stage, industry, geography and check size.
- Prepare outreach. Use AI drafts for personalized investor emails and follow-ups, then send from your own Gmail.
- Organize the process. Keep investors, stages and next steps in the fundraising pipeline, and invite teammates into the workspace.
- Share materials. Build and share a Data Room with your deck, traction, team and ask; Round+ also includes per-investor tracked links and engagement analytics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Station F Founders Program?
Station F describes it as its main in-house program for early-stage companies. Its stated focus areas are building a strong team, finding product-market fit and securing early-stage funding.
Does the Station F Founders Program take equity?
Station F says it took a 1% stake in all companies in Batch 1. That historical term does not establish the terms for a future batch, so check with Station F for current details.
How long does the program last?
Station F’s original format included six-week Phase 1 and Phase 2 periods, followed by a 12-month building phase. For Founders Program 2.0, Station F described up to 18 months, including an intensive three-month start.
Is Founders Program 2.0 open now?
Station F has said Founders Program 2.0 is on pause. Previously announced dates have passed, so check Station F’s current information before making plans.
Can I fundraise while applying to a startup program?
Yes. Founders can pursue investors while considering or applying to a program. Round Funded helps founders find investors, send pitches and track replies.
Do founders need a program to raise a round?
Not necessarily. A founder can approach investors directly. Round Funded provides tools to search for investors, send pitches and manage the fundraising pipeline.