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Find a co-founder, build a startup

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What is Founders?

Bringing together the most talented engineers, domain experts and commercial minds to find their co-founders and help them build new high-impact, digital startups.

Founders invests in people, not startups.

Founders aims to bring together Ireland’s most exceptional talent and offer a network for these individuals to find a co-founder, build a startup, and pitch for €100k investment. The programme will culminate in an investor showcase of the newly created companies in March 2024.

NDRC
Dogpatch Labs
Republic of Work
Portershed
RDI Hub

Why join Founders?

Join a cohort of over 40 exceptional individuals from different backgrounds and skill sets.

Meet your Co-Founder

Meet your Co-Founder

Finding a co-founder is difficult. We bring together the most ambitious founders to build a startup

Funding from Day One

Funding from Day One

We pay you to build a team and a great idea, with the opportunity for €100K pre-seed funding

A World-Class Community

A World-Class Community

Build your startup with a network of world-class mentors and experts at Dogpatch

“We believe strong co-founder teams are one of the most critical determinants of startup success. We want to bring together those exceptional people who may never have met.”

Patrick Walsh | CEO

Meet our Mentors

network of renowned entrepreneurs, engineers, and investors ready to provide unparalleled support to launch you into your founder journey.

Ciaran Burke

COO & Co-Founder | Swoop Funding

Chico Charlesworth

CTO | Bridge

Philip Reynolds

Early Stage Investor & Ex-MD | NDRC

Áine Kerr

Founder | Kinzen

Áine Denn

Founder | Altify

Sean Blanchfield

Founder | Techpreneurs & Former CEO | PageFair

Marc McCabe

Partner | Nomad Capital

Maria McMenamin

Partner | Anamcara Capital

Ready for the Founders Journey?

Who we’re looking for...

  • Ambition – You’re a self-starter and can motivate others to join your mission
  • Commitment – You have grit and resilience that won’t allow you to give up
  • Action-Oriented – Not only can you problem solve, but you can also move at pace
  • Outlier – You stand out from your peers, and are willing to go against the grain
Refer a Founders candidate

Programme Overview

Phase 1: Formation (Jan - Mar 2025)

Find a Co-Founder

 

Find your co-founder, ideate fast, and build build build!

 

  • 40+ Founders
  • €2k Monthly Grant

Phase 2: Acceleration (Apr - Jun 2025)

€100k Investment

 

Take your startup to the next level with expert mentorship and investor readiness

 

  • Investor readiness
  • 10% equity stake
  • Showcase with top-tier investors

Need more info?

Contact deirbhile@dogpatchlabs.com to learn more about the programme