The Founder Institute, which aims to mentor idea-stage entrepreneurs, will hold an introductory session for anyone interested in joining the program in the Waterloo Region.  The session will take place at 6:30 pm on Thursday, Jan. 14, at the Atlas/Matrix Room at the Communitech Hub in Kitchener.

The Founder Institute is an international organization that operates in about 40 countries and is already active in three cities in Canada. The four-month program allows people with an idea for a startup to make sure the idea is valid and that they personally are well suited to launching a startup.

“If you have an idea for a technology company but you don’t have all the skills to bring that company into reality, then this is for you,” said Sunil Sharma, the Managing Partner of Extreme Venture Partners, and one of the hosts of the meeting.

Sharma said the Founder Institute is designed to help latent entrepreneurs decide if the startup life is for them. It is a rigorous course, but people can take it while working at their existing job.

Attendance at the weekly meetings is compulsory, and the participants are given homework to do each week. Each team has to pitch to the group each week. On entering, the candidates are given a psychometric examination to make sure they are well suited to the collaborative nature of startups. Not everyone completes the course.

The program helps the potential founders to assess their idea, and teaches what to look for in a co-founder and how to pitch.

Sharma and the other organizers will launch the fourth chapter of the program in Toronto on Jan. 20.