AI Founder Sprint 2025
Where Intelligence Takes Shape
Build your start-up with
INSEAD’s global AI venture sprint.
Access tools, knowledge, mentorship, and a powerful community to help you power your venture with AI.
The AI Founder Sprint is INSEAD’s flagship sprint for early-stage founders building AI-first start-ups and ventures with artificial intelligence at the core. Over 8 intense weeks, selected teams go from raw data to real ventures, guided by world-class mentors, strategic tools, and a curated network of peers and experts.
Whether you're a solo founder or a technical team, this is where ideas become companies.
What Is the AI Founder Sprint?
AI Venture Lab Team
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Hyunjin Kim
Founder & Chair, AI Venture Lab
Strategy Professor, INSEAD -
Vic Woo
SF Director, AI Venture Lab
Senior Director, INSEAD San Francisco Hub -
Rembrand Koning
Co-lead, AI Founder Sprint
Entrepreneurship Professor, Harvard Business School -
Thomas Baker
Head of Tech Strategy, AI Founder Sprint
Executive Fellow, Harvard Business School -
Nety Wu
Lead R&D, AI Venture Lab
PHD, INSEAD -
Serge Vasylechko
Head of AI Tools & Rapid Prototyping, AI Founder Sprint
Instructor, MIT AI Venture Studio
Founder, Sundai Foundation -
YJ Lin
Head of Community Strategy, AI Founder Sprint
Senior Program Manager, Dell for Startups
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Alexander Chia
Venture Guide Lead, AI Founder Sprint
Centre Manager, INSEAD -
Nancy Hsieh
Venture Guide Lead, AI Founder Sprint
Executive Director, INSEAD -
Martina Blahova
Venture Guide Lead, AI Founder Sprint
Centre Manager, INSEAD
The Advisors
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Chris Yeh
Founding Partner
Blitzscaling Ventures -
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Cristina Ventura
General Partner
White Star Capital -
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Geoff Ralston
Ex-President
Y Combinator -
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Hari V Krishnan
CEO and Managing Director
PropertyGuru Group -
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James Drage
Founding Partner
Exponential Venture Capital -
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Jillian Manus
Managing Partner
Structure Capital -
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Vanessa Gao
CEO and Co-Founder
Jiangmen Ventures
Why Join?
Tools
Access expert frameworks, venture-building templates, and step-by-step AI integration resources.
Network
Connect with global mentors, investors, and fellow founders.
CommuniTy
Join a cohort of mission-driven innovators learning to build with AI.
Knowledge
Learn from AI experts, industry leaders, top researchers, and experienced AI-driven founders.
What to Expect?
DURATION
8 weeks Starting from August 25, 2025
Format
Fully online, global participation
Time Commitment
5–7 hours/week for the first 2 weeks; 2–3 hours/week for the next 6 weeks.
Application Deadline
30th July, 2025
Cost & Benefits
No cost. Zero fees. No equity taken. Includes access to prize opportunities and investor network
Final Showcase
Demo Day with investors and AI leaders
Built for Early-Stage Founders Ready to Build with AI
We welcome applications from:
Solo founders or founding teams
Projects in ideation, MVP, or early traction stages
Startups from any sector interested in using AI to gain an edge
Builders ready to go from prototype to product with AI as a core capability
Join the Sprint
Applicants
Transform your idea into a real business — built with the power of AI.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining a prototype, this is your chance to explore how AI can unlock new potential in your start-up—with expert guidance, hands-on tools, and a powerful network.
Additional Benefits:
No equity taken. Prize money available. Access to a network of investors interested in backing promising early-stage teams.
We’re also selecting experienced founders, operators, and AI experts to mentor selected start-ups. Each mentor guides 3 - 5 teams through strategic challenges and venture milestones.
Want to Be on the Frontlines of AI Venture Building?
If you’ve ever wanted to help shape startups from the inside, this is your seat at the table. Venture Guides are the inner circle working closely with 5–6 teams, offering weekly support, tracking progress, and surfacing real-time insights from the trenches.
Sprint Structure
The 8-week AI Founder Sprint connects bold talent with cutting-edge tools, global mentors, and investor networks to build AI-powered ventures that matter.
WEEK 1 & 2
AI-First Idea Generation & Validation
Learn frameworks for using AI to better identify, test, and refine startup ideas with market potential.
WEEK 3 & 4
Peer Groups & Tool Exploration
Join expert-led small peer groups to learn and apply cutting-edge AI tools to your startup concept.
Week 5 & 6
AI-powered Testing & Scaling
Learn how to apply AI to improve how you build and scale your startup.
WEEK 7 & 8
Pitch Refinement & Demo Day Preparation
Refine your investor pitch and prepare to showcase your venture at Demo Day.
Marketing Team
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Valentin Sierra
Project Manager, Circolo
AI Founder Sprint - Marketing & Partnerships Team
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Alvaro Daza
Strategic Director, Circolo
AI Founder Sprint - Marketing & Partnerships Team
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Marco Giovanni
Operations and Partnerships Manager, Circolo
AI Founder Sprint - Marketing & Partnerships Team -
Sebastian Mora
Marketing Director, Circolo
AI Founder Sprint - Marketing & Partnerships Team
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Ayah Okasha
Program Experience Lead, Circolo
AI Founder Sprint - Marketing & Partnerships Team -
Rahath Aaliya
Marketing Coordinator, Circolo
AI Founder Sprint - Marketing & Partnerships Team
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Madhvik Nemani
Tech & Design Lead, Circolo
AI Founder Sprint - Marketing & Partnerships Team