Sprint

What is the AI Founder Sprint 2025?

The AI Founder Sprint is an eight-week virtual sprint designed to teach entrepreneurs globally how to leverage AI to build, test, and scale startups. It is positioned as the first global initiative focused on transforming entrepreneurship through AI.

Is the Sprint virtual or in-person?

The AI Founder Sprint 2025 is fully virtual, with a hybrid Demo Day in Abu Dhabi.

What are the official Sprint dates?

August 25 to October 14, 2025.

What is the application deadline?

July 30, 2025.

What are the main components of the AI Founder Sprint?

The sprint includes three key components: new frameworks on using AI for building, testing, and scaling startup ideas; expert-led small study groups for applying AI tools; and masterclasses with feedback from leading investors, entrepreneurs, and AI experts.

How can I get involved?

There are several ways to get involved in the AI Founder Sprint 2025:

• As a founder – Apply to join the Sprint as a participant and gain access to mentorship, frameworks, and global peer support.

• As a mentor – Contribute your experience as a seasoned founder, investor, or domain expert by advising startups on strategic or technical challenges. 

• As a venture guide – Support a portfolio of founder teams throughout the Sprint by serving as a consistent point of contact. 

• As a partner – If you are interested in collaborating, co-hosting sessions, or supporting the initiative in other ways, we’d love to explore opportunities to work together.

You can find more details and express your interest on our website, or reach out directly to aiventurelab@insead.edu.

Founders

Who can apply to the AI Founder Sprint?

Anyone who has a fabulous idea and wishes to leverage AI to build and scale their startup — from ideation, business model planning, to execution of the venture. The sprint is open to any founder across the world at the pre-seed stage who wants to learn cutting-edge practices on leveraging AI to build their business.  

• No, you do not need to be affiliated with INSEAD or any other academic institution.  

• No, you do not need to be a startup building an AI product.

• Yes, you have to be at least 18 years old. 

• Yes, you can participate from anywhere in the world, due to the virtual nature of the experience.

Can teams apply, or only individuals?

Yes, both solo founders and early teams can apply.

What do selected founders receive?

• Access to research-backed venture-building frameworks

• Strategic mentorship from global experts in AI and entrepreneurship

• Peer learning with a curated global cohort

• Visibility through the final Demo Day with partners and investors

Are there any counterparts for participating in the Sprint?

No. The Sprint is completely free. There are no fees, and no equity is taken. However, we do expect selected founders to actively engage with the program content, mentorship, and peer community to ensure a high-quality cohort experience.

Apart from startups at the pre-seed stage that want to learn cutting-edge practices on leveraging AI to build their business, what other criteria are you taking into consideration when selecting participants?

We welcome all applicants and aim to engage broadly. That said, in addition to being at the pre-seed stage and interested in learning how to leverage AI, we do consider a few additional criteria:

• Founder motivation and clarity of vision – We pay close attention to how clearly and thoughtfully founders articulate their goals and the problem they are solving.

• Commitment to active engagement – Given the interactive nature of the Sprint, we look for signs that founders are ready to participate fully and make the most of the program.

• Diversity and inclusiveness – We strive to curate a global and diverse cohort, including variation in geography, sectors, and lived experiences.

Ultimately, we are looking for founders who are eager to learn, open to feedback, and ready to experiment with how AI can enhance their venture-building journey.

What kind of involvement is expected from the founding team? Roughly how many hours per week should they plan to dedicate? Are there fixed schedules or specific time slots that require their presence?

Founders should plan to dedicate around 5–7 hours per week during the first two weeks, and 2–3 hours per week for the remaining six weeks. This includes live sessions, mentorship check-ins, and completing core deliverables. Live sessions are scheduled with global time zones in mind, and recordings are made available when needed.

Is it a full-time engagement, or can founders participate while continuing to run their business?

The Sprint does not require full-time availability, and we do expect founders to spend a significant amount of time building their ideas. 

Curriculum

How are peer groups defined? Are they based on business stage, sector, AI application, or geographic location?

Peer groups are curated primarily based on business stage and AI application type, with attention to ensuring diversity in perspectives. 

What is the typical format and duration for guest speaker slots?

The Masterclass sessions are fully virtual. Guest speaker slots are usually 1.5 hours, including Q&A.

Venture Guide

What is a Venture Guide?
Venture Guides are the connective thread of the Sprint experience. They support peer groups by running bi-weekly check-ins and helping founders reflect on their progress, learnings, and use of AI tools. Think of them as lightly structured facilitators and thought partners—part coach, part connector.

What are the typical requirements for Venture Guides? Is there a minimum number of hours per week expected?

Venture Guides commit roughly 5–8 hours per week during the Sprint. Their role includes:

• Hosting small-group check-ins every other week

• Encouraging peer learning and open conversations

• Pointing founders to helpful tools and resources

• Being available for light-touch support via email or platform messages

You don’t need to be an AI expert—just curious, communicative, and reliable. Experience in startups, VC, or accelerators is a plus but not required.

What do Venture Guides gain?

• Access to the full Sprint curriculum

• Invitations to live masterclasses with leading AI founders and experts

• Exposure to a global network of mentors, founders, and innovators

• A front-row seat to how the next generation of AI startups are being built

Mentor

What are the typical requirements for mentors? Is there a minimum number of hours per week expected?

We recruit a mix of mentor tiers:

• Master Mentors: Renowned AI founders, venture investors, C-level executives, or AI/ML thought leaders with 10+ years of experience.

• Domain Experts: Entrepreneurs, senior product/technical leads in AI-adjacent fields (e.g., NLP, computer vision, fintech) with 5–10 years of experience.

• Rising Mentors: Early-stage founders, accelerator alums, recent MBAs with startup experience, or consultants with 2–5 years of entrepreneurial experience.

Mentors self-tag by domain expertise, ensuring founders can access both AI specialists and industry-specific guidance. We ask for a minimum of 1–2 hours per week, but if you’d like to contribute more, that’s always appreciated!

How are mentors assigned to startups to ensure alignment? (e.g. industry expertise, stage, challenges, geographies, potential interest for investment)?

Mentors are assigned based on multiple factors, including industry expertise, venture stage, regional familiarity, and areas of challenge (e.g. product, fundraising, go-to-market). 

AI Venture Lab

What is the AI Venture Lab and what is its mission and vision?

The AI Venture Lab was founded by Hyunjin Kim at INSEAD to build the world’s first evidence-based playbook for AI-powered venture creation. The Lab’s core mission is twofold: to provide real-world impact by helping thousands of global entrepreneurs use AI to build better companies, and to serve as a research program that generates insights into how AI is changing the startup landscape, which can inform policymakers, managers, and investors. Beyond the Sprint, the lab will offer in-person experiences in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Paris, connecting ventures to San Francisco.



What makes AI Venture Lab different?

AI Venture Lab is the world’s first platform built on rigorous, evidence-based research into how AI transforms how we build companies. The AI Venture Lab's thesis is focused on "using AI to build better companies," rather than solely focusing on companies that build AI products. We are designed to help both the founders who participate as well as managers, investors, and policymakers who need evidence to navigate our AI future—we study what works, run real-world experiments, and define best practices for building AI-first businesses.