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X Founders Program
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X Founders Program

X Founders: the founder accelerator at Excellence University. Build, ship, raise, grow. Based out of Ireland and built for founders everywhere, it cuts the noise to teach the principles and market tendencies that prepare founders for tomorrow, strengthened with the Harvard research-to-startup playbook. You leave with a launched venture, not a certificate.

The program

This is our own program. Based out of Ireland and built for founders everywhere, we cut the noise and teach the principles and market tendencies that hold across borders. We build on proven founder-school fundamentals, strengthen them with the Harvard research-to-startup playbook, and keep pushing past the standard accelerator baseline to prepare founders for tomorrow. The outcome is a company, not a certificate.

Two ways in

Learn

Free for Excellence University members

The full curriculum, videos, and readings are open to every Excellence University member, from the Excellence Club at €9.99 a month and up. Self-paced, you learn at your own rhythm. We never charge for the program itself; it is free, it is just for our members.

Work with us

Apply for mentorship and an SGV pitch

Want us to mentor you directly and pitch Safa Global Ventures? You apply, and if accepted there is a €999 development fee. We return it if SGV moves to take equity and you agree, so it never costs a funded founder. The fee is the filter: it keeps the room for founders who are serious.

Program at a glance

FormatFounder accelerator. Each founder builds a real venture during the program.
LengthWeek 0 (readiness) + 9 modules over about 10 weeks + Demo Day.
UnitOne Generación of founders per intake. We do not use “cohort”.
EntryApply solo or with a co-founder. An idea is welcome but not required: there is an idea-less track.
OutcomeA launched venture with first customers, a fundraising narrative, and a Demo Day pitch.
PipelineTop ventures pitch Safa Global Ventures at Demo Day. Classroom to cap table.
BlendProven founder-school fundamentals + Harvard OTD (IP and deep tech) + Steve Blank customer development + Lean Startup + Antler validation sprints + On Deck community.
ReachGlobal. Based out of Ireland, taught in English and Spanish, open to founders in any market.

How each module works

Every module follows the same shape so founders always know what to do: an Outcome they can reach, the Watch / Read sources mapped in our library, a live hands-on Workshop, a concrete Milestone the venture ships, and a Mentor checkpoint who reviews it.

Curriculum

Week 0 + 9 modules + Demo Day

0

Week 0

Founder Readiness

OutcomeCommitted founders, set up to build, with a clear personal runway and a starting hypothesis.
WatchShould You Start A Startup; Why You Should Leave Your FAANG Job.
ReadBefore the Startup; Why to Not Not Start a Startup.
WorkshopFounder self-assessment, runway and risk planning, goal-setting for the Generación.
MilestoneSigned founder commitment, personal runway plan, and a one-line problem hypothesis (or enrollment in the idea-less track).
MentorProgram lead 1:1.
01

Module 1

Deciding and the Founder Mindset

OutcomeA clear, honest go / no-go on the venture and the problem worth solving.
WatchShould You Start A Startup.
ReadBefore the Startup.
WorkshopProblem-framing canvas, motivation and risk audit.
MilestoneOne-page problem statement and a go / no-go decision.
MentorFounder coach.
02

Module 2

Ideas and Customer Discovery

OutcomeA validated problem and a defined ideal customer, evidenced by real conversations.
WatchHow to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas; Where Do Great Startup Ideas Come From; How to Talk to Users; All About Pivoting.
ReadHow to Get Startup Ideas. Method: Steve Blank customer development and the Antler validation sprint.
WorkshopInterview scripting, get-out-of-the-building plan, idea scoring.
Milestone20+ user interviews logged, a validated problem, and an ideal customer profile.
MentorDiscovery review: kill, keep, or pivot.
03

Module 3

Co-Founders, Team and Equity

OutcomeThe right team, with equity and roles agreed in writing before building further.
WatchCo-Founders, Technical vs Business; Co-Founder Mistakes That Kill Companies; How Much Equity to Give Your Cofounder; How to Work Together.
WorkshopRoles and responsibilities mapping, vesting and equity-split clinic.
MilestoneSigned co-founder agreement, equity split, and vesting schedule.
MentorLegal and equity mentor.
04

Module 4

MVP and Product

OutcomeA working MVP in the hands of real users.
WatchHow to Plan an MVP.
ReadProduct Development Cycle Fundamentals. Method: Lean Startup build-measure-learn.
WorkshopScope-cutting, build sprint, demo rehearsal.
MilestoneWorking MVP and a live demo to the Generación.
MentorProduct and engineering mentor.
05

Module 5

Launch and First Customers

OutcomeA public launch and the first paying or active customers.
WatchHow to Launch Again and Again; How to Get Your First Customers.
ReadDo Things That Don't Scale.
WorkshopLaunch plan, manual and unscalable acquisition tactics.
MilestonePublic launch and first 10 customers (or design-partner equivalent).
MentorGo-to-market mentor.
06

Module 6

Growth, Pricing and Metrics

OutcomeA measured business with a pricing model and one validated growth lever.
WatchHow to Prioritize Your Time; Startup Business Models and Pricing; Growth for Startups.
ReadStartup = Growth.
WorkshopKPI selection, pricing experiment design, growth-channel test.
MilestoneMetrics dashboard, pricing model, and one growth experiment with results.
MentorGrowth mentor.
07

Module 7

IP and Research-to-Startup

OutcomeClean ownership of what the venture builds, and, for deep tech, a path from research to company. This is the Harvard OTD module most accelerators skip.
ReadHarvard OTD Startup Guide: the six-step launch process across IP protection, networking, business planning, licensing, funding, and societal impact.
WorkshopIP and ownership mapping, founder and IP assignment, licensing basics, when to file.
MilestoneIP and ownership map, and, if applicable, a provisional filing or licensing plan.
MentorIP counsel and tech-transfer mentor.
08

Module 8

Fundraising and Company Building (Global)

OutcomeA fundable story, a clean data room, and a realistic plan that works across borders, not tied to any single market's seed norms.
WatchHow Startup Fundraising Works; How to Apply and Succeed at X Founders, mapped to our application and the SGV investor process.
ReadGuide to Seed Fundraising. Adapt across jurisdictions: where to incorporate, SAFE vs convertible note, cross-border structures, FX considerations.
WorkshopNarrative build, financial model, data-room assembly.
MilestoneData room, fundraising narrative, and an 18-month financial model.
MentorInvestor mentor.
09

Module 9

Founder Stories, Pitch and Demo Day

OutcomeA sharp 5-minute pitch delivered to Safa Global Ventures and invited investors.
WatchFounding stories from great founders.
WorkshopStory arc, pitch deck clinic, Q&A drills, dry-run Demo Day.
MilestoneDemo Day pitch (5 minutes) to Safa Global Ventures and the investor panel.
MentorPitch panel and Safa Global Ventures.

What makes X Founders different

Accelerator, not just a course

You leave with a launched venture, not a certificate.

The SGV pipeline

Demo Day pitches go to a real investor, Safa Global Ventures, not a void.

A research-to-startup module

Harvard OTD IP work, aimed at university spinouts and deep tech.

Global and future-focused

We cut the noise and teach the principles and market tendencies that prepare founders for tomorrow, in any market.

The Generación model

Mentors and milestones, built on Excellence University's community pillars.