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Study and Startup: the USI Founders’ Option

Founders' Track

Many successful technology companies like Microsoft, Google or Facebook have been started by university students. Starting their own company based on the skills acquired at university is still the dream of many students. However, they often face the dilemma to having to choose between their studies and their startup. 

The USI Founders’ Option makes it possible to start your company and earn your master’s degree. It is currently offered as an option in the following programs

  • Master in Financial Technology and Computing
  • Master in Management and Informatics
  • Master in Artificial Intelligence

Besides following core classes, students receive academic mentoring and startup training and can earn up to 30 ECTS in recognition of the practical experience gained in their startup work. At the same time, their course work (electives, master thesis) is reduced so that they have more time to focus on building their company.

The Founders’ Option is organized in four semesters, from ideation and creation to building and selling. It is offered as an option inside the respective master programs. Successful students receive the respective master with a Founders’ diploma supplement.

The Founders’ Option only recognizes work that students perform on their own startup. For details on what counts as a student startup see the regulations below.

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  • Structure

    Semester 1 = Ideation
    Interested students follow 1-2 additional electives on entrepreneurship. This prepares them for their founder journey and reduces the course work in later semesters. They have time meet potential co-founders and to come up with a problem that they want to solve. The ideal team size is 2-3 students, but solo founders and teams of up to 4 students are admitted.

    Students need to formally register for the Founders’ Option by the end of the first semester (23 December) and submit a 1-page proposal of their idea, which they present at a 10-minute pitch during the exam phase (mid-January). The Founders’ Committee decides on accepting a team into the Founders’ Option.

    Semester 2 = Creation (6 ECTS)
    Teams work on their idea with regular mentoring meetings in the seminar Founders I. The semester is concluded with an improved pitch and the presentation of at least a mock-up of the solution. Groups must also submit a business plan and a founders agreement.

    Semester 3 = Building (12 ECTS)
    Teams build a prototype of their solution. They discuss their progress as well as potential road blocks in the seminar Founders II. The semester is concluded with an improved 20-min public pitch that contains a presentation of the prototype. Startups must also incorporate formally by the end of this semester.

    Semester 4 = Selling (12 ECTS)
    Teams create a minimum viable product (MVP) that could be sold to clients, while receiving continuous mentoring in the seminar Founders III. The Founders’ Option is concluded with submission of the MVP, a go-to market strategy and the founders’ diary. Students present their startup in a 30-min public pitch. The Founders’ Committee decides on accepting the project and awards the ECTS credits.

  • Detailed Regulation

    Special cases like repeating a milestone, leaving the the Founders’ Option and the exact definition of a student startup are discussed in the regulation of the Founders’ Option (only English).

  • Admission

    Students must first seek admission to one of the participating master programs:

    Students can subsequently apply to the Founders’ Option until the end of the first semester (23 December of the first year). Admission depends on a successful presentation of the project plan (mid-January). Students who are not admitted to the Founders’ Option continue their studies in their chosen program.

    There is no special fee for the Founders’ Option. Normal tuition applies.

  • The USI startup ecosystem

    USI has several offerings and partnerships for student startups.

  • People

    Peter Gruber is the director of the Founders’ Option.
    The Founders’ Committee furthermore consists of Fernando Pedone and Mark Langheinrich.

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