What is Young Founders School?

Young Founders School is a global entrepreneurship education program that empowers students with real-world skills, hands-on startup experience, and mentorship from industry leaders.

Who can join YFS programs?

YFS welcomes students aged 11-18 who are curious, motivated, and excited to learn. No prior business or tech experience is needed.

How do corporates benefit from partnering with YFS?

Corporate partners gain meaningful employee engagement, high-impact CSR alignment, and the chance to mentor the next generation of innovators.

Are YFS programs free?

YFS offers both paid and fully-funded programs. Students from economically weaker sections can participate at no cost through fully-funded initiatives.

How can donors support YFS?

Donors can fund student access, sponsor regional programs, or support new school partnerships. Every contribution expands YFS's reach.

Home › Programs › Bootcamp

Flagship Programme

Startup Bootcamp

Two to three days. One real startup idea. From problem to prototype to live pitch — the way founders actually build.

YFS Startup Bootcamp is our flagship in-person programme. Students form teams, find a real problem worth solving, talk to customers, prototype fast, and pitch to a panel of industry judges — all under mentor guidance.

Apply Now See the Syllabus Host at Your School

2–3

Days Intensive

1000+

Alumni

4.9/5

Student Rating

100%

Pitch-Ready

Programme Outcomes

Founder Mindset

Students leave with a genuine sense of what it takes to build — resilience, focus, customer obsession.

Pitch Confidence

Every team pitches live to judges. Public speaking, storytelling, and handling hard questions on the spot.

Team & Leadership

Cross-functional teamwork under real time pressure. Students discover how they lead and where they need to grow.

Validated Concept

A tested startup idea, shaped through customer discovery and sharpened by mentor feedback.

Portfolio Artefact

A polished deck, demo, and pitch video each student can carry into university applications and internships.

Syllabus Snapshot

Problem Discovery & Customer Interviews

Value Proposition Design

Market Sizing & Competitor Mapping

MVP Prototyping (Figma, No-Code, AI)

Business Model Canvas

Investor-Grade Pitch Deck Design

Live Pitch to Industry Judges

Impact & Success

Bootcamp alumni have gone on to launch real ventures, win national competitions, and get into top universities citing YFS as the turning point in their application essays. The programme is consistently rated the highest-impact activity by partner schools.

85%

Alumni report the programme changed their career thinking

60%

Go on to apply to entrepreneurship-track university programmes

30+

Alumni ventures actively operating today

Voices from the Programme

"I walked in thinking I'd learn about business. I walked out thinking I could actually build one."

Arya, 16

"The bootcamp was harder than I expected — in the best way. Our team pitched to real founders and got real feedback."

Marcus, 17

"First time I've ever built something in a team under pressure. Genuinely the most fun I've had learning."

Priya, 15

Ready to apply?

Cohorts run throughout the year across Asia. Join the waitlist for the next one near you, or bring the bootcamp to your school.

Join Student Waitlist Host at Your School

Bootcamp Enquiry

Want us to follow up on the next bootcamp?

Use this if you want to join as a student or explore bringing a bootcamp to your school.

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We will use this to match you to the right geography and next step.

Prefer the school route? Explore school partnerships.

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