Upstream Founders Circle · Early Stage
You don't have to carry it alone. Join a Founder Circle of 8 to 12 like-minded peers in a similar phase. The real depth comes from the co-founders in the room: people who carry the same weight. Speaking up is step 1 to building resilience. Nothing here is for show. Just founders being honest with each other.
In close collaboration with
- Start
- Starts October 2026
- Cadence
- 6× a year, 2.5 hours and a shared dinner
- Format
- Private peer-group of 8–12 founders
- Stage
- Pre-seed & seed founders, first 1–3 hires
4 of 10 seats filled
The first real growth pains ask everything of you.
Early-stage growth requires constant focus, sharp choices, drive, and energy. A lot is expected of you: by your team, your early investors, and by yourself. With pressure constantly on your plate, the founder journey is intense. Yet we rarely talk about this openly.
This circle is a dedicated, committed group of founders who want to make better decisions, recognise patterns early, and stay strong and grounded while building their company.
How the program is set up.
Pre-session check-ins
Where are you right now, and what is really going on?
Theme-driven depth
Focused sessions on your role, your team, your personal energy, and the tough early choices.
Guest speakers
Experienced founders who have navigated the pre-seed to scale phase themselves.
Real peer intervision
Built around real cases from the room, with founders who understand your exact stage.
Shared dinners and accountability
Every session ends with a shared dinner to build deep trust, backed by peer check-ins between sessions.
Investment.
- Location
- Rotterdam, with Upstream
- Pricing
- €600 per year. Dinners and venue costs are covered by our partners.
Ready for your circle?
Tell us where you are in your build. We check the fit by phase, so the room is right for you.