Escape geography.
The best investors, early customers & advice in the world regardless of where you build.
“The best founders outgrow their home markets so fast. The Flame was created to help these founders grow without limits. We offer the best of Europe and the US to help founders build world-historical technology companies.”
Ville Vesterinen
What is The Flame and Who is it for?
We connect ambitious founders to the best investors, strategic customers and advice in the world regardless of where they build.
A four week remote program for pre-seed and seed stage startups solving difficult problems, often difficult scientific or engineering problems.
We connect you to the right investors, the right domain expertise, and early customers that will validate your business.
Escape your local market to build a company the world will never forget.
Apply by 1st August.
The Offer
For you to win.
The greatest builders can come from anywhere. But that anywhere may not be able to support your ambitions.
We will work with you so you get the best from the US and Europe regardless of where you want to build — the new global playbook.
Getting financed requires a unique proposition and a tight narrative. We’ll help you craft them.
We run rolling in-person dinners across the most important hubs for you to meet the best investors and advisers for your domain.
The Flame is unlike any other program. We accept only a selected few teams and solo founders, and Ville will personally work for the founders to maximize their magnitude of success.
The program costs you 1% of equity which will be distributed to the best-in-the-world custom picked people that will accelerate your progress.
Who is Behind The Flame?
Ville Vesterinen – Experienced entrepreneur & angel investor with 16+ years in tech startups
Ville is deeply embedded in the European tech ecosystem, he is known for co‑founding Slush, the global startup conference. He has co‑founded three technology companies — Grey Area, Swappie and Housecat — that have collectively raised well over €100 million in venture capital, scouted start‑ups for Atomico, and advised venture funds, startups, and the Finnish sovereign wealth fund (Tesi).
Questions & Answers
Who can apply?
Pre-seed and seed startup teams and solo founders solving difficult problems.
Does it matter which country the company is based in?
No. You can apply from anywhere in the world.
Does the stage of the company matter?
We focus on pre-seed to seed stage startups.
Does The Flame invest in my company?
We construct the round with you and co-invest with others. We will together optimize the round for what you need to win.
How much time the program requires?
We go through what you need over a zoom call. After that we work together on your narrative, materials and connect you to the people and capital you need to win. You should prepare to attend at least one of the rolling dinners in one of the global hubs.
Can I apply if I've raised money already?
Yes.
How will you select companies and founders for the program?
We look for new ideas solving difficult problems, often difficult scientific or engineering problems.
Why does the program cost 1% of equity?
Early advisors will usually ask 0.25-0.5% but you can't always control the quality and rarely get the best people for what you need the most. The Flame will connect you to the people who can help solve your most critical challenges.
Who is behind The Flame?
The Flame was started by Ville Vesterinen.
Why was The Flame started?
The world needs more ambitious technology companies. We want to eliminate geography for the most ambitious founders so they can focus on the problem they want to solve.
Can I invest in the companies in The Flame program?
We would love to hear from anyone who wants to contribute funding, please email ville@theflame.org
For questions, please email contact@theflame.org