Comparison · 14 material differences
Founders Network vs Keiretsu Forum
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 Founders Network
Full-time founders of technology startups, from idea stage through post-Series A, who want peer mentorship rather than capital or an accelerator programme.
Investment community
Keiretsu Forum
Accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate or institutional investors
What the records say
- Role or title: Founders Network: Must be a full-time founder of a technology startup; Keiretsu Forum: No published role or title.
- Accredited-investor status: Founders Network: No published accredited-investor status; Keiretsu Forum: Members must be accredited investors as defined under Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933 and applicable securities laws.
- Industry restriction: Founders Network: Technology startups only; service firms are excluded; Keiretsu Forum: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues: Founders Network: $900 a year; Keiretsu Forum: $3,000–3,500 a year.
Side by side
| Founders Network | Keiretsu Forum | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Investment community |
| Founded | 2011 (The About page credits founder Kevin Holmes, a former tech startup founder, with starting the organization in 2011.) | 2000 (Founded in California by Randy Williams.) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | Lafayette, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Members in more than 25 cities worldwide; in-person chapter meetings named for San Francisco, Silicon Valley, New York, London and Mexico City. | 53 chapters across four continents: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East |
| Members | 600as of September 2026 | 2,500as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | The organization does not publish a chapter count. Its About page says members are in "over 25 cities"; individual chapter events are announced case by case. | 53 |
| Primary audience | Full-time founders of technology startups, from idea stage through post-Series A, who want peer mentorship rather than capital or an accelerator programme. | Accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate or institutional investors |
| Typical member | The organization describes its members as vetted full-time tech startup founders; it states that members have collectively raised more than US$5 billion, that average funding per member is US$1.1 million, and that 50 percent are serial entrepreneurs. Service firms are explicitly excluded. | Members must be accredited investors under Regulation D. Keiretsu describes them as active private equity investors and respected members of the business community who contribute time and expertise to portfolio companies. Individual cheques into a deal typically run from USD 25,000 to USD 500,000. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Must be a full-time founder of a technology startupStated as "You are working full-time on building your tech startup. No service firms."verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| Accredited-investor status | No published accredited-investor status | Members must be accredited investors as defined under Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933 and applicable securities lawsKeiretsu cites the standard SEC tests: net worth over USD 1 million excluding primary residence, or income over USD 200,000 for the past two years.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | Technology startups only; service firms are excludedThe membership requirements text explicitly excludes service firms.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | Sometimes | Yes |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | Not documented |
| Application process | Applicants either arrive with a member invitation or request one through the site. The published flow is a short application of about two minutes plus an optional longer addendum. A membership committee reviews complete applications by the last Friday of each month and notifies applicants of the decision the same day. | A prospective member attends a Keiretsu Forum meeting as a guest, then completes a membership application and meets the local chapter president to discuss investment interests. Membership is presented as invitation-only, extended to active investors with standing in their business community. Accreditation under Regulation D is required. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The organization calls itself invite-only and says it researches applicants' backgrounds, but publishes no acceptance rate or rejection statistics. | Not publicly disclosed. Keiretsu publishes no acceptance rate, but caps each chapter at 150 members. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $900 a yearLaunch Plan (idea-stage founders), listed at "$75/mo billed annually" on the benefits page; the annualised figure is derived from the published monthly rate.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $3,000–3,500 a yearUSD 3,500 in the first year and USD 3,000 on renewal, described as a global access fee covering monthly meetings at any chapter. Published by the Keiretsu Forum Northwest chapter; the global site does not publish dues and corporations, entrepreneurs in residence, venture funds and family offices are on a different fee structure.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual commitment, renewed annually; monthly payment plans available on some tiers | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Continuous online forum; roughly 100 events a year including about 40 webinars, plus city chapter meet-ups and two annual conferences | Monthly chapter forum meetings plus deal screening sessions; members may attend meetings at any chapter |
| Peer forums | An online mentorship forum open to all members, plus peer advisory roundtables at the top tier; there is no standing confidential forum group of assigned peers | Chapter meetings of up to 150 members with company presentations and member-led due diligence teams |
| Confidentiality | The organization describes the platform as a confidential space for founders; it does not publish a confidentiality agreement. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Virtual, Chapter-based, Forum-based, Event-focused | Chapter-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Not documented |
| Online community | Yes | Not documented |
| Member directory | Yes | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | Yes |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Founders Network · Keiretsu Forum