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Learn How To Build A Successful Company

The Foundations Course is Stage 1 of our accelerator program, designed to teach entrepreneurs the essential tools for building successful companies. It equips you with the knowledge and methodology to create profitable, fast-growing businesses with a modest investment, covering everything from branding and marketing to sales and operations.


*Admission is subject to review

Why You Should Sign Up for the Foundations Course:

We'll show you how you can build a thriving business with a high likelihood of success
We’ll teach you how to make money
We’ll give you practical tools to build a real business with paying customers.
We’ll guide you towards profitability, sustainable growth, and real control over your company.
Get opportunities to meet with investors throughout the course
Outstanding participants will be invited to join our exclusive workshops and residency programs

Hear from some of our satisfied students

Danny Albocher
Danny Albocher
Founder & CEO of "IOTier"
Pickey WATCH VIDEO
Omri Farbstein
Founder & CEO of "puRO"
WATCH VIDEO
omri azulay
Omri Azulay
Founder & CEO of "UpStar"
upstar WATCH VIDEO

Course Syllabus

04/12/2025 - 09/07/2026
ALL LECTURES WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAYS FROM 14:30 TO 17:00
01

Strive for Profitability

Discover why sustainable startups focus on profitability early on - learning how to balance growth with financial discipline, manage cash flow wisely, and buil…

02

Branding First

Learn why defining your brand before marketing is critical - how clear positioning, consistent storytelling, and emotional resonance create trust and set your …

03

Lean Business Model

Understand how to design a lean business model that focuses on testing assumptions, reducing waste, and rapidly iterating toward a scalable, sustainable way to…

04

Pricing

Explore how to set prices that reflect your product’s value, align with your customers’ willingness to pay, and support a profitable, competitive business stra…

05

Jobs to be Done

Learn how to uncover the real motivations behind customer decisions by identifying the “jobs” they hire your product to do - so you can design solutions that t…

06

Growth Engines

Discover the core mechanisms that drive sustainable startup growth - whether through virality, paid acquisition, retention loops, or network effects - and lear…

07

Enablers & Innovation

Explore how enabling technologies, market shifts, and new behaviors create opportunities for innovation - and how startups can leverage them to build products …

08

Sales

Learn how to build and manage an effective sales process - from identifying leads and handling objections to closing deals and creating long-term customer rela…

09

Co-Founders, Hiring, Compensation

Understand how to build a strong founding team, make smart early hires, and design fair compensation structures that align incentives and foster long-term comm…

10

Time & Money

Discover how to manage your two scarcest resources - time and money - by prioritizing what truly drives growth, avoiding distractions, and allocating capital s…

11

Startup Success Strategies

Explore the key principles and habits that set successful startups apart - from validating ideas quickly to executing with focus, resilience, and a data-driven…

12

Scaling

Learn how to transition from early traction to sustainable scale - by building systems, teams, and processes that support rapid growth without losing agility o…

13

Hiring, Compensation, Co-Founders, Company Personality

Discover how the right people, fair compensation, strong co-founder alignment, and a clear company personality work together to shape culture, drive performanc…

14

Time & Money

Discover how to manage your two scarcest resources - time and money - by prioritizing what truly drives growth, avoiding distractions, and allocating capital s…

15

Scalability

Understand what makes a business truly scalable - how to design products, systems, and operations that can grow exponentially without a matching increase in co…

Course Leader

"I designed the Foundations Course to teach how to build profitable, fast-growing companies with modest investment—distilling decades of experience into practical lessons."
Yonatan Stern
Founder & CEO
More About Yonatan Stern

Guest Presenters

Libby Molad
""I will show you how to navigate the tough decisions every founder faces - clarifying priorities, avoiding distractions, and focusing on what truly drives growth.”"
Libby Molad
COO & Co-Founder
Smartup Academy
ayala torgeman
""I will teach you what they don’t teach in business school: how to build a cash flow report, how to look at your revenues and expenses, how to create a Bookings report. Knowledge that isn’t taught anywhere else and things you absolutely must know in order to operate successfully as a CEO.""
Ayala Turgeman
CFO & Co-Founder
Smartup Academy
""As the founder of Iridize, I’ll share what I learned from not being able to raise money—and how that experience led me to success now.""
Eyal Lewinsohn
CEO & Co-Founder
oracle
Danielle Dafni
""I’ll share with you the great value I gained from working with SmartUp – I truly learned how to run a company. In all my time as a founder, no investor ever taught me as much as Yonatan – about marketing, product, sales, and people. Every aspect of running a company.""
Danielle Dafni
CEO & Founder
peech

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a certificate after completing the course?

Yes. Participants who complete the Foundations Course receive a SmartUp Certificate of Completion, recognizing their mastery of the methodology for building profitable, fast-growing companies. This certificate can be shared with investors, partners, or on LinkedIn to showcase your achievement.
Eligibility for the certificate requires at least 80% attendance and active participation in the course.

What is the Foundations Course?

The Foundations Course is the first stage of our accelerator program, focused on teaching entrepreneurs how to build profitable, fast-growing companies with a modest investment. It covers branding, sales, product, pricing, team building and more.

Who can join?

The course is free, but it is not open to everyone. We carefully select participants to ensure the program is the right fit. Our goal is to help those we believe can benefit most from this knowledge and grow significantly with the support of the accelerator. By filtering applications, we make sure that every seat goes to someone who is ready to take full advantage of the opportunity.

What topics are covered?

Branding, business models, pricing, Jobs to Be Done, growth engines, sales, hiring, financial models, scaling and more.

What will I gain?

The knowledge and methodology to build a successful company, avoid common mistakes, and increase your chances of success.
You will also receive a Certificate of Completion — a recognition of your achievement that can be shared with investors, partners, and on LinkedIn.
In addition, you will join a community of entrepreneurs, gaining access to peers who share your challenges and ambitions, and creating valuable connections for your journey ahead.

Does SmartUp offer other programs?

Yes, as part of our accelerator, we also offer Workshops (small-group deep dives) and a selective Residency Program (a long-term partnership with SmartUp as co-founders). Together with the Foundations Course, these create a complete path for entrepreneurs ready to learn, grow, and build.
See our course certificate and read our course terms and conditions
*Admission is subject to review