Run a dotcom? Get the most exclusive card in town

Mark Prigg, Science and Technology Editor
28 Nov 2011

From Silicon Valley to Silicon Roundabout, it is fast becoming the most exclusive card in town. For the capital's digerati, it's the magic ticket to everything from finding a desk to spending the evening with the world's entrepreneurial elite.

The Founders Card, set up by New Yorker Eric Kuhn two years ago, offers members discounts on flights, shared office space and even runs its own networking events.

Yet getting one is harder than almost any other card - as you need to run your own dotcom business.

"We are an invitation-only card, and you can either be recommended, or apply via the website," says Kuhn.

The firm then vets potential members, looking for those likely to enhance its events. If successful, and you stump up the $495 fee, the coveted black card is despatched. Just 5,000 people worldwide have been accepted, and Kuhn says in recent months applications from London have rocketed, with more than 200 people having been granted membership.

"We look for a deep commitment to the community. You don't need to be hugely successful but you do need to take part in events.

"It's really taken off in London, particularly around Shoreditch, and we've just had our first networking event at St Martins Lane Hotel, which was a big success. It's not about workshops or panels, it's about talking to people going through similar experiences."

Kuhn admits the partnerships also save members thousands of pounds, and says he built the card around his own needs.

"I set up my own firm, Varsity Books, and faced a lot of the same problems every other dotcom did," he says.

"That experience led me to want to do something that rewarded and recognised entrepreneurs, as well as giving them a leg up.

"We have members who make the fee back simply by booking flights with Virgin," says Kuhn. Dozens of brands including W Hotels, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines have signed up to the scheme.