Agenda
April 25th
Women in Tech Sunrise Breakfast: How AI is Impacting Founders (open to female registrants only)
This breakfast is open to female registrants only. AI is the latest buzzword to captivate the mind, body, and soul of Silicon Valley. However, aside from changing the world, it’s clear that AI is also changing the game. This panel will look at how AI is impacting founders, those who are rushing to implement it in their technology, or those bending to the pressure of trying to attract investors. AI is changing the way we think, the way we do — or don’t do — everyday life; the next wave of innovation will be built around this new reality — so what are founders starting to prepare for? Please join us for a networking breakfast and this enriching session.
Expo Hall Open Hours
The Ins and Outs of Seed Funding (Waitlist Only)
Join us in discussing challenges and considerations for different types of early-stage funding rounds, including convertible notes, *SAFEs and Series Seed financings. (*SAFEs: Simple Agreement for Future Equity)
Selecting the Right Accelerator or Incubator
Incubators and accelerators often provide support structures for early-stage startups. For founders transitioning from academia, specific programs are often tailored to their unique needs, as these founders often seek assistance in defining the potential commercial viability of their research. Academia-sourced founders face unique challenges departing from institutions of higher education and national labs. Selecting the right startup program can help ensure that young companies seamlessly navigate known hurdles post-formation. Here’s what you need to know today.
Adapt & Thrive: Mastering the Chameleon Mindset (Waitlist Only)
In the dynamic world of startups, the ability to adapt is not just an asset; it’s a necessity. “Adapt & Thrive: Mastering the Chameleon Mindset” is a deep dive into the art of audience adaptation, a crucial skill for entrepreneurs who aim to connect with a diverse customer base effectively. This session explores strategies for actively listening to and learning from customer feedback, enabling startups to understand their audience’s evolving needs deeply. We’ll discuss how to use these insights to make informed decisions about when to pivot or tweak your business model to better serve your market. Attendees will learn practical techniques for identifying signs that indicate a need for change, ways to test new approaches without losing sight of their core mission, and how to communicate these shifts to stakeholders. This session is an essential guide for founders looking to navigate the complexities of market fit and customer satisfaction, ensuring their venture remains resilient and responsive in a competitive landscape.
Preparing to Raise: Cap Table Best Practices to Help You Close Fast
So, you’re preparing to raise money to fuel your startup. How confident are you that your cap table and data room are squeaky clean? This question should be top of mind for most founders because a messy data room may drag out your raise and could cost you tens of thousands in legal expenses. This session will cover the best practices to help you close easily and efficiently. We’ll equip you with tips from the legal perspective, the investor perspective, and the founder perspective. Founders will leave this session, armed with tangible, actionable guidance.
Exiting via M&A: What Acquirers Are Looking For and How You Can Prepare for a Successful Acquisition (Waitlist Only)
The dream of going public is what keeps startup leaders and venture-backed companies motivated. The reality, however, is that most will find success through alternative exit routes. In a world where M&A activity serves as an increasingly attractive exit path, leaders need to know how to equip themselves with the knowledge and tools needed to strategically prepare for an exit that makes the most sense for their company’s future.During this roundtable, hear from HubSpot’s Dana Louie as she uncovers:– Key factors that influence companies’ evaluation of acquisition opportunities– Real-world perspectives and strategies that drive acquisition decisions – Practical insights and guidance founders need to know to navigate their exit strategy and maximize the likelihood of a successful acquisition – from financial readiness to due diligence
Grabbing Investors' Attention in a Competitive Market: Tips for Early-Stage Startups (Waitlist Only)
Sergey will share tips to founder on how to catch investors’ attention in the situation of limited funding. As the market situation is getting tougher, understanding the nuances that can help in the battle for an investor becomes increasingly relevant. Sergey will share his observations on what exactly, besides obvious factors like traction, team background or product competitiveness, can tip the scales in your favor and discuss elements and figures to avoid in your pitch deck in 2024. He will also reveal the specific criteria he personally currently considers when evaluating potential early-stage investments.
From Inception to Cash. How I Wandered into an Idea and Jumpstarted a Company
You’ll see exactly how we rapidly went from absolute zero to paying customers. How to ignite interest from customers and investors. How to get your first deals. How to build an MVP that captivates. How to raise initial capital from investors. How to pick a cofounder and build a team. How to build momentum. How to know when to double down and go all in. How to leverage every opportunity for success and generate momentum for your new company. This zero-fluff session is meant to show you how it can actually happen for you if you just start now.
Archetypes for Product-Market Fit
Finding product-market fit is the central quest of every early-stage startup, and there are many ways of thinking about and approaching this quest. In this session, Jess Lee, Partner and Chief Product Officer at Sequoia, will walk through a framework from Sequoia that outlines three distinct archetypes of PMF which help founders understand their product’s place in the market and determine how their company operates.
Food Trucks Open
PR 101 for Founders: Branding Strategies to Win Over Investors, Customers and Partners (Waitlist Only)
Don’t just exist, stand out! This roundtable gives you the roadmap to a powerful, unforgettable brand that opens doors and fuels your startup. We’ll explore how to craft messages that resonate with your target audience, attract investors and customers, and create lasting partnerships. You’ll learn about leveraging media, managing your online presence, and using storytelling to make your brand unforgettable. Get ready to transform your approach to PR and take your brand to new heights! This is a crash course in branding strategies that captivate investors, customers, and partners. Join Edith Yeung, General Partner at Race Capital, investors of Databricks, Vectara, Otter.AI and Solana as she shares insights on how to enhance your startup’s PR strategy.
Never Raise VC Money (and how to keep more of your company if you do) (Waitlist Only)
In my first exit, we raised $8.3M in VC and sold ~60%+ of the company before Series B. Founders and employees took less than ~$45m. In my second exit, we raised $778M VC and only sold ~40% of the company almost entirely after Series B. Founders and employees took home more than $4.2B. Raising venture capital means you’re selling your equity – do it wrong and you can lose control of your company and make little or potentially nothing when you exit. Do it right and it can be the accelerant you need to pursue your vision and create a life changing outcome for thousands of people.Learn what you can do to not raise Venture Capital and, if you have to, how to make sure you do it in a way that makes you and your loyal employees successful.
How to build an MVP and navigate the startup-industrial complex
The perfect minimum viable product (MVP) is a dance between building just enough to convince potential customers and users that you have created something that they want and need to use, and no more. The siren-song of adding more features, more polish, and spending more time is ever-present. NFX’s James Currier will provide his insight on the MVP question, and what he describes as the “startup-industrial complex.” For founders still hard at work on their startup’s first product launch, this is a must-attend session.
Building the Investor Relationships You Need—Before You Need Them and In The Right Way
Are you looking to raise funding for your startup? Building strong relationships with the right pre-qualified investors is crucial for your success. This session will provide you with a crash course on how to strategically manage inbound interest, effectively nurture these relationships, and share just enough to showcase your momentum while leaving investors hungry to hear more.
How to Raise Money and Come Out Alive
There’s an art to raising your first round — especially if you want to do it right and not look back years later and regret terms, conditions or side-letters. In this session, Tom Blomfield, Y Combinator group partner and Monzo co-founder, will lay out how investors think, the common gotchas that might come back to haunt you later, and how you can put your company in the strongest possible position to raise. After all, who wants to enter the 2024 fundraising hunger games with outdated information?
Scaling Through Chaos: The Art & Science of GTM
You start a company because you’re obsessed with solving a problem. But from the very beginning, you’ll discover that 50% of your time is taken up by people-related activities – hiring, retaining, organizing and inspiring your team. Based on the most extensive research ever performed into the growth of VC-backed businesses, including 200,000 career profiles of 200 companies such as Airbnb, Datadog, Figma, Stripe, and Wiz, Paris Heymann, Partner at Index Ventures, shares his top tips for today’s early stage founders building out their SaaS GTM function.
Product Myth Buster: The (Actual) Right Time to Hire a Product Leader as an Early-Stage Company (Waitlist Only)
Founders and CEOs of early-stage startups inevitably encounter the same hurdle while mapping out their company’s ScaleUp journey: when to hire a head of product. Companies at the earliest stages are centered around a core founding team, or “first leaders,” who typically set the corporate structure (CEO), define the product (CTO), and find the first customer (head of sales). But at what point does it make sense to hire for product leadership? In this discussion, Rachel Weston Rowell, SVP of Product & Technology at Insight Partners, will unravel the mystery around product leaders, including when to hire one, the “just right” level of expertise, and the partnership between product leaders, CEOs and the broader executive team.
Never Raise VC Money (and how to keep more of your company if you do) (Waitlist Only)
In my first exit, we raised $8.3M in VC and sold ~60%+ of the company before Series B. Founders and employees took less than ~$45m. In my second exit, we raised $778M VC and only sold ~40% of the company almost entirely after Series B. Founders and employees took home more than $4.2B. Raising venture capital means you’re selling your equity – do it wrong and you can lose control of your company and make little or potentially nothing when you exit. Do it right and it can be the accelerant you need to pursue your vision and create a life changing outcome for thousands of people.Learn what you can do to not raise Venture Capital and, if you have to, how to make sure you do it in a way that makes you and your loyal employees successful.
Adapt & Thrive: Mastering the Chameleon Mindset (Waitlist Only)
In the dynamic world of startups, the ability to adapt is not just an asset; it’s a necessity. “Adapt & Thrive: Mastering the Chameleon Mindset” is a deep dive into the art of audience adaptation, a crucial skill for entrepreneurs who aim to connect with a diverse customer base effectively. This session explores strategies for actively listening to and learning from customer feedback, enabling startups to understand their audience’s evolving needs deeply. We’ll discuss how to use these insights to make informed decisions about when to pivot or tweak your business model to better serve your market. Attendees will learn practical techniques for identifying signs that indicate a need for change, ways to test new approaches without losing sight of their core mission, and how to communicate these shifts to stakeholders. This session is an essential guide for founders looking to navigate the complexities of market fit and customer satisfaction, ensuring their venture remains resilient and responsive in a competitive landscape.
The Ins and Outs of Seed Funding (Waitlist Only)
Join us in discussing challenges and considerations for different types of early-stage funding rounds, including convertible notes, *SAFEs and Series Seed financings. (*SAFEs: Simple Agreement for Future Equity)
Getting to Series A: Common Pitfalls to Avoid as a Founder
The journey of an early-stage founder is one of the hardest. Plenty of companies with enormous potential fall short before the founder’s vision even has a chance to gain momentum in the market. Alex Kayyal is a former entrepreneur and VC veteran and has seen what it takes for early stage companies to scale to category winners. This session will go in-depth on the most common pitfalls that early-stage founders fall for – and how to ensure your company makes it to Series A and beyond.
Hard Tech for Early-Stage Founders: HAX Invests in Startups Solving the Hardest Problems in Climate, Industrial Independence, and Healthcare
There’s no tougher, early stage startup category than hard tech, and no one knows that better than SOSV’s HAX team, which has backed more than 300 startups with capital and intensive design, scientific advancement and commercial engineering over the past 12 years. In this session, Duncan Turner, SOSV GP and HAX Managing Director, and Dr. Susan Schofer, HAX Chief Science Officer, discuss the hard tech / physical sciences ecosystem today, how HAX’s full-stack technical team turns unique IP from research into commercial reality, and what hard tech investing categories excite the HAX team. Duncan and Susan will also provide an update on HAX’s new, 35,000 sq foot office in Newark, NJ, where 30 startups are currently at work.
Product Myth Buster: The (Actual) Right Time to Hire a Product Leader as an Early-Stage Company (Waitlist Only)
Founders and CEOs of early-stage startups inevitably encounter the same hurdle while mapping out their company’s ScaleUp journey: when to hire a head of product. Companies at the earliest stages are centered around a core founding team, or “first leaders,” who typically set the corporate structure (CEO), define the product (CTO), and find the first customer (head of sales). But at what point does it make sense to hire for product leadership? In this discussion, Rachel Weston Rowell, SVP of Product & Technology at Insight Partners, will unravel the mystery around product leaders, including when to hire one, the “just right” level of expertise, and the partnership between product leaders, CEOs and the broader executive team.
Grabbing Investors' Attention in a Competitive Market: Tips for Early-Stage Startups (Waitlist Only)
Sergey will share tips to founder on how to catch investors’ attention in the situation of limited funding. As the market situation is getting tougher, understanding the nuances that can help in the battle for an investor becomes increasingly relevant. Sergey will share his observations on what exactly, besides obvious factors like traction, team background or product competitiveness, can tip the scales in your favor and discuss elements and figures to avoid in your pitch deck in 2024. He will also reveal the specific criteria he personally currently considers when evaluating potential early-stage investments.
How to Evolve Your Tech and Staff Strategies for Future Rounds
Discover how to be an operational unicorn, not just a commercial one, even when your team and tech feel strapped. This session will explore practical but meaningful strategies early-stage companies can use to meet technical and staffing needs that will stay in flux across their growth journey. Attendees will come away with actionable insights to overcome their skills gaps, maximize the productivity of small teams, and ensure the agility to adapt quickly to meet market and investor demands.
How to Intelligently Calculate your TAM and Wow Investors
How big is your market? Every founder pitching investors and early employees has faced the question. How to properly answer it is anything but simple. There are different ways to measure total addressable market (TAM), and varied ways to approach it from different industries. Without a big market, no startup has a shot at becoming big. And a TAM number that is too big to be believed can make a founder appear ungrounded. Coming up with the largest, reasonable figure is the challenge.If you are a founder building out a pitch deck, or just working on a napkin to sort out whether or not an idea is worth your time, this is the session for you. Tobi Coker from Felicis, Freddie Vargus from Quotient AI, and Nabiha Saklayen from Cellino, will be on hand to describe how they approach TAM from both the investor and founder perspective, and answer your questions.
Exiting via M&A: What Acquirers Are Looking For and How You Can Prepare for a Successful Acquisition (Waitlist Only)
The dream of going public is what keeps startup leaders and venture-backed companies motivated. The reality, however, is that most will find success through alternative exit routes. In a world where M&A activity serves as an increasingly attractive exit path, leaders need to know how to equip themselves with the knowledge and tools needed to strategically prepare for an exit that makes the most sense for their company’s future.During this roundtable, hear from HubSpot’s Dana Louie as she uncovers:– Key factors that influence companies’ evaluation of acquisition opportunities– Real-world perspectives and strategies that drive acquisition decisions – Practical insights and guidance founders need to know to navigate their exit strategy and maximize the likelihood of a successful acquisition – from financial readiness to due diligence
PR 101 for Founders: Branding Strategies to Win Over Investors, Customers and Partners (Waitlist Only)
Don’t just exist, stand out! This roundtable gives you the roadmap to a powerful, unforgettable brand that opens doors and fuels your startup. We’ll explore how to craft messages that resonate with your target audience, attract investors and customers, and create lasting partnerships. You’ll learn about leveraging media, managing your online presence, and using storytelling to make your brand unforgettable. Get ready to transform your approach to PR and take your brand to new heights! This is a crash course in branding strategies that captivate investors, customers, and partners. Join Edith Yeung, General Partner at Race Capital, investors of Databricks, Vectara, Otter.AI and Solana as she shares insights on how to enhance your startup’s PR strategy.
Early Stage Fundraising: Convertible Notes, SAFE and Series Seed Financing
Learn from an early stage fractional General Counsel about different funding mechanisms for early stage companies, including convertible notes, Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFE) and Series Seed financing rounds. This session will cover pros and cons of these alternatives, demystify standard terms, note potential pitfalls to avoid and suggest some key points to consider when negotiating.
The VC Pitch Blueprint: Strategies for Success
Uncover the secrets of successful VC pitching with Sara Choi, partner and biotech investor at Wing Venture Capital. Drawing from her background as a founder turned investor, Sara will reveal the most common misconceptions when pitching a VC, key elements investors want to see in your pitch deck, preparation strategies, ideal presenters and more. This session will arm you with the tools needed to captivate investors, refine your pitch approach and ultimately secure funding.
Finance Fundamentals Before Your First Finance Hire: A Founder’s Guide to Navigating Early Financial Decisions (Waitlist Only)
Navigating the financial landscape without a dedicated team is a common challenge for many first-time founders. “Finance Fundamentals Before Your First Finance Hire” is a roundtable led by Mercury’s VP of Finance, designed to demystify the core areas of early-stage financial management and empower founders with the confidence to make informed decisions. This interactive session will delve into essential strategies for optimizing cash flow, leveraging the right tools and services to establish a solid financial foundation, and implementing sound business principles to guide spending and investment. Attendees will gain practical insights on managing their resources wisely, from understanding the nuances of cash management to strategic hiring and mindful investment in growth. Prepare to walk away with actionable advice that will prepare you for the financial responsibilities of leadership and set the stage for successful scaling.
Validating Consumer Demand: How to Make the Most of Your Expertise (Waitlist Only)
Join Peter Gladstone, Harvard Innovation Lab’s senior advisor for startups to learn how founders can become experts in the problems they want to solve. An experienced operator and founder, and former head of innovation for Boston Beer Company and Gilette, Gladstone will help you with ideas for testing solutions and developing your product in this hands-on workshop.
Racing the Clock to $1M In ARR: Best Practices for Learning Fast from Launch Partners
After securing your seed round, the race is on to prove product-market fit and scale ARR. With the clock ticking, limited seed dollars and a challenging macroeconomic environment raising the bar to secure your next round, founder margin for error is slim and execution is critical. This session delves into best practices for rapidly iterating on the lessons learned from your launch partners (e.g., your early customers). Learn how to ask the right questions, get actionable answers, respond efficiently and avoid spinning your wheels at this critical juncture in your company’s growth.
So You Think You Can Pitch?
Please join us for “So You Think You Can Pitch” where three promising early stage startups will have 4 minutes to wow a panel of judges, who will then provide feedback. Participating startups include Ti¢ker, GovGPT, and ChargeBay.
THIS WEEK ONLY: Founder & Investor Bundle Deals
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- Act fast — group deals end Oct 3.
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