TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026: Everything you need to know  | TechCrunch

2026-11-04 · Boston

SoWa Power Station

550 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118

TechCrunch Founder Summit is a full-day Boston gathering at SoWa Power Station bringing together founders and investors for tactical sessions on scaling, fundraising, and AI-native architecture.

TechCrunch Founder Summit is a full-day gathering in Boston connecting founders across all stages with top VCs and experienced entrepreneurs. The agenda features tactical sessions on fundraising, AI-native building, leadership, and scaling, supplemented by breakout sessions and networking via the Braindate app.

Founder brief

Who should attend

Early-stage and scaling founders in SaaS and AI looking for practical frameworks around capital raising, team building, and product-market fit will get the most value. Entrepreneurs seeking direct conversations with active venture capitalists or advice on scaling outside Silicon Valley should consider securing a ticket before the October 19 deadline.

What happens

Programming spans practical sessions exploring early hiring decisions, cap-table trade-offs, shifts in CEO duties across stages, and the foundational requirements of AI-native software. Attendees also take part in smaller breakout discussions and connect one-on-one using the Braindate platform throughout the day.

Who's in the room

Speakers feature venture partners Brian Halligan of Sequoia, Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners, Melissa Taunton of NEA, Brian Devaney of Underscore, and Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures. They share the stage with operational founders including Chase Garbarino of HqO, Lior Div of 7AI, and Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security.

How to prepare

Set up your Braindate profile early with specific discussion topics or operational challenges you want to troubleshoot with peers. Review the speaker backgrounds in advance so you can ask targeted questions during the tactical breakouts, and ensure your core company narrative is concise for peer networking conversations.

Organizer: TechCrunch

Register

At a glance

Format
Full-day gathering featuring breakout sessions and networking via the Braindate app.
Stage
Any
Sectors
Saas, Ai ml
Ticket options
  • Investor — 399 USD
  • Founder — 199 USD
  • Students — 149 USD

Agenda

  1. The New Rules of Raising Capital — Breaking down what investors look for now and where founders lose leverage without realizing it.
  2. The CEO Job Never Gets Easier — On how the CEO role changes at each stage of growth.
  3. Built for AI From Day One — On what changes when AI is the foundation of a company rather than a bolt-on feature.
  4. Not Every Dollar Is Equal — On evaluating investors and cap-table trade-offs beyond valuation.
  5. How to Spot the ‘King of the Hill’ Company — Unpacking a framework for evaluating startups on economics, scalability, and timing.
  6. Your Company Is Who You Hire — On early hiring decisions that shape a startup’s culture and execution.
  7. The Boston Founder Playbook — On building a category-defining company outside Silicon Valley, having raised $200 million and scaled to 30+ countries.
  8. Finding Product Market Fit Before You Scale — On validating demand and avoiding scaling before the fundamentals are in place.

Speakers, judges and hosts

  • Brian Devaney — Partner, Underscore (Speaker)
  • Brian Halligan — Partner, Sequoia (Speaker)
  • Chase Garbarino — Co-founder and CEO, HqO (Speaker)
  • Kent Bennett — Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners (Speaker)
  • Lior Div — Co-founder and CEO, 7AI (Speaker)
  • Melissa Taunton — Partner, NEA (Speaker)
  • Tina Tosukhowong — Investment Director, TDK Ventures (Speaker)
  • Vineet Edupuganti — Co-founder and CEO, Cogent Security (Speaker)

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