Hi Friends,
Just back from Newport, where I spoke at Opal’s Family Office Conference on AI and investing — grateful for the conversations, momentum, and vision shared.
And this weekend’s a special one — it’s David Carvalho’s birthday! He’s a big part of the magic behind Founders Bay, and we’d love for you to come celebrate with us Saturday and Sunday!
I wanted to personally invite you to a few events & workshops this week:
Brazilian Neon Party (Body Paint + Afro House) for David’s Birthday
🚨 New SPV: The Future of Robotics Is Rolling In
“Within ten years, robots will be as common in the workplace as PCs were in the 1990s.”
— Bill Gates, MIT Tech Review, Jan 2025
That future is coming faster than expected.
Figure AI hit a $39.5B valuation in under 3 years. 1X, Sanctuary, and Apptronik have each raised 9-figure rounds with limited revenue. The market is aggressively rewarding teams that can deliver affordable, practical, manufacturable robots.
We’re opening an SPV into Feather Robotics—one of the most promising next bets.
Founded by ex-Google, Apple, and Tesla engineers, Feather has built a wheeled humanoid robot with:
✅ Human-level dexterity
✅ 2–3× the runtime of competitors
✅ ⅓ the cost (just $35K per unit)
✅ Developer-friendly APIs for fast task adaptation
With paid orders, 6 LOIs, and a path to $3M run-rate by next year, Feather is already pulling ahead of its peers at a sub-$15M valuation—a rare early entry in a space now dominated by billion-dollar caps.
Watch the demo: Feather Robot in action
🛠️ SPV Details
• $200K SPV (expandable)
• $12M cap · YC SAFE · Lead: Geometry VC
• Min check: $10K · 20% carry · 2% fees
• Co-investors: Virgo VC, Jia Li (ex-Google AI, a16z scout)
If you’re looking for early-stage exposure to a team that can build, ship, and scale, this is one to watch.
👉 Submit interest here — allocation is limited
The Invisible Weight of Leadership
No one really talks about the emotional weight of leadership.
You can be executing, delivering, making things happen — and still quietly navigating the tension, the misunderstandings, the blurred lines between trust and expectation.
As a leader, you often become the container: for pressure, for other people’s doubts, for timelines, visions, and everyone else’s insecurities.
You’re expected to be the one who keeps momentum. The one who gives grace. The one who doesn’t get rattled.
But leadership doesn’t mean not feeling. It just means learning how to hold it all — without losing yourself in the process.
Sometimes, you’ll be blamed for things that weren’t yours to hold.
Sometimes, you’ll give support and not feel supported back.
Sometimes, the people closest to you forget to look up and really see you.
And because you carry it well — because you make it look easy — they don’t realize how much you’re juggling underneath.
If this week feels heavy, if you’ve been in it, just know: you don’t have to earn your rest. You don’t have to prove your worth. You’re already doing enough.
And if you’re feeling the pressure to show up for everyone — maybe this is your sign to do something just for you. Dance. Rest. Go off-grid. Say no. Or say yes to yourself.
And if you need a moment to just be — come dance with us this Saturday.
🔥 We’re throwing the most electric tech summer party:
🪩 RSVP: https://lu.ma/auodi1mz
If we’re not already connected, I’d love to hear from you—please follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. Let’s connect!
Founders Bay Upcoming Events
Want us to sponsor an event or partner together? Contact us here
Friday, July 25 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Join us for this practical virtual workshop designed to help early-stage founders build strong marketing strategies. We’ll introduce the BASE3 Model, a simple and effective framework to help you focus on what matters most when reaching your target customers.
Friday, July 25 - 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Join us for an insightful evening at the AI Talk Series: AI in Healthcare Panel & Networking, where we explore the cutting edge of artificial intelligence in medicine. From early diagnostics to personalized treatment plans, AI is reshaping how care is delivered—and this panel brings together leaders at the forefront of that transformation. The event is co-hosted by Mariane Bekker and Kristopher Floyd from Founders Bay, who are passionate about driving thoughtful conversations around innovation and impact.
Brazilian Neon Party (Body Paint + Afro House) CODE: FOUNDERSBAY FOR 50% OFF TICKETS
Saturday, July 26 - 9:00 PM - 2:00 AM
✨ Join 300+ builders, artists and creators for an electric night of beats, body paint, and blacklight. This is your night to glow up.
It’s DJ David Carvalho’s birthday bash, and he’s spinning the hottest beats in the main room. The back room will feature Afrohouse by 611 Event DJs, Juca, M-D, Portero
Tuesday, July 29 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
With a background as an investor, engineer, and community leader, I provide personalized support to help startups grow—offering guidance on fundraising, tech development, team building, co-founder matching, hiring top talent, and personal branding to position you for long-term success.
Wednesday, July 30 - 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Apply to the Bad Bitch Pitch: Female Founder Pitch Showcase, Hosted by Bad Bitch Empire, Women in AI, Founders Bay, and The Fourth Effect
Apply Here to Pitch: http://badbitchempire.com/founderpitch
Pitch your startup to top women-led communities in tech, AI, and investing for an opportunity to win $20K+ in investment, mentorship, and additional prizes to help you grow your business.
Thursday, July 31 - 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Women Who Lead: Branding & Fundraising Insights is a vibrant evening of connection, learning, and inspiration—hosted by Mariane Bekker from Founders Bay. This event brings together ambitious women from across the startup and creative worlds to talk honestly about what it takes to build a standout brand and raise funding with purpose and confidence. 💪
Tuesday, August 5 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Building a startup often means making big technical decisions with limited resources—so what if you could get expert input from a seasoned CTO? In this special session of Founders Bay Expert Office Hours, Mike Biglan, CEO and Founder of Twenty Ideas, brings over 20 years of product development and technical leadership experience to help early-stage founders make smart, scalable tech choices.
Wednesday, August 6 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
The relationship we have to our business can bring up a lot of the same patterns as our romantic relationships - and how we handle it all determines our success. Dr. Jessica is both a tech founder herself and a relationship coach. Here, we will look at the unconscious patterns that play out in your relationships. Stop sabotaging your success and use a simple, time-tested framework to reveal your relational blind spots and walk yourself back to a centered, grounded, wise self.
Wednesday, August 6 - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Join us for Exploring Innovation in Sport Tech, an engaging evening at Sports Basement where sport, technology, and community come together. This casual fireside chat and networking event brings together founders, innovators, and enthusiasts passionate about the future of movement, performance, and play. ⚙️
Thursday, August 7 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
With 30 years of experience performing and speaking on stage—plus a background in corporate training and leadership development—Clarisse helps founders move through nerves and deliver pitches that actually land.
Friday, August 8 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
We’re hosting an exclusive breakfast at FOCUS Innovation Studio, co-hosted by Mariane Bekker and Kristopher Floyd from Founders Bay.
This event is designed for top investors founders to explore how AI can drive B2B innovation and growth. Over a curated breakfast, engage in meaningful discussions, gain actionable insights, and network with fellow founders & executives shaping the future of B2B AI.
Wednesday, August 20 - 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
We're kicking off the Step San Francisco with a fun and relaxed opening party hosted by Founders Bay. Join fellow founders, investors, and tech leaders for an evening of good conversation, music, and energy as we celebrate the start of an exciting week. 🎶💬
Managing Partner, Founders bay
Hi! I'm Mariane Bekker, an investor and a tech executive with over a decade of experience building high-performing engineering teams at leading startups such as New Relic and Mindbody. I've led engineering through 5 acquisitions and 1 IPO.
I’m the founder of Founders bay and Women Founders bay, connecting founders with expert guidance, events and funding opportunities in the Bay Area.