Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week + 5 Overlooked MUST Do to Raise Funding in 2025

Hi!

This week, we threw one of our most unforgettable events yet at Tesla! We celebrated the launch of our exciting new partnership with TheAgentic, a game-changing initiative to support startup founders with FREE AI engineering resources. Whether you're building your product from 0 to 1 or integrating AI into your existing platform, our Launchpad program is here to help you take the leap into the future.

🎉 The Highlights:

• 6 Cybertrucks on display

• 180 Test Drives (yes, they were epic!)

• Endless fun, networking, and dancing

If you haven’t done so, please connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram for exclusive insights and content about startups, investments, and diversity!

Featured Events

Want us to feature your event on the list? Add it here

Women Founders Bay x Startup Grind Xmas Happy Hour

Dec 16 - 6pm - 9pm

​Join us for a festive Startup Grind Silicon Valley Xmas Happy Hour alongside Women Founder's Bay, where founders and investors come together to share holiday cheer, exchange ideas, and spark new collaborations. Enjoy a cozy, spirited evening with festive drinks, holiday treats, and meaningful networking in a relaxed, joyful atmosphere. Let’s wrap up the year on a high note and toast to exciting ventures ahead in 2025!

Online Workshop: Fundraising for Pre-Seed & Seed Startup (Valuations & Equity)

Dec 17 - 3pm - 4pm

​Are you a founder navigating the complexities of early-stage fundraising? This hands-on workshop will demystify cap tables, SAFE agreements, and setting your startup’s valuation. Learn how to structure equity, calculate your ask, and align your funding strategy with investor expectations. Perfect for pre-seed and seed-stage entrepreneurs, this session will equip you with the tools to confidently manage your startup’s financial foundation and secure the funding you need to grow.

Online Workshop - Future of SaaS: AI Agents Opportunities and Risks

Dec 18 - 3pm - 4pm

Are AI agents an opportunity or a threat to the future of B2B SaaS startups?

Join Akash Saraf, a trailblazer in building cutting-edge LLMs for agentic reasoning, to learn how AI is changing the SaaS world and what it means for your business.

Online Workshop: Sales Story - Building Narratives That Sell

Dec 19 - 2pm - 3pm

​This workshop will help you turn your ideas into stories that sell. You'll learn how to use storytelling to create better pitches, clear messaging, and content that connects with your audience. We'll walk through how to analyze your current story, build new ones that resonate, and find more success.

Two Tech Holiday Parties: AI On the Rocks and Healthtech/Biotech

Dec 19 - 5pm - 8pm

​WELCOME TO ANGEL LAUNCH ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY FOR INVESTORS, STARTUPS, TECH PROFESSIONALS: TWO PARTIES IN ONE!!

Founder/VC DJ Holiday Party

Dec 21 - 9pm - 2am

​We’re seizing control of three epic, interconnected venues to throw San Francisco’s premier founder/VC/artist holiday party! 🎄🔥 🔺

​Monarch Two floors pulsating with holiday beats. Lose yourself in a labyrinth of sound or find your next big collaboration over craft cocktails.

Upcoming Events

• Connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram for exclusive insights and content about startups, investments, and diversity. Let’s grow together!

• Want to add your event to the list? Submit it here.

5 Overlooked Things Early-Stage Founders MUST Do Before End Of Year to Raise Funding in 2025

By Mariane Bekker

Raising funds isn’t just about a killer pitch deck or solid metrics—it’s about doing the groundwork that most founders overlook. The 2025 funding landscape will reward those who anticipate trends, build relationships, and demonstrate unique foresight.

For early-stage founders, success starts now. Here are five unconventional yet critical steps you should take before 2024 to ensure you’re investor-ready in 2025:

1. Set Up an Advisory Board – And Actually Leverage It

The Week 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

1. One, $300M, fintech

• 💻 Sector: Fintech

• 💬 Details:

  • Raised $300 million in a new funding round led by Walmart and Ribbit Capital.

  • Offers installment loans, debit cards, and payments services as part of Walmart’s push into financial services.

  • Valuation: $2.5 billion.

  • Based in Sacramento, California.

2. Liquid AI, $250M, artificial intelligence

• 💻 Sector: Artificial Intelligence

• 💬 Details:

  • Secured $250 million led by AMD, valuing the company at $2.3 billion.

  • Builds liquid foundation models — lightweight AI models requiring less data and compute power.

  • Inspired by mathematical discoveries from studying a worm’s brain.

  • Total funding: Over $290 million. Founded in 2023, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

3. Zest AI, $200M, fintech

• 💻 Sector: Fintech

• 💬 Details:

  • Raised $200 million growth investment from Insight Partners.

  • Uses AI for credit underwriting with advanced scoring methods.

  • Plans to expand its product portfolio and focus on fraud protection and generative AI technologies.

  • Founded in 2009, the company has raised nearly $358 million. Based in Burbank, California.

4. Ayar Labs, $155M, semiconductor

• 💻 Sector: Semiconductor

• 💬 Details:

  • Closed a $155 million Series D round led by Advent International and Light Street Capital, with strategic participation from AMD, Intel, Nvidia, and 3M.

  • Develops optical solutions to replace electrical interconnects, maximizing AI compute efficiency while reducing costs and power.

  • Valuation: Over $1 billion.

  • Total funding: $370 million. Founded in 2015, based in California.

5. Capstan Medical, $110M, medical device

• 💻 Sector: Medical Device

• 💬 Details:

  • Raised $110 million Series C led by Eclipse Ventures.

  • Develops robotic-enabled, minimally invasive technologies to treat heart valve disorders.

  • Addresses a market of more than 7 million people in the U.S. with heart valve disease.

  • Total funding: $141 million. Founded in 2020, based in Santa Cruz, California.

6. Speak, $78M, edtech

• 💻 Sector: Edtech

• 💬 Details:

  • Raised $78 million Series C led by Accel, doubling its valuation to $1 billion in six months.

  • Uses AI to generate audio conversations that improve users’ language fluency.

  • Has delivered 25 million personalized lessons and launched an enterprise offering for employers.

  • Total funding: $162 million. Founded in 2016, based in San Francisco, California.

7. Veradermics, $75M, pharmaceuticals

• 💻 Sector: Pharmaceuticals

• 💬 Details:

  • Closed a $75 million Series B led by Suvretta Capital Management.

  • Developing therapeutics for common dermatologic conditions, including a treatment for hair loss.

  • Total funding: $111 million. Founded in 2019, based in New Haven, Connecticut.

8. Gigs, $73M, mobile

• 💻 Sector: Mobile

• 💬 Details:

  • Raised $73 million Series B led by Ribbit Capital.

  • Develops an operating system for mobile services, enabling tech companies to embed connectivity into their products.

  • Plans to use the funding to expand its geographical footprint and invest in new products.

  • Total funding: $97 million. Founded in 2021, based in San Francisco, California.

9. (tied) Players Health, $60M, healthcare

• 💻 Sector: Healthcare

• 💬 Details:

  • Raised $60 million Series C led by Bluestone Equity Partners.

  • Provides athlete and sports insurance.

  • Total funding: $100 million. Founded in 2012, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

9. (tied) Sublime Security, $60M, cybersecurity

• 💻 Sector: Cybersecurity

• 💬 Details:

  • Raised $60 million Series B led by IVP.

  • Provides an AI-powered email security platform.

  • Total funding: $93.8 million. Founded in 2019, based in Washington, D.C.

Source: Crunchbase

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.