Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week

Table of Contents

• Featured Events

  • Founders Bay Presents: Web3 x AI Founders Dinner …

  • Seed Funding Mastermind Group + Dinner »

  • Pitch Perfect Season 3: Unleashing Your Entreprene …

  • Central Eurasia @ Silicon Valley 2024 (50% coupon: …

  • Dream Bigger Challenge »

  • Ai Summit Fall 2024: AI for Everyone | Silicon Val …

  • Global M&A Trends: Mastering the Evolving Deal Lan …

• Upcoming Events

  • 🗓️ Monday, Oct 21

  • 🗓️ Tuesday, Oct 22

  • 🗓️ Wednesday, Oct 23

  • 🗓️ Thursday, Oct 24

  • 🗓️ Friday, Oct 25

  • 🗓️ Saturday, Oct 26

  • 🗓️ Sunday, Oct 27

• Building a Generative AI MVP: A Step-by-Step Guide

• The Week 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

Hi there!

Thank you for reading my newsletter. We now have over 20,000 founders and VCs subscribed — what an incredible community we’re building together!

I’m Mariane Bekker, a tech executive with a passion for supporting startups. I’ve led engineering teams through six successful exits, now invest and help founders through Founders Bay, and run the largest and most active community of tech female founders called Women Founders Bay. Each week, I curate this event list to give back to the startup community that has given me so much.

I’d love to connect with you on LinkedIn and Instagram for exclusive insights and content about startups, investments, and diversity. Let’s grow together!

Best,
Mariane Bekker

Featured Events

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

Founders Bay Presents: Web3 x AI Founders Dinner @ Cow Hollow Mansion »

October 23rd - 7PM - 9PM

We’re hosting an exclusive dinner for early to mid stage Web3 x AI founders, co-hosted by Mariane Bekker from Founders Bay, and OpenServ. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow Web3 and AI founders and learn about the cutting-edge technologies being developed in the Web3/AI space.

Seed Funding Mastermind Group + Dinner »

October 23rd - 5PM - 9PM

​Join us for an exclusive beta launch of our upcoming 3-month mastermind group, designed specifically for founders like you. This 2 hour event is a chance to meet other committed founders and learn in a confidential, supportive environment how to grow your startup.

Pitch Perfect Season 3: Unleashing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit (Use coupon: Mariane50) [I’m Judging]»

October 24 6pm - 9pm

The Vietnamese American Business Association (VABA) & VABA Venture are excited to announce the third season of our highly successful "Pitch Perfect: Unleashing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit" pitch competition. Following the remarkable success of Seasons 1 and 2, which featured a diverse range of startups and attracted numerous investors, Season 3 promises to be an even larger and more dynamic event. This pitch competition aims to connect innovative startups with top-tier investors, providing a platform for mentorship, feedback, and potential funding opportunities.

Central Eurasia @ Silicon Valley 2024 (50% coupon: FOUNDERSBAY)»

October 25 - 10AM - 7PM

Our partners at the Silkroad Innovation Hub are excited to invite you to the first-ever Central Eurasia @ Silicon Valley Tech Conference on October 25th at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in San Francisco.

 
This event will feature keynote speeches from top industry leaders like Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera, Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital, Innovations & Aerospace of Kazakhstan, Nitin Pachisia, Founding Partner of Unshackled Ventures, and Arvind Jain, CEO of Glean. There’s also a special session with Ilya Strebulayev, Professor at Stanford GSB, and Alex Dang, Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company discussing their bestselling book The Venture Mindset.

1,000 people are expected to attend, over 70 VC and Angel investors are already registered, and the Startup Expo will showcase 100 of the most outstanding startups from Central Eurasia. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with top VCs and leading executives from both Silicon Valley and Central Eurasia.

 
Register today and use the exclusive promo code FOUNDERSBAY to get 50% off your ticket at checkout.

Dream Bigger Challenge »

October 25 2pm - 9pm

​The Dream Bigger Challenge will showcase Filipino Americans uplifting lives through entrepreneurship and investing. ​It will gather 100+ Filipino founders, investors and ecosystem supporters across North America. It will include panel discussions, breakouts and, of course, pitches from FilAm led early-stage startup finalists who will have a chance to win up to $20K in prize packages. ​

Ai Summit Fall 2024: AI for Everyone | Silicon Valley and Online (15% coupon: FOUNDERBAY15) »

October 26 - 8AM - 6:30PM

At TechEquity Ai, a community-focused non-profit, we believe AI is for everyone. Join us at the Ai Summit Fall 2024 on October 26, 2024, from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California and online to explore how AI can drive innovation, foster responsible governance, and empower leaders across industries.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:

• Tracks: Dive into four dynamic tracks: UseAI, BuildAI, ResponsibleAI, and C-SuiteAI.

• Panel: AI in Enterprise, AI in Healthcare, AI in Robotics, AI in Education, Women and AI

• Inclusive Environment: Connect with a diverse community, including corporate leaders, startup enthusiasts, academics, and AI novices.

• Interactive Sessions: Engage in speaking sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and AI product showcases that promise fresh insights and networking opportunities.

Global M&A Trends: Mastering the Evolving Deal Landscape »

October 29 5:30PM - 8:30PM

CohnReznick LLP and Mercer are hosting another great M&A networking / panel event in the San Francisco-Bay Area on Oct. 29. Event organized by Mohammad Hasham and Greg Mochizuki.

Here is the current panelist line up and registration link below:

1. SRS (escrow agency) – kickoff keynote on market and deal trends

2. Pruven Capital (VC/growth investing) – CFO/COO

3. Mainsail Partners (Vertical software private equity firm) – Vice President, deal team

4. I5invest (Investment bank – technology deals) – Managing Partner

5. Simpson Manufacturing (public company – manufacturing) – Corp Dev Leader

6. Equinix (public company – data centers and cloud computing) – Head of Global M&A

7. Other financial sponsor and advisor market views

Please register and pass on to folks from your team who can attend.

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.

🗓️ Monday, Oct 21

👉 AI Investors & Networking (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Come and Meet Featured Investors
Featured Investor: Domenic Giovanzana VC @ Pathfinder Ventures (HPE)

👉 Builders, Creators and Artists (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for an electric evening of conversation, creativity, and community. We’re bringing together the best builders, artists, founders, designers, writers, musicians, and makers in SF.

👉 AI, Collaborative Decision Models, and Visual Search 🔍 (BrAIN + Poshmark) (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 Redwood City
💬 We’re thrilled to announce our upcoming BrAIN event, co-hosted by Poshmark! This in-person gathering will feature two exciting talks that delve into the cutting-edge of AI and decision-making models.

🗓️ Tuesday, Oct 22

👉 TED AI San Francisco 2024 (9:00 AM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Two days of TED Talks, panels, and interactive sessions. The history of AI is being written now. Join the conversation, because we ain't seen nothing yet.

👉 Bay Area AI Safety Meetup #8 w/ Scale AI and Holistic AI (sponsored by Holistic AI) (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Bringing together scholastic exercises with enterprise work in AI, this is a forum to discuss and address the deepest technical and ethical questions around AI safety in society.

👉 Kim Scott - Free WOW Event for Female Founders (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Los Altos
💬 Free in-person Women of Wisdom (WoW) event featuring Kim Scott, best-selling author of "Radical Candor" and "Radical Respect." All attendees will receive complimentary copies of Kim’s books.

👉 CoS SF Mixer (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Connect with other CoS in San Francisco for a special night of connection and learning!

👉 Compound AI Systems: October/MTV (6:30 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Mountain View
💬 Join experts in data and AI for an in-person deep dive into AI infrastructure. Gain invaluable insights and expand your knowledge.

👉 Algorythm / Upskilling in AI for Absolute Beginners (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join Algorythm for an interactive lecture crafted especially for absolute beginners!

🗓️ Wednesday, Oct 23

👉 Implementation in Business | San Francisco (10:00 AM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Workshop designed to integrate AI into business strategy for innovation and growth.

👉 Hackathon: Learn with Jason (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join Jason Lengstorf and guests for a live-recorded Web Dev Challenge episode.

👉 SF Golden Hour Tech Girl Walk (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Connect with women and non-binary folks in tech who meet you where you are.

👉 Silicon Valley Space Week: Data Centers in Space (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join NTT's Silicon Valley ecosystem partners for an interactive discussion about data center growth in space.

👉 Seed Funding Mastermind Group (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 San Francisco
💬 Exclusive beta launch of a 6-month mastermind group for founders. Meet other committed founders in a supportive environment.

👉 Immigrant Founders in AI/ML Deep-Tech (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Explore how AI/ML founders navigate the immigration process and share their unique stories.

👉 Pre Next.js Conf Meetup (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Kick off Next.js Conf with talks and networking about all things web!

👉 Fullstack Happy Hour with Convex (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 null
💬 Network and discuss fullstack development with fellow developers and founders.

👉 Engineering Career Happy Hour feat. ngrok creator Alan Shreve (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Chill happy hour with insights from Alan Shreve, founder of Ngrok.

👉 Brex Connect SF 10/23 (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Meaningful connections and networking among founders and investors.

👉 Tech and Business Networking | Elevating Your Potential - SF (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Strive welcomes you to 'Tech and Business Networking'!

👉 For The Rebels - San Francisco (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Casual events for bold thinkers to exchange ideas and foster innovation.

👉 Cup of Courage: Creativity (Fireside Chat & Networking) (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Encouraging exploration of creative passions and self-expression.

👉 Menlo Park Tech + Startups Social (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 Menlo Park
💬 Join us for the Menlo Park Tech + Startups Social!

👉 Sanity Block Party (7:00 PM - 11:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join Sanity & Friends for the unofficial Next.js Conf pre-party.

👉 Founders Bay Presents: Web3 x AI Founders Dinner @ Cow Hollow Mansion (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 San Francisco
💬 Exclusive dinner for early to mid-stage Web3 x AI founders.

🗓️ Thursday, Oct 24

👉 Out in Tech Bay Area | Peninsula | Bi-Monthly Mixer (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Join us for exciting networking with Out in Tech members!

👉 Halloween Happy Hour (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Spooktastic Halloween happy hour with amazing people and prizes for best costumes.

👉 Diwali Connect | Founders + Investors + Creators (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Evening gathering for tech enthusiasts, founders, and investors to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants.

👉 Ai in Marketing (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Bringing together founders and marketers.

👉 11th Peninsula Climate Coffee and Happy Hour (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Redwood City
💬 All climate fixers are welcomed to socialize, eat, drink, and partner.

👉 FemTech Happy Hour (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 null
💬 Special FemTech Happy Hour for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

👉 THE GATHERING (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Groundbreaking event designed for founders to build genuine connections and tackle real challenges.

👉 SF Startup & Tech Mixer (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 SF's premier tech networking event!

👉 Pitch Perfect Season 3: Unleashing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) [I’M JUDGING]
📍 Milpitas
💬 Top pitch competition connecting innovative startups with leading investors.

👉 Ai & Tech Networking (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Jose
💬 Meet and network with Tech & AI professionals, founders, and investors.

👉 AI Tools Fair: Upgrade your AI Toolkit (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for an AI Tools Exploration day with industry builders.

👉 Brick Or Brick: Startup Edition (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Evening of innovation, competition, and fun for startup founders.

👉 🧠 GenAI Collective 🧠 AI & Creativity Workshop + Panel (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Discussion on how AI is transforming the creative landscape.

👉 Founders & VCs: Business Models To Drive Revenue MedTech, Biotech & AI Panel (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Evening focused on business models driving revenue in MedTech, Biotech, and AI.

👉 Agents and the Future w Chris Yeh, Founding General Partner @ Blitzscaling VC (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Dinner with AI Agent founders and Chris Yeh, co-author of "Blitzscaling."

👉 Modernist Cohosts: Asian Art Museum Afterparty Gala: HALLYU (Korean Pop Culture) (9:30 PM - 11:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Co-hosting the Asian Art Museum Afterparty Gala.

🗓️ Friday, Oct 25

👉 AI Enterprise Forum (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Pitch to an AI Digital Twin of an actual investor.

👉 Central Eurasia @ Silicon Valley 2024 (10:00 AM - 7:00 PM) [RECOMMENDED]
📍 San Francisco
💬 Central Eurasian Technology Conference.

👉 Startup Co-working Day at Intercom (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Co-working day with founders and investors.

👉 Dream Bigger Challenge: Filipino Americans Pitch Competition (2:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Sunnyvale
💬 Pitch event showcasing Filipino Americans.

👉 Getting to Wow! Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets: A Workshop for Entrepreneurs SF #TechWeek (3:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Workshop with Bill Reichert on mastering the art of pitching.

👉 Invite only: AI/ML Researchers, Founders and VCs in Drone Technology (5:00 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Lightning talks followed by open networking.

👉 Create an Unbreakable Co-Founder Bond (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Workshop to build deep personal growth.

👉 AI/Journalism Hackathon at UC Berkeley: Harnessing AI to Enhance Trust and Deepen Engagement in Local Communities (5:30 PM - 4:00 PM)
📍 Berkeley
💬 Join Hacks/Hackers and UC Berkeley Journalism for a dynamic weekend.

👉 Modernist Halloween Party & Norm's Birthday! (9:00 PM - 11:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Halloween costume bash!

🗓️ Saturday, Oct 26

👉 Ai Summit Fall 2024: AI for Everyone (8:00 AM - 6:30 PM) [RECOMMENDED]
📍 Mountain View
💬 Explore how to use, build, govern, and empower AI.

👉 Founders Running Club @ TechCrunch Disrupt (9:30 AM - 12:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Weekly runs for founders and their families.

👉 Out in Tech SF Bay Area | East Bay: Halloween-Themed Board Games Social (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 Fremont
💬 Play board games with Out in Tech friends.

👉 USF Downtown TechCrunch Tech Brunch (3:30 PM - 5:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Tech brunch event.

👉 KhwajaLabs Presents: The Worst Jobs Search Timeline (7:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Comedy show about tech and jobs.

👉 Interstellar (9:30 PM - 11:30 PM)
📍 Hillsborough
💬 Journey through alien worlds and time warps.

🗓️ Sunday, Oct 27

👉 Early Bird AI Run: Network and Energize (8:30 AM - 9:30 AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Kick off TechCrunch Disrupt Days with some fresh air, energy, and networking!

👉 #Disrupt2024 AI & RAG Hack Day (9:30 AM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join Hack Day and bring AI into production.

👉 Coffee Club SF (10:00 AM - 11:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Good conversation, good people, no pressure.

👉 Official Opening Event for Techcrunch Disrupt 2024 - Sweat & Sparks: BeActive SF (12:00 PM - 1:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Fun social workout with founders and investors.

👉 Disrupt 2024: Climate Hackathon (Hack the Climate for a Sustainable Future) (12:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Hack for a sustainable future.

👉 Green Picnic #3 (2:00 PM - 4:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Build community with Gen Zers passionate about climate action.

👉 🌟 AI SaaS - GTM Roundtable (2:00 PM - 4:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Roundtable discussion on AI SaaS GTM strategies.

Building a Generative AI MVP: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Mariane Bekker

I have spent over 15 years leading engineering teams in the Bay Area and built 5 AI MVPs in the last year.

In this article, I’ll guide you through the essential steps to create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for your AI project. From defining your use case to deploying your model, discover the tools and techniques that can help you bring your vision to life!

The Week 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

This week’s biggest funding rounds show that artificial intelligence is still a major focus for investors. OpenAI topped the list with $6.6 billion, followed by big investments in Poolside and new biotech companies. This highlights a strong and varied market that emphasizes both advanced technology and healthcare improvements.

1. OpenAI, $6.6B

   • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

   • Details:

     • Raised $6.6 billion at a post-money valuation of $157 billion, led by Thrive Capital.

     • The funding structure includes convertible notes that allow investors to request their money back if changes to the company’s structure are not completed within two years.

     • Total funding raised: approximately $13 billion.

2. Poolside, $500M

   • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

   • Details:

     • Closed a $500 million Series B led by Bain Capital Ventures, valuing the startup at $3 billion.

     • Poolside develops AI software for programmers and has raised a total of $626 million since its founding in May 2023.

3. Kailera Therapeutics, $400M

   • Sector: Biotech

   • Details:

     • Announced its launch with a $400 million Series A financing co-led by Atlas Venture, Bain Capital Life Sciences, and RTW Investments.

     • The company focuses on developing clinical-stage injectable and oral therapies for chronic weight management.

4. Aktis Oncology, $175M

   • Sector: Biotech

   • Details:

     • Closed a $175 million Series B led by Janus Henderson Investors, RA Capital Management, and RTW Investments.

     • The company develops targeted alpha radiopharmaceuticals for treating solid tumors.

     • Total funding raised: $331 million.

5. Impulse Space, $150M

   • Sector: Space

   • Details:

     • Locked up a $150 million Series B led by Founders Fund.

     • The company is developing orbital transfer vehicles, also known as “space tugs,” for cargo delivery in orbit.

     • Total funding raised: $225 million.

6. Nusano, $115M

   • Sector: Healthcare

   • Details:

     • Announced a $115 million Series C led by the Wasatch Group.

     • The company specializes in developing radioisotopes for medical and industrial uses.

     • Founded in 2013; this is its first disclosed funding round.

7. Triveni Bio, $115M

   • Sector: Biotech

   • Details:

     • Closed a $115 million Series B led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives.

     • The company develops antibody treatments for immunological and inflammatory disorders.

     • Total funding raised: $207 million.

8. Eon, $77M

   • Sector: Cloud Management

   • Details:

     • Launched from stealth and announced a $77 million Series B led by Greenoaks.

     • The company focuses on cloud backup solutions and has raised a total of $127 million.

9. Crescendo, $50M

   • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

   • Details:

     • Closed a series of venture round financings totaling $50 million.

     • The last round, led by General Catalyst, valued the company at $500 million.

10. DataPelago, $47M

    • Sector: Data

    • Details:

      • Launched from stealth with $47 million in funding from several investors, focusing on data analytics tools.

11. Nym, $47M

    • Sector: Productivity

    • Details:

      • Raised a $47 million growth investment led by PSG Equity.

      • The company specializes in autonomous medical coding and has raised nearly $95 million since its founding in 2018.

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.