Table of Contents

• Some game-changing new AI tools were unveiled!

• We also introduced Founders Bay AI Launchpad & Ang …

• Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: Startup Advice w …

• Founders Bay Talk Series: The Future of AI Agents …

• Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - Effective Due Dili …

• Virtual Fundraising Bootcamp: Raise a pre-seed/see …

• Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - From SaaS to Digit …

• CTO & Engineering Leadership Soirée @ Tesla

• Aiify.io {AI Agents} Love Hack

• Upcoming Events

• A Cheat Sheet for AI Buzzwords

Hi,

🔥🔥 On Friday, we hosted our first tech GigaParty, and it was a blast!!!!! Over 2,000 founders & VCs packed all 5 floors of Zen Compound in downtown SF—an awesome and unique venue by Paul Hemming that fuses technology, entertainment, and culture in a way few places can.

We showcased IBM’s live quantum computing, Cybertruck test drives with holographic roofs, mind-controlled art headed to Sotheby’s, and even a humanoid robot DJ!

Some highlights of the night (See the initial pictures here):

• Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer, joined us on stage and talked about how California is the 5th largest economy in the world and how California has tons of programs to fund entrepreneurs. If anyone has any questions or need assistance please email her at [email protected] and follow her on Linkedin, Instagram, X, Facebook, Bluesky, Tiktok

• David Carvalho and Boutique Entertainment hosted the music for the event. It included 10+ Djs on four floors including Justin Kahn from Twitch.

• Julie Castro shared her vision on how How Women Invest is changing the world and funding founders & investors and how she wanted to change the whole culture of tech.

• Nicholas Khonaysser introduced the Amazon Prime Elevator Show and an amazing women founder won the competition Negar Feher from Orbital Outpost X : NeOrbital Outpost X is paving the way for a future where human connections in space are a reality.

• Kristopher Floyd hosted an AI Debate with Chris Yeh and De Kai

• We wore the coolest LED Jacket styled by the Tinsel Arcade

Some game-changing new AI tools were unveiled!

The best highlight for the nerd in me was TheAgentic’s keynote, where they unveiled three breakthrough products redefining AI for startups and growth-stage companies:

• TheAgentic-LLM – A fully private, domain-specific language model that’s 90% cheaper and 10% more accurate than ChatGPT. Best of all, it never trains on your data, ensuring your intellectual property stays yours.

• TheAgentic-Browser – Automate online tasks and research with an agentic browser that extends your team’s productivity around the clock.

• TheAgentic-Bench – Seamlessly deploy specialized “digital workers,” from orchestrator agents to support bots, giving you scalable AI-driven operations without massive overhead.

Are you ready to integrate advanced AI into your project? Book a call to explore how these tools can power your startup.

We also introduced Founders Bay AI Launchpad & Angel Syndicate!

Are you an AI founder looking for capital, mentorship, and rapid growth resources? Or an investor looking for exclusive, high-quality early-stage deals? The Founders Bay AI Launchpad — in partnership with TheAgentic — is here to fuel the next wave of AI breakthroughs by uniting forward-thinking founders and strategic angels, operators, and venture partners.

For Founders

• Get Funded: Access flexible capital from angels and operators who offer both funding and mentorship.

• Mentorship & Network: Leverage our deep ties with VCs, LPs, and seasoned operators.

• End-to-end Engineering Resources to build production-ready AI applications.

• Fast, Founder-Friendly Process: Close your round without the typical fundraising headaches.

• Apply to the AI Launchpad » 

For Investors

• Exclusive Deal Flow: Discover top-tier AI startups before everyone else.

• Co-Invest with Experts: Partner with experienced angels and operators who’ve scaled AI ventures.

• No Upfront Fees: Only pay carried interest on successful exits.

• Access Diligence & Sourcing: Tap into our robust screening process and expert deal curation.

• Join our Syndicate »

I’m really excited about this program, and connecting the best new AI startups to capital in the Founders Bay network!  

Founders: Apply to the AI Launchpad and supercharge your venture’s potential.
Investors: Join our Syndicate to co-invest in the most promising AI innovations.

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

Founders Bay Expert Office Hours: Startup Advice with Mariane Bekker (VIP ONLY)

Tuesday, February 4th - 9AM - 12PM

​Get a 15 minutes 1×1 with me. With extensive experience as an investor, engineer, and community leader, I offer personalized advice to help your startup succeed. Here’s how I can assist you:​Fundraising Strategy: ​Technical Guidance, ​Co-Founder Matching, ​Talent Recruitment, ​Personal Branding

Founders Bay Talk Series: The Future of AI Agents (Digital Workers 2.0 - the next trillion dollar markets)

Wednesday, February 5 - 5:30PM - 8:30PM

Join us for the next installment of the Founders Bay Talk Series as we delve into "The Future of AI Agents." This exclusive event is tailored for visionary founders, influential VCs, and leading AI experts eager to explore the transformative potential of AI agents and digital workers across various industries.

Workshop: Building AI Agents like Devin AI

• Dive deep into the practical aspects of creating sophisticated AI agents with our comprehensive workshop.

Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - Effective Due Diligence Strategies for Founders & Investors

Wednesday, February 5 - 11AM - 12PM

​​Starting or investing in a startup is exciting, but understanding the details is crucial. Our "Effective Due Diligence Strategies for Founders & Investors" workshop helps both founders and investors learn how to evaluate businesses effectively. Whether you want to invest in a promising startup or seek investment for your venture, this workshop gives you the insights you need to make confident decisions and build trustworthy relationships.

Virtual Fundraising Bootcamp: Raise a pre-seed/seed round

Friday, February 7 - 10AM - 5PM

​​This bootcamp is for early-stage founders who want to learn the fundraising process. You’ll get practical advice, hands-on experience, and learn from industry experts and founders who’ve successfully raised funds. By the end of the day, you’ll have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to fundraise for your startup.

Founders Bay Virtual Workshop - From SaaS to Digital Workers

Friday, February 7 - 11AM - 12PM

​Join us for an exciting workshop led by Akash Saraf, Founder of TheAgentic, where you'll learn how to move beyond traditional Software as a Service (SaaS) tools and embrace Digital Workers to enhance your business operations. This hands-on session will guide you through the steps to integrate intelligent digital assistants into your daily workflows, boosting efficiency and collaboration.

CTO & Engineering Leadership Soirée @ Tesla

Friday, February 7 - 6PM - 10PM

​​🎉 Join Us for the Engineering Leadership Soiree at Tesla! 🚗✨

​Network and celebrate with the brightest minds in the industry at an unforgettable soirée filled with innovation, meaningful connections, and world-class entertainment.

Aiify.io {AI Agents} Love Hack

Saturday, February 15 / February 16

​​​Welcome to {AI Agents} Love Hack – on Valentine's Weekend we’re unleashing AI Agents across Quant Self, Productivity, DeSci, DeAI, Healthcare, D/C-Fi, & More; All in the name of LOVE!

Featured Events

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

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.

A Cheat Sheet for AI Buzzwords

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing industries fast, creating new chances for startups and investors. But the technical words can be confusing. Here’s a simple guide to key AI terms:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Teaching machines to do tasks that need human-like thinking, such as understanding speech or recognizing pictures.

• Machine Learning (ML): A type of AI where computers learn from data instead of being programmed step by step. It's like training a computer to spot patterns and make predictions.

• Deep Learning: A part of ML that uses complex systems called neural networks to analyze detailed data like images and speech.

• Neural Networks: Computer systems inspired by the human brain that process information and make decisions based on patterns.

• Natural Language Processing (NLP): A field of AI that helps machines understand and create human language, used in chatbots and translation tools.

• Computer Vision (CV): AI that allows machines to understand and process images or videos, used in facial recognition and self-driving cars.

• Reinforcement Learning: A way for AI to learn by trying things out, getting rewards for good actions and penalties for mistakes. It’s often used in robotics and games.

• Generative AI: AI that creates new content like text, images, or code. Examples include ChatGPT (text generation) and DALL-E (image creation).

• Large Language Models (LLMs): Powerful AI models trained on huge amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like text, used in chatbots and translation tools.

• Foundation Models: Large AI models trained on broad data, which can then be customized for specific tasks.

• Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): A future AI that could think and learn like a human across many different tasks.

• Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): AI models where two systems compete—one creates data, the other checks if it's real. This helps generate realistic images, audio, and more.

• Transfer Learning: Using a pre-trained AI model for a new task, making it faster and more efficient.

• Explainable AI (XAI): AI designed to show how it makes decisions, making it easier to understand and trust.

• Edge AI: Running AI directly on devices like phones instead of relying on cloud servers, making responses faster.

By understanding these simple terms, you can better explore AI and make smarter decisions in this fast-changing world.

Meet The Founders Bay Team

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.