Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week

Upcoming Events & The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

Author

Mariane Bekker
August 18, 2024

I’m on a mission to amplify the voices of female tech founders and help them secure the resources they need to thrive. Women-led startups receive less than 2% of venture funding, but with your support, we can change that. As one of the largest and most active communities of tech female founders in the Bay Area, Women Founders Bay uniquely positioned to make a significant impact.

We’re launching a campaign to raise $100,000 for our inaugural year. With just $10 from 10,000 changemakers — a cost of a coffee — you can help us build a Women Founders Portal, expand our events, and provide essential resources.

Table of Contents

Wednesday August 28 - 5:30PM - 9:00PM

Join Women Founders Bay and How Women Invest in San Francisco for an empowering evening where women founders and VCs come together to network, share insights, and support each other in the journey of entrepreneurship.

Engage in a lively panel discussion focused on early-stage fundraising, followed by a unique opportunity to connect with top investors and fellow women entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this chance to build meaningful relationships and accelerate your startup’s growth!

Monday August 19 - 6:00PM - 8:30PM

​See the hottest new tech pitch and comedy show across the US! We’ve been featured in Forbes!

Thursday August 20 - 5:30PM - 8:30PM

​​We’ll have an exclusive lighting-panel discussion on navigating careers in data and tech.

Wednesday August 21 - 2:00PM - 3:00PM

Interested in breaking into venture?

​Want to start investing in startups?

​Join Mariane Bekker, Mala Ramakrishnan, and Raymond Lee for a casual chat on investing.

Thursday August 22 - 3:00PM - 5:00PM

​Founders' Creative is hosting our signature Lightning Talks, this time in the Huddle at the Google Visitor Experience in Mountain View!

​The theme for this session is AI and Bio! Hear from founders and execs in either space or the intersection of both!

Saturday September 21/22 - 9:30AM - 8:00PM

​The Agentic AI World Hackathon is a 2-Day In-Person Event

🗓️ Monday, Aug 19

👉 AI B2B and B2C Investors & Networking (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​Come and Meet Featured investors. ​Featured VC: Tess Robinson

👉 GenAI Tech Pitch Roast Comedy Show [I'm one of the judges] (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​See the hottest new tech pitch and comedy show across the US! We’ve been featured in Forbes!

🗓️ Tuesday, Aug 20

👉 Coworking & Happy Hour Mixer @ BLOCK71 (10:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
📍 San Mateo
💬 ​Collaborate and get inspired in our dynamic space, surrounded by a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and innovators.

👉 AI Innovation Summit (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join us on August 20th at the Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco for the AI Innovators Summit. This event is crafted to inspire and empower AI professionals, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers under one roof. Engage in a full day of informative keynotes, interactive discussions, and hands-on workshops, all geared towards advancing your expertise and building valuable industry connections in the ever-evolving AI landscape.

👉 Crypto & Digital Assets Batch 5 Selection Day (1:30 PM - 3:30 PM)
📍 Sunnyvale
💬 This is an exclusive, invitation-only event where we will have the highest-rated startups pitch for one of the spots in our next Crypto batch 5 program. Our audience will have the opportunity to watch presentations from an array of Crypto and Web3 startups, participate in live discussions and Q&As, and connect directly with the startups during our networking event.

👉 STORI 2.0 Launch Party (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​We are thrilled to invite you to an exclusive gathering at the Consulate of Georgia in San Francisco to celebrate the launch of STORI 2.0 on August 20! 🚀 Join a vibrant mix of startup founders, investors, friends, tech enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs for an evening of innovation, networking, and storytelling, complemented by delicious catered food and exquisite Georgian wines. 🍷

👉 Women in Data Meetup (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join us for the Women-in-Data Meetup on August 20, 2024! Food and drinks will be provided :)

👉 📣 Agents with Gemini: Aiify.io SF Monthly Gemini Meetup (MGM) (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 # ​📣 Announcing our first SF Monthly Gemini Meetup (MGM): "AI Agents with Gemini" at Google SF

👉 Private VC / Startup Mixer (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 VC's and Seed Founders Mixer

👉 THE GATHERING (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​​THE GATHERING is a groundbreaking event designed to build genuine connections, tackle real challenges, promote peer learning, and have fun.

👉 🍾 SF Founders & Investors August Social #34 (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A casual event to bring tech founders and investors together. No overt pitching or selling allowed—just fun conversation and genuine connection to avoid overly transactional and fake introductions. Attendees can buy their own food or drink if they wish (optional).

👉 Product Hunt + Daily.co AI Video Demo Night (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Product Hunt + Solaris AI demo night is back!

🗓️ Wednesday, Aug 21

👉 SaaS Unicorn to VC: How I Raised $288M, Scaled to $200M ARR, and became a VC (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​[Pitch & Network Event], inviting 30-50 curated early-stage founders, VCs, Angel Investors and 4-5 presenters.

👉 Series A+ Round Founders Champagne Tasting (5:30 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 A+ Round Founders Champagne Tasting
​You must have over $1m ARR and or have raised $4m plus in funding within the last 2 years to apply.

👉 NoAI Night at Cloudflare HQ (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​The Cloudflare ‘Summer Developer Series’ is a monthly gathering of developers and innovators at our SF workspace and rooftop to learn the new best practices for building modern web applications, share the latest innovations in full-stack development, and have fun and make connections along the way.

👉 Immersive AI Experience at AWS GenAI Loft SF - Launch Event (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us on August 21st for the exclusive invite-only kickoff of the AWS GenAI Loft in San Francisco - a global tour of collaborative spaces and immersive experiences showcasing the future of Generative AI. This isn't just another event with speakers, but an experiential series allowing you to see, feel, and interact with cutting-edge GenAI technology brought to life. You will be one of the first to experience and tour the space.

👉 Light Dao Salon - Radical Creativity: Insights for Founders & Investors with Tim Chang (SF) (6:30 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 San Rafael
💬 ​Join Light Dao and our community of conscious entrepreneurs and investors for a salon evening filled with connection, deep conversations, and a fireside chat with Tim Chang and Ruby Yeh, Co-Founder of Light Dao.

👉 Edgem8 AI and Arcade Networking Mixer (6:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join the latest conversations on AI with industry leaders, investors, founders, and enthusiasts.

👉 Hexus x Product Hunt: GTM for Product-Led Growth (6:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join us for an exclusive panel discussion with industry leaders and founders to discuss Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies. How do you determine which approach—Product-led Growth (PLG), Sales-led Growth (SLG), or a combination—is right for you? Discover AI solutions to accelerate your GTM, get essential launch tips, and learn how to rapidly gather feedback through channels like Product Hunt.

🗓️ Thursday, Aug 22

👉 Morning Tech Brew ☕ (8:15 AM - 10:45 AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join us for this Morning Tech Brew coffee hour, where we invite builders to come together, share their journeys, and learn from one another's experiences.

👉 🧠 GenAI Collective 🧠 Marin AI Aug Co-Working (10:00 AM - 5:30 PM)
📍 San Rafael
💬 ​If you're based in Marin or Sonoma and working on (or planning) an AI product, come and co-work with us!

👉 AI, EdTech, and Bio Lightning Talks (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 Mountain View
💬 ​Founders' Creative is hosting our signature Lightning Talks, this time in the Huddle at the Google Visitor Experience in Mountain View!

👉 Heavybit Summer Sessions Week 4 (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​​🗓️ Every Thursday in August, we're opening up our office to founders, engineers, product and GTM teams in the dev-first software community for a chance to:

👉 Llama Lounge 12 at Canopy: The AI Startup Event Series (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 # ​Llama Lounge 12 at Canopy: The AI Startup Event Series.

👉 Marketing Meetup (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Hello Marketers! Let's get together to network and build connections with other marketing fellows in the Bay Area! This is a chance to:
​🎲 Connect, share your current projects and challenges
​🧠 Gain fresh perspectives and feedback
​🔋 Expand our professional network

👉 Peninsula Climate Happy Hour (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Redwood City
💬 ​All climate fixers, domains are welcomed!
Socialize, Eat, Drink, Partner.

👉 VCs and Founders: Medtech AI Panel (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join us for an exhilarating evening where healthcare meets the cutting edge of technology! Connect with industry leaders, visionary founders, and seasoned investors in an immersive networking experience.

🗓️ Friday, Aug 23

👉 OnePieceCon AUG2024 - AI & SocialFi (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Welcome to OnePieceCon (OPC), your quarterly gateway to Web3 innovation, hosted by OnePiece Labs. Our half-day conferences serve as a nexus for blockchain enthusiasts and thought leaders.

👉 Female Founders and Funders Walk with Venturous Counsel (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 No agenda other than to walk and talk, networking with other like-minded women and woman-identifying founders and funders in the startup ecosystem (outside of the usual, noisy bar atmosphere).

👉 Stanford Alumni Angel Investor Opportunity Fair & Networking Mixer (4:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Stanford
💬 ​The Bay Area Founders Club (BFC), founded by Dr. Paul Fang in Silicon Valley in 2022 and managed by a dedicated group of Stanford alumni and students, is a thriving community of over 4,000 members, including more than 120 startups and over 80 venture capital firms. With most startups in our network raising $1-10 million, and some exceeding $20 million, our mission is to empower creators who aspire to make a global impact. We provide the essential resources, support, and connections needed to transform visionary ideas into reality.

👉 Cost Comparison: Gemini vs GPT vs Llama (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 Mountain View
💬 Cost Comparison: Gemini vs GPT vs Llama + The World Post GenAI - LLMs: Power, Creativity, and Intelligence by Sara Zare

👉 Hackathon: AI Capability and Risk Demos (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Berkeley
💬 AI capabilities and risks demo-jam: Creating visceral interactive demonstrations

👉 Startups Mix & Pitch (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Mountain View
💬 ​The evening kicks off with an open mixer featuring BYOB beer and wine, along with chips and salsa. Then, we delve into a focused pitch session. Witness 5-10 startups present their ideas to a panel of judges and participate in collaborative pitch reviews. Don't miss this opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired by the vibrant startup community. See you there.

👉 ✨ Founders Lounge Special: Dinner with Rajat Suri, Co-Founder of Lyft and CEO of Presto (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​We are delighted to invite you to an exclusive dinner with Rajat Suri, Co-Founder of Lyft and CEO of Presto, a true visionary and leader in the technology and business world.

🗓️ Saturday, Aug 24

👉 Open-Source Agent Hackathon by Andrew Ng & DeepLearning.AI (11:00 AM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Hillsborough
💬 Join us on August 24th at AGI House for the Open-Source Agent Hackathon by Andrew Ng & DeepLearning.AI. Dive deep into the latest advancements, collaborate with fellow pioneers, and build the future of agent automation. Let’s push the boundaries of what’s possible and create tools that make life easier, one agent at a time.

👉 AO Labs + Samsung Next BBQ for AI builders! (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 Berkeley
💬 ​AO Labs + Samsung Next BBQ for AI builders!
​Enjoy drinks and food while you connect and meet other founders and builders. There’ll be plenty of time for both!

👉 the intersection of art & technology (4:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​​a space for the creative technologists <3
​​​come see demos at the intersection of art & technology! talks will be short, 5 minutes and are personal projects - no work/companies :~)

👉 San Francisco AI Takeover (6:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​The San Francisco AI is doing it again! We are taking over another space in SF. Join us at General Lithium for the San Francisco AI Takeover

🗓️ Sunday, Aug 25

👉 AI Innovation & Showcase Day (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​We’re excited to invite you to a special event where cutting-edge AI technology takes center stage. This event highlights the innovative work of participants from our Super AI Agent Hackathon, along with insightful discussions from industry leaders, with a focus on on-device models—one of the most exciting areas in AI today.

How to Start Investing in Startups: A Simple Guide for Tech Enthusiasts

By Mariane Bekker

Investing in startups can be exciting, risky and very rewarding. Whether you’re looking to invest a small amount or a larger sum, there are several ways to get started. Here’s a simple guide to four common options and some extra tips to help you begin.

1. Angel Investing

Angel investing means giving your own money to a startup in exchange for a share of the company. As an angel investor, you help the startup with both money and advice, and you might even become a mentor. This is a good choice if you like getting involved and are okay with higher risks.

Pros:

  • You get to help guide the startup.

  • There’s a chance for big returns if the startup does well.

Cons:

  • Many startups don’t succeed, so there’s high risk.

  • You need to spend time researching and mentoring.

2. Angel Syndicates

Angel syndicates are groups of investors who combine their money to invest in startups. By joining a syndicate, you share the risks and rewards with others and benefit from the experience of lead investors who pick the startups.

Pros:

  • Lower risk because you’re investing with others.

  • Experienced investors handle most of the research.

Cons:

  • You have less control over which startups you invest in.

  • There may be fees that reduce your profits.

3. Startup Crowdfunding

Startup crowdfunding is a way to invest in early-stage companies through online platforms. Instead of making large investments, you can contribute smaller amounts of money to support new and innovative ideas. These platforms allow many people to invest in a startup, often in exchange for equity (a share in the company) or rewards (like early access to products). There are several online platforms where startups look for funding, such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, SeedInvest, and Crowdcube.

Pros:

  • Lower investment amounts make it easier to get started.

  • You can invest in a range of different startups.

Cons:

  • Higher risk because startups are less vetted.

  • Less control over the investment process and limited liquidity.

4. Being a Limited Partner (LP) in a Venture Capital Fund

As a Limited Partner (LP), you invest in a venture capital fund that is managed by experts. The fund uses your money, along with other investors' money, to invest in several startups. This is a good option if you prefer a more passive role.

Pros:

  • Experts make the investment decisions.

  • Your money is spread across many startups, which lowers risk.

Cons:

  • You need to invest a large amount of money.

  • Fees and profit-sharing can reduce your returns.

Additional Ways

  • Investing in Friends and Family Rounds: Sometimes, you can invest directly in startups when they are raising money from friends and family. This often involves smaller amounts and can be more personal.

  • Equity Crowdfunding: This is similar to startup crowdfunding but focuses on buying shares of the company. Platforms like SeedInvest and Crowdcube offer opportunities to invest in promising startups.

  • Incubators and Accelerators: These programs support multiple startups at once. Investing in them can give you access to several startups and spread your risk.

  • Micro-VC Funds: These are smaller venture funds that may have lower minimum investment amounts compared to traditional funds. They offer another way to invest in a variety of startups.

Each investment method has its own benefits and risks. By understanding these options, you can choose the one that fits your goals and comfort level. Whether you become an angel investor, join a syndicate, invest as an LP, or explore crowdfunding, doing your research will help you succeed in the exciting world of startup investing.

Want to learn more about investing in startup? Join my interactive session here to get more details.

The Week 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

This week saw varied investment trends with notable rounds in cybersecurity, biotech, and healthcare, reflecting a broad interest in these sectors.

1. Kiteworks

  • Sector: Cybersecurity

  • Funding: $456M

  • Details: San Mateo, California-based Kiteworks raised $456 million in a round led by Insight Partners and Sixth Street. This “growth equity” round also served as a partial liquidity event, allowing some early investors to cash out. The company's platform secures sensitive data sharing through email and file transfers. Kiteworks, formerly known as Accellion, has raised $592 million to date, with a valuation over $1 billion.

2. Halda Therapeutics

  • Sector: Biotech

  • Funding: $126M

  • Details: New Haven, Connecticut-based Halda Therapeutics secured $126 million in a Series B extension round. The funds will support its development of cancer therapies for prostate and breast cancer. Founded in 2018, Halda has now raised $202 million.

3. HistoSonics

  • Sector: Healthcare

  • Funding: $102M

  • Details: Minneapolis-based HistoSonics raised $102 million in a Series D round led by Alpha Wave Ventures. The company’s Edison Histotripsy System uses ultrasound to destroy liver tumors. Founded in 2009, HistoSonics has raised nearly $329 million.

4. Neptune Medical

  • Sector: Medical Device

  • Funding: $97M

  • Details: Burlingame, California-based Neptune Medical raised $97 million in a Series D round. Key participants included Olympus and Sonder Capital. The company focuses on robotics for treating gastrointestinal diseases. This is Neptune’s first disclosed funding amount.

5. Caresyntax

  • Sector: Healthcare

  • Funding: $80M

  • Details: San Francisco-based Caresyntax raised $80 million in equity plus $100 million in growth debt. The company’s software enhances surgical precision and patient safety. Founded in 2013, Caresyntax has now raised nearly $388 million.

6. EliseAI

  • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

  • Funding: $75M

  • Details: New York-based EliseAI raised $75 million in a Series D round led by Sapphire Ventures, valuing the company over $1 billion. EliseAI focuses on AI for the housing industry and is expanding into healthcare. Founded in 2017, the company has raised nearly $142 million.

7. Chaos Labs

  • Sector: Blockchain

  • Funding: $55M

  • Details: New York-based Chaos Labs, a blockchain risk management startup, raised $55 million in a Series A round led by Haun Ventures. The company has now raised $75 million.

8. Moximed

  • Sector: Medical Device

  • Funding: $61M

  • Details: Fremont, California-based Moximed raised $61 million in a Series D round, with an option for an additional $30 million. The company develops devices for knee osteoarthritis. Founded in 2008, Moximed has raised $244 million to date.

9. Sahara AI

  • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

  • Funding: $43M

  • Details: Los Angeles-based Sahara AI, which develops a decentralized AI network, raised $43 million from Binance Labs, Pantera Capital, and Polychain. Founded in 2023, Sahara AI has raised $49 million.

10. PayZen

  • Sector: Fintech

  • Funding: $32M

  • Details: San Francisco-based PayZen raised $32 million in equity led by NEA and a $200 million credit facility. The fintech startup focuses on healthcare payments. Founded in 2019, PayZen has raised $472 million to date.

Source: Crunchbase

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CEO, Founders Bay

Hi! I'm Mariane Bekker, General Partner at Progressive Ventures 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 Women Founders Bay, a community of tech female founders on a mission to increase funding going to women. Donate today →