Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week

Upcoming Events & The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

Author

Mariane Bekker
April 22, 2024

Women Founders Pitch Night (Hosted by Me) (Link)

Wednesday May 8 6:00pm - 9:00pm

​Hosted by Mariane Bekker, we are featuring 10 extraordinary startups, all women-led, who will take the stage to showcase their groundbreaking companies.

Networking events are a great way to meet fellow founders and investors. Here are events happening in San Francisco this week for founders.


🗓️ Monday, Apr 22

👉 AI B2B and B2C Investors & Networking (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)

📍 Palo Alto

💬 Come and Meet Featured investors: Ronak Shah from Voice Ventures

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Join us for an inspiring evening at the heart of San Francisco to kick off San Fransisco Climate Week 2024, California's largest summit dedicated to advancing solutions and discussions around climate change. Hosted at 9Zero, the SF Climate Week Opening Ceremony promises to be an event filled with insightful dialogue, impactful networking, and celebration of our collective efforts towards a more sustainable future.

🗓️ Tuesday, Apr 23

👉 Startup Grind (7:30 AM - 5:30 PM)

📍 Redwood City

💬 THE #1 EVENT FOR STARTUPS TO ATTEND IN 2024

👉 Stripe Sessions 2024 (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 Stripe Sessions brings together business leaders and builders to discuss the most important internet economy trends. In 2024, we’re focusing on what’s possible—and what’s inevitable—as technological advancements change the world and the global economy with it.

👉 AI Live Summit Silicon Valley 2024 (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

📍 Pleasanton

💬 The AI Live Summit is the place to be for all things artificial intelligence. Meet industry experts, witness groundbreaking demos, and gain insights into the latest AI trends. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a developer, or a business professional, this summit is a must-attend. Immerse yourself in a world of innovation, network with like-minded individuals, and discover the limitless possibilities of AI. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to be part of the AI revolution!

📍 San Francisco

💬 Join innovative startups, cleantech investors, established corporates and the attorneys who are helping them navigate the path to success as we present four panel discussions, followed by happy hour.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Developers and startup founders, the Convex and Shipyard teams are excited to host our April developers and founders meetup and happy hour. Enjoy an evening to connect with other developers and founders over food and drinks.

👉 AI Symposium (5:30 PM - 9:00 PM)

📍 Los Altos

💬 The AI Symposium serves as a pivotal platform, connecting venture capitalists with founders to enhance collaboration and propel forward the upcoming surge in growth. This is your opportunity to engage in discussions that will influence the future of AI infrastructure.

👉 Menlo Park Tech Social (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)

📍 Menlo Park

💬 ​We're bringing together tech leaders, founders, and investors in Menlo Park and San Francisco area for conversations and connections.

🗓️ Wednesday, Apr 24

👉 Code/Collab/Connect Coworking Day (11:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 We're excited to reopen our doors for our first coworking event of the year at the MindsDB HQ. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just diving into the world of AI, this is the perfect opportunity to work alongside like-minded individuals and expand your network.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​​🚀 Join us for a walk in the Marina followed by coffee and bites for SF-based female and non-binary founders building early-stage businesses in climate and adjacent sectors! Coffee generously sponsored by PNC Bank! 🚀

👉 How GenAI B2B & B2C Startups Find PMF (4:00 PM - 8:30 PM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​🎉Join us for an exclusive event where you'll learn from the builders of GenAI startups on how to find and achieve Product-Market Fit (PMF)!

👉 onRun + WeWork run (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Join us for a simple group run winding through some landmarks of FiDi, San Francisco! We finish the day with happy hours at WeWork, networking about our projects, startups, running, professional needs, or anything in life.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ## ​Fireside Chat | Incubating GenAI Products at the Edge: Cloudflare as a Case Study of R&D and Finance Collaboration

📍 San Francisco

💬 We are Open Future Forum. We are leaders, investors, founders and engineers based in the Bay Area CA.

📍 Sausalito

💬 ​Get ready to float into the sunset of eco-conscious fun with an SF Climate Week Houseboat Party!

​Hosted by TheFounder.vc, this is your exclusive invitation to join us on April 24, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM for an unforgettable evening. Our floating fiesta will be anchored at 43 Issaquah Dock, Sausalito, where the views are as breathtaking as our commitment to the planet.

📍 San Francisco

💬 # We are organizing our Monthly event for leading experts in Technology, IT, and Artificial Intelligence, as well as entrepreneurs and investors in San Francisco.

👉 VC + Tech Mega Mixer (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​We're bringing together some of the most thoughtful and kind people we know in SF!

👉 StartupGrind Afterparty (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 JOIN SIGMA'S STARTUP PARTY ON APRIL 24TH STARTING AT 6:30 PM!!!!!

🗓️ Thursday, Apr 25

👉 Morning Tech Brew copy (8:00 AM - 10:30 AM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​We again come together to learn what's happening on the edge of tech and innovation from each other in person instead of scrolling through our apps and feeds. We invite you to start your day with a warm and delicious cup of coffee, interesting conversations and networking. Let’s come together and share some ideas, thoughts and positivity before starting the busy day.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Securing funding catapults climate tech startups into a realm of opportunities and challenges. As these innovative ventures transition from early-stage capital to more robust financial models, they encounter a dynamic landscape shaped by both regulatory intricacies and stakeholder expectations. Beyond the initial excitement lies a critical juncture where decisions impact long-term viability. In this panel, we’ll delve into the multifaceted journey beyond seed and Series A, exploring how startups can effectively scale their operations while navigating the ever-evolving regulatory environment and media landscape.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Founders leveraging AI for our society’s hardest problems in infrastructure, energy, defense, and biotech have double the challenges and unique perspectives.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Join the growing and thriving community of climate enthusiasts in the SF Bay Area for a panel, drinks and dialogue at the famed and historic Barbarossa Lounge in downtown San Francisco. We are calling all SF Climate Week attendees and Bay Area climate communities to join together in celebration of the energy and movement growing in the great SF Bay Area. Together, our commitment will drive the change the world and our planet needs to see.

👉 AI-Driven API Development and DevX (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Join us at All Things API—San Francisco for two talks on incorporating AI into API development, from improved API testing to how to provide developers with hallucination-free API integration code.

📍 Palo Alto

💬 Are you ready to delve into the world of entrepreneurship and venture capital? Access Silicon Valley and U First Capital invite you to join us on April 25, 2024, for an EXCLUSIVE one-night only discussion with Vijay Reddy, a partner at the Mayfield Fund, one of the hottest, most innovative, and respected venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, who have recently closed on the $250.0 million AI Start Fund, focusing on Seed stage AI companies. Mayfield has raised more than 20 U.S. funds, has more than 120 IPOs, 225 M&A exits, $3.0B under management and made more than 550 investments in startups.

📍 Palo Alto

💬 # ​Llama Lounge 10: The AI Startup Event Series. Theme: Enterprise AI

🗓️ Friday, Apr 26

👉 Gemini 1.5 Show and Tell (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)

📍 Mountain View

💬 ​Now that Gemini 1.5 is publicly available, let's have a hacking session together; best prompts win prizes!

🗓️ Saturday, Apr 27

📍 San Francisco

💬 We'll run 5 — 10km at your conversational pace and talk. We'll have a few pace groups if needed. You can run at your own pace as well, especially if there is someone who runs with you at the same pace with approximately the same effort. After the run, we meet for non-alcoholic beer/coffee somewhere nearby.

📍 South San Francisco

💬 You are invited to a FREE Community Event!

The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

This week, U.S. startups didn't raise as much money as usual. Only around $45 million was enough to be considered a big round. It's still a lot, but it shows that the size of rounds went down compared to before.

  1. Metsera

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $290M

    • Details: Metsera, based in New York, raised a $290 million funding round led by Arch Venture Partners. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical startup emerged from stealth with a focus on medicines for obesity and metabolic diseases, offering a collection of oral and injectable therapies.

  2. Rivos

    • Sector: Semiconductor

    • Funding: $250M

    • Details: Rivos, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, secured over $250 million in a Series A-3 funding round led by Matrix Capital Management. The chip startup specializes in power-optimized chips targeting data analytics and generative AI markets.

  3. Ramp

    • Sector: Fintech

    • Funding: $150M

    • Details: Ramp, headquartered in New York, raised $150 million in its latest funding round led by Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund. The spend management startup saw a significant valuation increase to $7.65 billion, focusing on corporate card and expense automation solutions.

  4. Two Chairs

    • Sector: Healthcare

    • Funding: $72M

    • Details: Two Chairs, based in San Francisco, closed a $72 million Series C round to enhance its behavioral health platform. The startup utilizes a proprietary algorithm to match patients with suitable therapists, boasting over 500 clinicians on staff.

  5. Cape

    • Sector: Mobile

    • Funding: $61M

    • Details: Cape, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, raised $61 million in its debut round led by A* and Andreessen Horowitz. The company aims to develop a privacy-first mobile network, addressing security concerns prevalent in the telecom industry.

  6. Avive Solutions

    • Sector: Healthcare

    • Funding: $57M

    • Details: Avive Solutions, based in San Francisco, secured $56.5 million in growth equity financing led by Catalyst Health Ventures, Laerdal Million Lives Fund, and Questa Capital Management. The company specializes in connected automated external defibrillators.

  7. Asher Biotherapeutics

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $55M

    • Details: Asher Biotherapeutics, headquartered in South San Francisco, closed a $55 million Series C round led by RA Capital Management. The biotechnology startup focuses on developing targeted immunotherapies for various diseases.

  8. Corner Therapeutics

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $54M

    • Details: Corner Therapeutics, based in Watertown, Massachusetts, raised $54 million in funding led by Ziff Capital Partners. The immunotherapy company focuses on developing innovative treatments.

  9. Kontakt.io

    • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

    • Funding: $48M

    • Details: Kontakt.io, headquartered in New York, raised $47.5 million in funding led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The company provides health systems with analytics on staff and patient movement within facilities.

  10. Anvilogic

    • Sector: Cybersecurity

    • Funding: $45M

    • Details: Anvilogic, based in Palo Alto, California, closed a $45 million Series C round led by Evolution Equity Partners. The security information and event management startup focuses on protecting organizations from cyber threats.

CEO, Founders Bay

Hi! I'm Mariane Bekker, 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 recently founded Founders Bay, a venture studio for early-stage founders with a mission of empowering women founders to grow their startups. Learn more: www.foundersbay.com