Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week

Check the latest events and read about what investors bet on at each stage

Author

Mariane Bekker
February 05, 2024

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

🗓 Monday (Feb 5)

📍 Palo Alto

💬 Come and Meet Featured VC: Nick Mitushin from ABRT.VC

🗓 Tuesday (Feb 6)

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Join Furqan Rydhan and Casey Caruso for a fireside chat on decentralized AI and the future of openness and innovation. Topics will include crowdsourced compute, on-chain apps, self-sovereign data, and token incentives, among others.

🗓 Wednesday (Feb 7)

📍 San Francisco

💬 This February, Founders, Inc. is opening up the Lab to Vision Pro builders looking to take advantage of this historic moment in XR.

📍 San Francisco

💬 Join us on February 7th for our Founders and Funders AI event live in San Francisco with Jeff Huber. The discussion will be moderated by Pilot’s CEO and Co-Founder, Waseem Daher.

📍 Palo Alto

💬 ​Join us on an exceptional evening for founders and investors. Connect with a community of like-minded individuals and gain insights into your next fundraising venture in a relaxed and fun environment.

📍 San Francisco

💬 We are organizing 150 people Networking Event for Startups, Investors and Game changers.

📍 Palo Alto

💬 🌿 Sustainability is a global imperative. California Software Professional Association (CSPA) is thrilled to invite you to our highly anticipated panel discussion on The Future of Sustainability (Part 3). Join the conversation to learn the global corporate sustainability perspective and how startups can land large corporate customers.

🗓 Thursday (Feb 8)

📍 Online

💬 AI adoption has outpaced any of our expectations, and enterprises and startups alike are adapting quickly.

📍 San Francisco

💬 Join Alexis Snelling, Google Women TechMaker Ambassador and named by Forbes as 10 Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs of 2023, try out tech to level up your impact for yourself, your community, your biz, and anything your planning in 2024! This practical workshop provides hands on and real life applications that will make an impact in your life within the next 30 days! We're hybrid of course so join us from anywhere:-)

📍 Palo Alto

💬 WELCOME TO UNICORN BATTLE IN SILICON VALLEY – https://unicorn.events/460583/ – Global Startup Pitch Contest where famous international VCs and Business Angels meet extraordinary startups from all over the world!

📍 San Francisco

💬 We are a group of artists, builders, creators, designers, engineers, and founders (ABCDEF!) bringing soul back to technology and power back to art.

🗓 Friday (Feb 9)

📍 San Francisco

💬 Come Meet Entrepreneurs Who Eat Problems For Breakfast

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Grow your network of other women founders and woman-identifying founders, detox/destress, breathe in that autumn air, and maybe even pick up a couple free legal tips! No agenda other than to meet up and connect (outside the usual, noisy bar atmosphere) with like-minded women in the startup ecosystem.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​As the dawn of AGI approaches, we invite thinkers, dreamers, builders, and skeptics alike to engage in an evening dedicated to unraveling the mysteries and potentials of AGI. This isn't just a meetup; it's a platform for sharing, learning, and connecting with the minds shaping the future of AI.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​UQ Ventures is hosting the UQ Startup Adventure conclusion and networking event to bring together, founders, investors, UQ alumni's, students, and more based in San Francisco.

🗓 Saturday (Feb 10)

📍 Online

💬 Join This Startup Business Mentorship Event Today ! If you are planning to start a startup business and have no idea what steps to be taken in order to make this startup business successful. If you have already executed startup business idea and are in the MVP (Prototype) phase & want to know the best strategies (Product Positioning, Sales & Marketing) to make your startup business successful. If you already have a startup business & want to know how to further stabilize, get YoY growth, investments & Exit strategies for your startup business.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Hear & Learn from founders and operators of early stage startups to unicorns.​Connect with VCs and investors as they share their insights on how they assess investment, and how to best position your business for a raise.​Meet some of the top Silicon Valley startups and understand how they succeeded against all odds.

📍 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.

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​Get ready to code, create, and celebrate at the GPT Hackathon, where the magic of AI meets the thrill of competition! Join us on February 10th for an exhilarating day packed with coding, camaraderie, and a touch of friendly rivalry. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes into the world of AI, this is your chance to team up, hack, and show off your skills.

🗓 Sunday (Feb 11)

📍 Muir Beach

💬 Opps, it will rain on Feb 4, let’s reschedule it to Feb 11. Let’s try a new route on Mt Tam this week to see the beautiful coast view!

📍 San Francisco

💬 ​This AI Salon event invites you to an intimate conversation between participants as we delve into questions like:​What kind of mindset shifts are necessary for leaders in the AI era? How is AI changing the traditional roles and responsibilities of leaders? How does AI influence decision-making processes in leadership? How can leaders maintain accountability in decisions made with or by AI?

Navigating the Startup Investment Journey: What Investors Bet on at Each Stage

Are you a founder looking for funding for your startup? Or perhaps you're an investor looking to understand where to place your bets in the dynamic world of startups. Either way, it's essential to recognize that not all stages of a startup's journey are created equal in the eyes of investors. Each stage comes with its own set of expectations and investment criteria.

Angel Investors: Betting on the Vision and Founder 👩‍💻

Angel investors are the first line of outreach for many startups. At this early stage, it's not just about the idea or product; it's about the visionary behind it all. Angel investors place their bets on the founder's passion, dedication, and ability to turn their vision into a reality. They want to see a founder who can navigate challenges and pivot when necessary. It's a bet on the dreamer as much as it is on the dream itself.

Pre-seed Investors: Betting on the Team 👥

As startups move from the ideation phase to the pre-seed stage, investors shift their focus to the team. They understand that a great idea alone isn't enough; it takes a cohesive team with complementary skills to execute effectively. Investors at this stage look for a team that can weather the storm, adapt to changing circumstances, and stay committed to the long-term vision.

Seed Investors: Betting on the Product 📦

When startups reach the seed stage, the spotlight shifts to the product or solution being developed. Seed investors want to see a clear demonstration of market fit, a viable product, and the potential for growth. Their bet is on the product's ability to solve a problem or meet a need in the market. Investment at this stage often goes into refining and scaling the product to reach a broader audience.

Series A Investors: Betting on the Traction 🚀

Series A investors are all about results and traction. They want to see tangible evidence that the startup is gaining momentum and attracting users or customers. At this stage, entrepreneurs need to demonstrate market demand, sustainable growth, and a clear path to profitability. It's a bet on the ability to capture a significant market share and scale the business.

Series B Investors: Betting on Scaling Success 📈

In the Series B stage, investors look for a startup that has proven its market viability and is ready to scale. They want to see that the business model is working and that the company is expanding into new markets or customer segments. Series B investors bet on the ability to accelerate growth and capture a more significant market share.

Series C Investors: Betting on Dominance 🌐

By the time a startup reaches Series C, it should be a well-established player in its industry. Investors at this stage are looking for a company that is on the brink of industry dominance. They want to see continued revenue growth, a solid customer base, and a clear strategy for staying ahead of the competition. Series C investors bet on the potential for the startup to become a market leader.

Understanding what investors look for at each stage of a startup's journey is crucial for both founders and investors. It allows founders to align their strategies and expectations accordingly and helps investors make informed decisions about where to allocate their resources. So whether you're a founder or an investor, remember that the road to startup success involves strategic bets on vision, teams, products, traction, scaling success, and ultimately, industry dominance. It's a journey filled with opportunities and challenges, but with the right bets, it can lead to remarkable success.

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'm passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in the tech industry and helping founders succeed. That's why I founded Upward, an agency specializing in assisting early-stage startups find and hire top local engineering talent.