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- Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week
Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week
Upcoming Events & Understanding Cap Tables & The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds
Mariane Bekker
June 09, 2024
Table of Contents
Featured Events
MongoDB GenAI Hackathon with AWS [Hosted by Me] (Link)
Friday June 14, 9:30am - 10pm
Attention Generative AI developers and early-stage startups! We're thrilled to invite you to a day-long GenAI hackathon hosted by MongoDB with AWS, sponsored Unstructured.io; and co-hosted with Founders Bay and PolyAgent at the Hacker Dojo in Mountain View, CA, on Friday, June 14!
Fast-track Your Green Card For Founders [Hosted by Me] (Link)
Tuesday June 11, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Are you an immigrant looking to make the United States your permanent home?🏡
Join our exclusive workshop: 🔥”From Immigrant to Resident: Fast-track Your Path to a Green Card"🇺🇸 and unlock the secrets to successfully adjusting your status in the US!
This week is Databrix Data + AI Summit.
Networking events are a great way to meet fellow founders and investors. Here are events happening in San Francisco this week for founders.
🗓️ Monday, Jun 10
👉 Pitch and Run SF MONDAY w/ Nihal Mehta, PNR & Eniac VC Co-founder! (8:00 AM - 9:00 AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 #PitchAndRunSF welcomes Nihal Mehta--Pitch & Run + Eniac Ventures co-founder, runner, and all around great guy!
👉 Data + AI Summit DATA INTELLIGENCE FOR ALL (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join thousands of data leaders, engineers, scientists and architects to explore the convergence of data and AI.
👉 SFs Largest Tech Startup, Business & Entrepreneur Networking Soiree (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Meet Like Minded Entrepreneurs, Techie, Founders & Professionals. Sharing Ideas, Building Relationships & Forming Partnerships.
👉 AI in Finance Meetup - MLOps Community (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for the next MLOps.community meetup in San Francisco where we'll talk about the role and the future of AI in Finance and FinTech.
👉 Human Unicorn Dinner SF Edition (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Please join us for an unforgettable evening hosted by Eniac Ventures and NEA, uniting visionary unicorn founders.
🗓️ Tuesday, Jun 11
👉 🧠 GenAI Collective 🧠 Marin AI Jun Co-Working (9:30 AM - 5:00 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!
👉 Unicorn Pitches US: SaaS, AI, Cyber Security, FinTech and DefenseTech (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM) [I’ll be a judge]
📍 Virtual
💬 Unicorn Pitches US is a famous business-event where VCs and Business Angels meet extraordinary Startups!
👉 Meet your VCs, Meet your startup teams: entrepreneurs' networking coffee time (11:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
📍 Menlo Park
💬 Entrepreneurs, startup founders, technologists, VCs and angel investors, please join our informal coffee time gathering hangout.
👉 HackNight at GitHub with Graphs and Vectors (4:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 We'll be demonstrating the power of vector search and graph search through networking and social networks. We'll start off with a talk by Adam from Weaviate and Jason from Neo4j. Later in the evening, you can expect a combination of networking and trying out Weaviate and Neo4j!
👉 Maritime Smart Port Challenge 2024 @ Silicon Valley (4:30 PM - 6:30 PM)
📍 San Mateo
💬 Calling all Bay Area startups, VCs, researchers and innovators! Join us on June 11th for the launch of the Maritime PIER71™ Smart Port Challenge 2024.
👉 The fourth vLLM Meetup x AGI Builders Meetup (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 We're thrilled to invite you to the 4th vLLM meetup, as part of the monthly AGI Builders meetup on June 11th.
👉 Fast-track to your Green Card🚀 (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 San Francisco
💬 Are you an immigrant looking to make the United States your permanent home?🏡 Join our exclusive workshop: 🔥”From Immigrant to Resident: Fast-track Your Path to a Green Card"🇺🇸 and unlock the secrets to successfully adjusting your status in the US!
👉 A Learn and Network Evening with Pinecone (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join Edo Liberty, founder and CEO of Pinecone and Harrison Chase, cofounder and CEO of LangChain to discuss how to meet the near-term demand for GenAI results while planning for sustained growth and innovation. Stay for networking, drinks, and something to eat.
👉 Boss Bites SF (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Boss Bites is strictly for bosses, no but seriously. This event will be for venture backed founders and investors in the San Francisco area looking to grow their network in a fun but meaningful way.
👉 MotherDuck'ing Party (after Data+AI Summit) - San Francisco (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Following Day 2 of the Data+AI Summit, join MotherDuck at a ducking awesome party at 111 Minna (conveniently located around the corner from SFMOMA). The DuckDB and MotherDuck communities are invited to eat, drink, play games, and more!
👉 Olo Immersive Sound Journey for Founders, Investors and Operators (6:30 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Olo immersive sound journey is a chance to completely let go of the external world and dive into your inner self.
🗓️ Wednesday, Jun 12
👉 BioTech Funder & Founder Connect: AI in Life Science (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Sunnyvale
💬 Join us at BioTech Funder & Founder Connect for a unique gathering bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry experts to explore the latest trends and opportunities in the life sciences sector. This event will feature insightful VC panel discussions, a BioTech fireside chat, networking session to make valuable connections for those interested in shaping the future of BioTech through innovation.
👉 Founders & Funders by Ignite (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 Los Gatos
💬 Join us for our monthly Founders & Funders networking mixer in Los Gatos – a fun and casual event designed for techies and innovators. Connect with fellow South Bay techies while enjoying refreshing beers and delicious tacos in a relaxed atmosphere.
👉 GenAI Collective x Light Dao ☀️ NeuroAI - Accelerating Radical Shifts for Leaders & Investors (6:00 PM - 9:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join the GenAI Collective and Light Dao communities of conscious entrepreneurs and investors for an evening filled with connection, deep conversations, and a fireside chat with Vivienne Ming!
👉 Founders and Funders: AI with Ankur Goyal (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us on June 12th for our Founders and Funders AI event live in San Francisco with Ankur Goyal. The discussion will be moderated by Pilot’s COO and Co-Founder, Jeff Arnold.
👉 AI Night @ GitHub ~ w/ Jam.dev (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Come hang out at GitHub HQ in SF with ~100 builders to see demos of some of the coolest AI applications built on Jam.dev.
🗓️ Thursday, Jun 13
👉 Morning Tech Brew ☕ (8:00 AM - 10:30 AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for this Morning Tech Brew where we invite builders to come together, share their journeys, and learn from one another's experiences.
👉 Let's talk GTM for AI Startups: AI Founders Breakfast Mixer (8:30 AM - 10:30 AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Headline, Cake Equity, and TriNet are thrilled to invite you to a curated AI Founders breakfast & mixer on June 13th at Headline's HQ in the Presidio of SF!
👉 Product Growth Conference Day 1/2: Mastering Product-led Growth @ UC Berkeley Campus (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 Berkeley
💬 The event is designed for entrepreneurs, product managers, and growth enthusiasts who want to dive deep into scaling businesses and leveraging product-led growth strategies.
👉 INNOVIT Demo Day - Life Sciences & Digital Health (3:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us on Thursday, June 13th for our VIP Panel and Demo Day. Meet 30 Italian startups pioneering the Life Sciences & Digital Health industry.
👉 Inkle x Brex: Founder Mixer (5:00 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for a Founder Mixer in downtown San Francisco! Hosted by Inkle & Brex, this event is your chance to network and connect with some of the most innovative founders in the Bay area.
👉 Scale Smartly: Building the Optimal DevEx for Your Startup (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join fellow technical founders and startup CTOs/Heads of Engineering for an evening of networking, food, drink, and commiseration over how to scale cloud infrastructure while spending less.
👉 AI in Product - Demo night by Intercom & Revo.pm (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join 150 product leaders and builders at Intercom's HQ in SF for an exclusive event showcasing cutting-edge AI startups transforming the way we build and manage products.
👉 Sunrise in San Francisco (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us on June 13, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the House of Web3, for "The Graph Sunrise Party” in San Francisco. We're celebrating the dawn of a new era in decentralized data as all subgraphs transition to the Decentralized Network. This is a global bash with simultaneous celebrations in Cape Town, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, and Lisbon on June 13th.
👉 Shift VC (6:00 PM - 4:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious about the industry, join us in San Francisco to demystify the VC space, gain key insights, and learn how to break in!
👉 The Women's Health Directory + Eve Wellness (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 We are excited to invite the biggest Women’s Health players in the Bay Area to an evening of curated connection. Consistent with our commitment to women’s health, we are grateful to have the event at Eve Wellness.
👉 Palo Alto Founder-Investor Mixer: Happy Hour Drinks (8:00 PM - 9:30 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Come socialize with fellow founders and investors. We're bringing together local tech leaders and founders for a night of fun conversations and genuine connection. Leave the pitch deck at home, this is a no-selling event - we're here to foster friendship.
🗓️ Friday, Jun 14
👉 MongoDB GenAI Hackathon with AWS, sponsored by Unstructured.io & Fireworks AI (9:30 AM - 10:00 PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 San Francisco
💬 Attention Generative AI developers and early-stage startups! We're thrilled to invite you to a day-long GenAI hackathon hosted by MongoDB with AWS, sponsored by Unstructured.io and Fireworks AI! This event is co-hosted with Women Founders Bay and PolyAgent at the Hacker Dojo in Mountain View, CA, on Friday, June 14!
👉 SF Founders Social - Happy Hour Drinks (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 We're bringing together local tech leaders and founders for a night of fun conversations and genuine connection. Leave the pitch deck at home, this is a no-selling event - we're here to foster friendship.
👉 Founders meetup and beers in Silicon Valley (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Mateo
💬 Hey there, fellow founders! Join us for a fun evening of networking and beer at Dog Haus in Silicon Valley. Whether you're a startup veteran or just getting started, come connect with like-minded entrepreneurs in the area. Share stories, swap tips, and maybe even find your next collaborator over a cold one. Don't miss out on this opportunity to expand your network and have a great time with other founders. See you there!
🗓️ Saturday, Jun 15
👉 Effective Networking Strategies for Startup Founders (10:30 AM - 12:00 PM)
📍 New York
💬 Join us for "Effective Networking Strategies for Startup Founders"! We are excited to feature three incredible speakers: Erika Bahr, Anna Yuan, and Jeyla Sadikova. Together, these industry leaders will provide invaluable strategies and insights to help you navigate the networking landscape and drive your startup to new heights. Get ready for an engaging and informative session that promises to empower you with the tools needed for successful networking in today's competitive market.
👉 Startup Founders Brunch at Mission Dolores Manor (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for a morning of networking, delicious food, and engaging conversations with fellow startup founders. We welcome startups from all industries. Whether you are working on a SaaS product, AI chatbot, or clean energy company, you'll find that it's the perfect environment to make new friends and get your biggest questions answered from other ambitious founders.
👉 SFTech4Good Community Park Meetup (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Spring has sprung, and SFTech4Good is hosting our first event of the season! Come meet and chat with others passionate about tech for social good in Alamo Square Park. We'll have a picnic blanket set up with some light refreshments - bring whatever you can to nibble or sip on, or just yourself! We will post our physical location in the park on the day-of.
👉 Women Leaders Connect: Founder and Funder Mixer (2:00 PM - 4:00 PM)
📍 Burlingame
💬 Join us on June 15 for the Women Leaders Connect: Founder and Funder Mixer. After the fantastic turnout at our February event with over 160 attendees, we can't wait to bring together an even more lively community this summer.
Looking for a web or mobile developer?
Founders Bay is now offering web and mobile development services for founders starting at just $75/hour. Our top-tier, San Francisco-based software engineers are ready to build your product quickly and scalably. View our portfolio here.
Book time with me to learn more!
Understanding Cap Tables: A Guide for Early-Stage Startup Founders
By Mariane Bekker
What is a Cap Table, and Why is it Important?
A cap table is a spreadsheet or electronic record that details the ownership interests in a company, including the allocation of shares, options, warrants, and other equity instruments. It serves as a visual representation of who owns what percentage of the company, providing transparency and clarity regarding equity distribution.
Understanding a cap table is crucial for startup founders for several reasons:
Equity Management: A cap table helps founders keep track of equity ownership among co-founders, employees, and investors, ensuring a fair distribution of ownership.
Valuation and Dilution: Cap tables enable founders to assess the impact of future fundraising rounds on their ownership percentage and valuation, helping them make informed decisions.
Investor Relations: Investors often scrutinize a startup's cap table to evaluate the ownership structure, potential dilution, and alignment of interests.
Key Components of a Cap Table:
1) Shareholders: The cap table lists all shareholders, including founders, employees, investors, and any other equity holders, along with the number of shares or percentage of ownership.
2) Equity Instruments: It includes various equity instruments, such as common shares, preferred shares, options, and convertible notes, indicating the rights and privileges associated with each.
3) Vesting Schedules: Cap tables may incorporate vesting schedules for founders and employees, outlining when their equity grants become fully vested over time or upon meeting specific milestones.
4) Funding Rounds: Cap tables track the different funding rounds, depicting the investment amounts, valuation, and the resulting changes in ownership percentages.
5) Dilution: Cap tables illustrate how subsequent investment rounds and the issuance of new shares affect the ownership percentages of existing shareholders, highlighting the concept of dilution.
How Cap Table Evolve As Your Startup Grows
Formation Stage: In the early days of a startup, the cap table usually consists of the founders' ownership stakes and, in some cases, an equity pool set aside for future employees.
Seed and Angel Rounds: As the company seeks external funding, seed and angel investors contribute capital in exchange for equity. The cap table expands to include these investors, reflecting their ownership percentages and any additional equity instruments issued.
Series A and Beyond: As the startup progresses to Series A and subsequent funding rounds, new investors join, further impacting the cap table. Each funding round involves negotiation, valuation adjustments, potential dilution, and the addition of new shareholders
Managing Cap Tables Effectively:
1) Use Cap Table Management Tools: Consider utilizing specialized cap table management software or spreadsheets tailored for startups. These tools streamline the process, ensure accuracy, and enable real-time updates.
2) Seek Professional Guidance: Engage with legal and financial experts experienced in startup funding to assist with cap table management, equity structuring, and compliance with regulatory requirements
3) Plan for Future Scenarios: Anticipate the impact of potential funding rounds, employee equity grants, and founder departures on the cap table. Construct scenarios to assess the outcomes of these events in advance.
Understanding cap tables is essential for early-stage startup founders to effectively manage equity distribution, valuation, and investor relations. A comprehensive grasp of cap tables allows founders to make informed decisions, navigate funding rounds, and maintain a fair and transparent ownership structure. By leveraging cap table management tools and seeking professional guidance, founders can ensure accurate record-keeping and adapt their cap tables as their startup grows and evolves.
The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds
Another slow week for funding — the third straight after a significant pick-up in large rounds earlier this year. Xcimer Energy led the way, as it was the only startup to lock up a nine-figure round. The dog days of summer seem to already be here in the venture world.
1. Xcimer Energy
Sector: Energy
Funding: $100M
Details: Denver-based Xcimer Energy raised a $100 million Series A led by Hedosophia to work on laser-driven inertial fusion, building a prototype laser system. Founded in 2022, Xcimer has raised nearly $118 million, including a $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
2. Pika
Sector: Artificial Intelligence
Funding: $80M
Details: Palo Alto-based Pika, an AI startup generating video, raised an $80 million round led by Spark Capital, valuing the company at $470 million. Founded in 2023, Pika has raised $135 million.
3. (tied) Prolific Machines
Sector: Biotech
Funding: $55M
Details: Emeryville-based Prolific Machines raised a $55 million Series B led by the Ki Tua Fund to produce biological products more efficiently. Founded in 2020, Prolific has raised $86.5 million.
3. (tied) Restor3d
Sector: 3D Technology
Funding: $55M
Details: North Carolina-based Restor3d, a maker of 3D printed personalized orthopedic implants, secured $55 million in a Series A round led by Summers Value Partners and an additional $15 million in debt financing. Founded in 2017, the company has raised nearly $150 million.
5. (tied) Osteal Therapeutics
Sector: Biotech
Funding: $50M
Details: Dallas-based Osteal Therapeutics raised a $50 million Series D led by Zimmer Biomet to develop drug/device therapies for orthopedic infections. Founded in 2013, the company has raised nearly $113 million.
5. (tied) Twelve Labs
Sector: Video
Funding: $50M
Details: San Francisco-based Twelve Labs, a developer of video foundation models, raised a $50 million Series A co-led by New Enterprise Associates and Nvidia's NVentures. Founded in 2021, the company has raised $77 million.
7. AcuityMD
Sector: Medtech
Funding: $45M
Details: Boston-based AcuityMD, a commercial platform for the medical industry, secured a $45 million round led by Iconiq Growth. Founded in 2019, the company has raised more than $83 million.
8. Eko Health
Sector: Healthcare
Funding: $41M
Details: San Francisco-based Eko Health, which uses AI for early detection of heart and lung diseases, raised a $41 million Series D. No lead investor was announced. Founded in 2013, the company has raised approximately $169 million.
9. SpyCloud
Sector: Cybersecurity
Funding: $35M
Details: Austin, Texas-based SpyCloud, a cybersecurity firm that tries to stop account takeovers, announced a $35 million round from CIBC Innovation Banking. Founded in 2016, the company has raised nearly $204 million.
10. Advanced Medicine Partners
Sector: Biotech
Funding: $32M
Details: North Carolina-based Advanced Medicine Partners, a developer of advanced medicines, received $32 million in financing led by Deerfield Management. Founded in 2023, this is the company’s first announced round.
Source: Crunchbase
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