Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week

Upcoming Events & Key Factors That Make a Startup Fundable & The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

Author

Mariane Bekker
June 24, 2024

Table of Contents

Thursday June 27, 6pm - 9pm

Join us for a fun evening of celebration and networking. I am hosting a gala to celebrate the incredible women in tech.

Elevate SF: Auction and Gala is an extraordinary evening dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in the technology and startup sectors. This gala offers a platform for anyone from all walks of life to come together, connect, and inspire each other. Whether you're a founder, a student, an industry veteran, or simply curious about the tech world, you're invited to join us for an unforgettable networking, celebration, and empowerment evening.

Wednesday June 26, 5:30pm - 7:30pm

​We're thrilled to launch the AI Talk Series, brought to you in partnership with the visionary minds at Founders Bay and BLOCK71 Silicon Valley. This exclusive event kicks off with a panel discussion unlike any other, delving deep into the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence.

This week is SF Deep Tech and Figma Config!

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 24

👉 GenLab x AI Engineer World's Fair Hackathon: Amplifying Humans - Engineering & Agency (9:00 AM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Dive into the intersection of human augmentation and AI engineering at this full-day hackathon.

👉 AI Investors & Networking (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Join investors and AI enthusiasts for networking and discussions on the latest in AI investment.

👉 RAG++: AI Hack Night (4:30 PM - 9:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A hack night focusing on AI and machine learning applications, bringing together developers and tech enthusiasts.

👉 Meow X Vibe Capital: SF Startup Happy Hour (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Network with fellow startup founders and VCs at this casual happy hour.

👉 TechTonic Robotics Happy Hour hosted by NGP Capital, MFV Partners & Stifel Venture Banking (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A happy hour dedicated to robotics enthusiasts and professionals, hosted by leading venture firms.

👉 Startup Equity and Cap Table - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: How to Avoid Death of a Fortune (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 TBD
💬 Learn about managing startup equity and cap tables from experts in the field.

👉 SHACK15 Conversations // A Vision for National Tech Competitiveness (5:30 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Engage in discussions on enhancing the US's tech competitiveness with industry leaders.

👉 Fifty Years x CoB: Bio Night (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 An evening dedicated to biotech innovations, featuring talks and networking opportunities.

👉 SF Tech: CEO Mixer (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A mixer event for CEOs and tech leaders to connect and share insights.

👉 AI Engineer World's Fair Pre-Party w/ Heavybit & Continue (6:30 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Kick off the AI Engineer World's Fair with a pre-party hosted by Heavybit and Continue.

🗓️ Tuesday, Jun 25

👉 AI Engineer World's Fair (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A comprehensive event focused on AI engineering, featuring keynotes, panels, and networking opportunities.

👉 Aiqcon - Connect + Collaborate On Evolving Ai Quality (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Connect with AI professionals to discuss and collaborate on AI quality advancements.

👉 Cracking Capex Heavy Industries: Prototype to Scale (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Learn about scaling prototypes in heavy industries from experts and industry leaders.

👉 Union Labs VC: GP <> LP Private Coffee Talk (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A private coffee talk for GPs and LPs to discuss investment strategies and trends.

👉 The Future of Work: How AI Can Help You at Work in 2024 (5:00 PM - 8:30 PM) [I’M SPEAKING] [50% DISCOUNT CODE: FOW-50]
📍 San Francisco
💬 Explore how AI can transform the workplace in the coming years.

👉 Pixel Punch: Design Lightning Talks & Happy Hour (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Enjoy lightning talks from design experts followed by a happy hour for networking.

👉 Energy Resilience Happy Hour (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Discuss the future of energy resilience with industry professionals over drinks.

👉 Growth Meetup (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A meetup focused on growth strategies for startups and tech companies.

👉 The Longevity Dialogues- Pharma Partnerships (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join discussions on the latest in longevity research and pharma partnerships.

👉 Panel: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Change in AI (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A panel discussion on overcoming challenges and driving change in the AI industry.

👉 SF Founders Social - Happy Hour Drinks (6:00 PM - 9:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Network with fellow founders at this social happy hour event.

👉 The Future of Compute: Scaling Inference with AMD (6:30 PM - 9:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Learn about scaling AI inference with AMD technologies.

👉 SF Tech Pitch Roast Comedy @ Amador (Wingtip) (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Enjoy a fun night of tech pitch roasting and comedy.

🗓️ Wednesday, Jun 26

👉 Silicon Valley AI and Tech Investing Summit (12:00 PM - 6:30 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 A summit focused on AI and tech investment opportunities in Silicon Valley.

👉 CVC & AI Funding Summit: FREE for SJSU Community (12:30 PM - 4:30 PM)
📍 San Jose
💬 A funding summit for the SJSU community, focusing on corporate venture capital and AI.

👉 Fusion Energy Landscape (12:30 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Explore the current state and future of fusion energy technology.

👉 3001 an Ocean Odyssey: Marine and Mobility Tech Yacht Cruise & Happy Hour (+hydrofoil rides) (2:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 Alameda
💬 A unique networking event on a yacht, featuring marine and mobility tech discussions and hydrofoil rides.

👉 Between Two Founders: Jeff Seibert & Kayvon Beykpour (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join a conversation between two prominent founders discussing their journeys and insights.

👉 AI Talk Series: GenAI and LLM Models (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Mateo
💬 Dive into the world of Generative AI and Large Language Models in this talk series.

👉 SF Tech Community Happy Hour (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A casual happy hour for the SF tech community to network and unwind.

👉 NUMI at F.inc - Fireside w/ founding designers at Instacart, Nike, Maven, and IFTTT (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A fireside chat with founding designers from top companies, discussing their experiences and design philosophies.

👉 Config Design Dinner in SF (with Dann Petty + Soren Iverson) (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join a design-focused dinner with prominent figures in the design community.

👉 Building Humane Tech (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Carlos
💬 A discussion on creating technology that prioritizes humanity and ethical considerations.

👉 SG Women’s Summit: Navigating the AI Investment Landscape (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A summit focused on women navigating the AI investment landscape.

👉 Lowercarbon Capital: Energy and Climate (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Oakland
💬 Discuss energy and climate innovations with Lowercarbon Capital.

👉 AI Symposium - Generative AI (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 A symposium on Generative AI, featuring leading experts and networking opportunities.

👉 NUMI at Night: Fireside w/ founding designers at Instacart, YC, Maven, and IFFFT (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 An evening event featuring fireside chats with founding designers from top companies.

👉 VC + Tech Mega Summer Mixer (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A mega mixer event for VCs and tech professionals to network and connect.

👉 Palo Alto Founders/Investors-Only Mixer - Happy Hour Drinks (8:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
📍 Menlo Park
💬 A mixer event exclusively for founders and investors in Palo Alto.

🗓️ Thursday, Jun 27

👉 Deep Tech Storytelling Workshop (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Within 45 minutes and a three-step process, you will go from being unclear on how to make content for your startup to actionable content ideas to showcase. Spiral (our deep tech marketing agency) has led this exercise amongst 100s of Founders and it is the simplest most effective approach to ideating how to showcase what you’re building. This is not only a chance to improve your startup's brand positioning but get hands on support by creatives to shape your story.

👉 Zapier x Braintrust: AI Happy Hour and Networking Event (1:30 PM - 3:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Our team at Zapier will be attending the AI Engineer World's Fair, and while we’re in the area, we’ll be hosting a small, casual happy hour. We’d love to have you there!

👉 Boom in the Forest (3:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Menlo Park
💬 ​​Boom in the Forest is our regular gathering of the most interesting people we know. This meeting of the minds is held 100% outdoors under a forest canopy, and happens rain or shine.

👉 Upekkha x Funda Club, AI Social (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Mateo
💬 ​We are thrilled to announce the Upekkha X Funda Club Social in San Mateo, CA.

👉 AI In Manufacturing and Logistics (4:30 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 San Jose
💬 ​Join us at FalconX on June 27th, 2024, for an engaging session focused on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in manufacturing and supply chain management.

👉 Quantonation: Physics & Compute (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join us for a round of lightning talks by world-class scientists and entrepreneurs exploring the frontiers of physics and computing tech - quantum, thermodynamic, analog, neuromorphic, photonic computing and more.

👉 MusicTech & AI Meetup with Roger Linn (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Come connect with fellow music tech enthusiasts and chat about the world of AI in music alongside a fireside chat with the legendary Roger Linn.

👉 San Francisco AI Founders Demo Day (5:30 PM - 9:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​We're bringing together some of the hottest AI start-ups to showcase what they’ve built at Silicon Valley AI Founders & Investors Mixer.

👉 The Future of Interfaces: Demo Hour at South Park Commons (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​In celebration of SF Deep Tech Week, please join South Park Commons (SPC) and Symphonic Labs for an hour of product demos from companies working on the future of interfaces. From silent speech to robotics, we will get a live look at a range of new interfaces. We expect to have room for 6-8 demos. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in presenting.

👉 Global Talent Wars: Recruiting the World's Best for Deep Tech Startups (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join founders, engineers, researchers, and scientists in artificial intelligence, robotics, neurotech, advanced computing, and more for a discussion on attracting and retaining top talent globally and understanding the strategic advantages to building in the U.S.

👉 SF Bits in Bio AI x Bio Showcase + Happy Hour with 8VC & Atria Ventures (5:30 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Come out to learn from members of the community on various projects and problems they are working on. We expect to have 10 min technical demonstrations from startups and established companies with Q&A. We look forward to the community learning from each other.

👉 🧠 GenAI Collective SF Demo Spectacular 🚀 (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​​​Join the GenAI Collective as we unite communities and builders across the entire Bay Area to showcase the 10 most spectacular demos our early-stage ecosystem has to offer! 🥳

👉 San Francisco Summer Kick-Off Cocktail Party (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for an evening filled with spectacular views and great company. Let's kick off the summer season in style at this exclusive San Francisco event. Don't miss out on the opportunity to mingle with fellow investors and business executives in a vibrant atmosphere. See you there!

👉 Build IRL Showcase @ Mindsdb (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join us for the capstone showcase for Build IRL Accelerator's founding cohort, where we will celebrate 25 IRL communities and social clubs that are rewriting the social fabric of this city we love. You will get an opportunity to get to know these incredible builders, join and support their communities.

👉 ADPList & Config Afterparty 🎉 (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​🎉 Get ready to celebrate another incredible year at Config with the ADPList community! 🎉

👉 Crypto Mondays SF with BTC Startup Labs & Lifted Initiative (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Calling all Web3 and Crypto enthusiasts! We're ready for another fun evening in the Presidio for CryptoMondays San Francisco on Thursday, June 27th at the House of Web3 from Edge and Node.

👉 Elevate SF: Auction & Gala For Women in Tech (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM) [HOSTED BY ME] [$20 OFF WITH FOUNDERSBAY DISCOUNT CODE]
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Elevate SF: Auction and Gala is an extraordinary evening dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in the technology and startup sectors. This gala offers a platform for anyone from all walks of life to come together, connect, and inspire each other. Whether you're a founder, a student, an industry veteran, or simply curious about the tech world, you're invited to join us for an unforgettable networking, celebration, and empowerment evening. Come join us for a fun evening with your friends and/or plus one!

👉 Figma After Party Hosted by Awesomic (6:30 PM - 9:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Hey, Figma fans! ​You must be feeling drained after two days at Figma Config 2024. ​Come unwind with us!

🗓️ Friday, Jun 28

👉 Free Drop-in Coworking during SF Deep Tech Week @ 9Zero (8:00 AM - 6:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​​❤️ As a way to support the multifaceted community of SF Deep Tech Week, we're offering FREE drop-in coworking at 9Zero for the entire week. Everyone who works in and around climate is welcome.

👉 Startup on Bitcoin (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
📍 Mountain View
💬 ​If you are thinking about building the next unicorn on Bitcoin, learning more about Ordinals, Runes and Bitcoin infrastructure for Web3 this is where you want to be! 🫵🏻

👉 Giant Step VC: Aerospace Night (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Join Giant Step VC and Small Steps & Giant Leaps for an evening discussing the future of the space industry.

👉 Unlocking Startup Success: Finance & Operations Masterclass for Women Founders (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​Are you a founder or someone looking to start a company? Join us for an engaging workshop to teach you how to raise money and explore other funding options like loans. This workshop aims to empower and support you in launching and scaling your business.

👉 Techstars Startup Weekend San Francisco AI at Convex (5:00 PM - 11:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Techstars Startup Weekend is back in SF for another mind-blowing AI event! 🤖 Last year, 150+ brilliant minds shipped 17 incredible products. This year, we're raising the bar even higher!

👉 Solideon Presents: Defense Industrial Base Hackathon (6:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
📍 Berkeley
💬 ​Join us for the Defense Industrial Base Manufacturing Hackathon on June 28th-30th, 2024!

👉 Crescent — Lunar Launch Party 🌙🚀🛸 (8:30 PM - 12:00 AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 🌙 Join our intergalactic celebration for summer, SF being back, and Crescent launching the nation's highest-yield business checking account!

🗓️ Saturday, Jun 29

👉 Cosmic Robotics Happy Hour (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Come celebrate the future of robotics at Cosmic Robotics' happy hour event for SF Deep Tech Week. Join us for snacks, drinks, and great conversation with roboticists from all around SF.

Are you looking for marketing and branding for your startup?

🎉 Founders Bay Partnered with OakBloom Marketing, a women-owned business, to provide you with marketing and branding for your startup!

Worried about securing the right customers or investors?

Your story matters. When your message fails to land, it’s costly. It keeps you from closing deals or getting funding, and future customers and investors recognizing your value. 

OakBloom helps startups tell brand stories (company and personal brand) that land with customers and investors.

📅 BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION - 30-minutes with OakBloom to discuss your key business challenges and a path to develop influential messaging for customers and investors.

🗣️ Let OakBloom know that Founders Bay referred you!

👉Get your free guide to 2x marketing return: 10 Marketing Strategies for Startups

🚀 Understanding the Different Early-Stage Startup Stages

By Mariane Bekker

What are the differences between pre-seed, seed, and Series A is one of the most frequent questions that I get asked.

Here's a quick guide to help you navigate through the different phases:

💡 Idea Stage

🔹 Goal: Validate the business idea
🔹 Funding Source: Bootstrapping, Friends & Family
🔹 Amount Raised: Typically < $100k (due to higher costs in SF)
🔹 Milestones: Market research, initial product concept, founding team formation

🌱 Pre-Seed

🔹 Goal: Develop MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
🔹 Funding Source: Angel Investors, Incubators, Accelerators
🔹 Amount Raised: $100k - $500k
🔹 Milestones: MVP development, early user testing, refining the business model

🌿 Seed

🔹 Goal: Market entry and initial traction
🔹 Funding Source: Seed Funds, Early Stage VCs, Crowdfunding
🔹 Amount Raised: $500k - $3M
🔹 Milestones: Product launch, user acquisition, key hires, refining value proposition

🌳 Series A

🔹 Goal: Scale operations, expand market reach
🔹 Funding Source: Venture Capital Firms
🔹 Amount Raised: $3M - $15M
🔹 Milestones: Revenue growth, market penetration, team expansion, product enhancements

Each stage is an important step towards building a successful startup. Whether you're just starting out with an idea or ready to scale your business, understanding these stages can help you plan your next move effectively 💪🚀

The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

After a few slow weeks, funding activity has picked up, with several sectors seeing significant raises. Biotech/healthcare and cybersecurity dominated the big rounds, while AI startups also secured substantial investments. Notably, four companies closed nine-figure rounds, signaling a return of megadeals.

  1. Marea Therapeutics, $190M, Biotech

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $190M

    • Details: Marea Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech developing medicines for cardiometabolic diseases, raised $190 million in a combined Series A and B financing. The Series A was led by Third Rock Ventures, and the Series B was co-led by Forbion Capital Partners, Perceptive Advisors, Sofinnova Investments, and VenBio Partners. Founded in 2023, this is the company’s first announced round.

  2. Huntress, $150M, Cybersecurity

    • Sector: Cybersecurity

    • Funding: $150M

    • Details: Maryland-based Huntress raised $150 million in a Series D round, achieving a valuation of over $1.5 billion. The round was led by Kleiner Perkins, Meritech Capital Partners, and Sapphire Ventures. Huntress focuses on security services for small businesses and small enterprises. Founded in 2015, the company has raised nearly $310 million.

  3. Talkiatry, $130M, Healthcare

    • Sector: Healthcare

    • Funding: $130M

    • Details: New York-based Talkiatry secured $130 million in a mix of equity and debt financing led by Andreessen Horowitz. The psychiatric care startup offers in-network psychiatry and therapy services. Founded in 2019, Talkiatry has raised $245 million.

  4. Semperis, $125M, Cybersecurity

    • Sector: Cybersecurity

    • Funding: $125M

    • Details: Hoboken, New Jersey-based Semperis raised $125 million in growth financing, combining equity and debt, from J.P. Morgan and Hercules Capital. The company provides security services, including protection for Microsoft directory services. Founded in 2014, Semperis has raised nearly $500 million.

  5. Elion Therapeutics, $81M, Biotech

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $81M

    • Details: New York-based Elion Therapeutics raised $81 million in a Series B led by Deerfield Management and the AMR Action Fund. The biotech focuses on treating life-threatening invasive fungal infections. This is the company’s first announced round.

  6. CesiumAstro, $65M, Space

    • Sector: Space

    • Funding: $65M

    • Details: Austin, Texas-based CesiumAstro raised $65 million in a Series B+ round led by Trousdale Ventures. The company develops space communications technology. Founded in 2017, CesiumAstro has raised more than $185 million.

  7. Genspark AI, $60M, Artificial Intelligence

    • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

    • Funding: $60M

    • Details: Palo Alto-based Genspark AI raised $60 million led by Lanchi Ventures at a reported $260 million post-money valuation. The startup focuses on AI-driven search technology.

  8. Daydream, $50M, Ecommerce

    • Sector: Ecommerce

    • Funding: $50M

    • Details: New York-based Daydream launched with a $50 million seed round co-led by Forerunner Ventures and Index Ventures. The company offers an AI-powered search platform for the retail industry.

  9. Iambic Therapeutics, $50M, Biotech

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $50M

    • Details: San Diego-based Iambic Therapeutics raised $50 million in a Series B extension led by new investors Mubadala Capital and Exor Ventures. The biotech uses an AI-driven discovery platform for developing therapeutics. Founded in 2019, the company has raised nearly $233 million.

  10. You.com, $50M, Artificial Intelligence

    • Sector: Artificial Intelligence

    • Funding: $50M

    • Details: Palo Alto-based You.com is reportedly finalizing a $50 million Series B round. The AI-enhanced search engine developer was founded in 2020 and has raised $95 million.

Source: Crunchbase 

Enter to win a $25,000 grant from HoneyBook

Unlock your business potential with a little help from the Breakthrough Grant. 10 winners will receive $25,000 in cash, tools, resources, and training to fuel their growth. One of them could be you!

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