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Upcoming Founder & VC Events Happening This Week + Top Accelerators Accepting Applications

Upcoming Events & The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

Author

Mariane Bekker
August 25, 2024

Women-founded 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!

Wednesday August 28 - 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.

Monday September 23/24 - 9:30AM - 8:00PM

​It's an Agentic AI World, and Agents will be running the show. Agentic AI World is the place to see what's brewing in the world of Agentic AI, and meet the brew masters.


We're bringing together the top Agent platforms and service providers to share the state of AI Agents and show us where the future is headed.

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

It's an Agentic AI World, and agents will be running the show. This is the place to see what's brewing in the world of AI agents, and meet the brew masters.
We're bringing together the top agent platforms and service providers to share the state of AI agents and show us where the future is headed.

​This high energy hackathon leverages the latest cutting edge tools and platforms, giving teams the opportunity to build agentic driven solutions with the potential to break out and become the next unicorns (or decacorns) in the space.

🗓️ Monday, Aug 26

👉 AI Investors & Networking (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​Come and Meet Featured investors
​Featured investor: ​Chris Mccann GP at Race Capital

👉 GC Venture Fellows Fall Fellow Mixer, San Francisco (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​_Are you a current student who is passionate about venture capital, startups, tech, or entrepreneurship? Come join us at our SF office to meet the team and learn more about the fellowship!_

👉 Floodgate x Wilson Sonsini Friends and Family: Show and Tell Event (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Floodgate is excited to partner with Wilson Sonsini to bring our monthly Friends & Family Show and Tell event up to the city for the first time! We are building an ambitious community that celebrates the joy of building. At this event, you’ll get to experience a variety of innovative projects, have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback, and engage in conversations inspired by the creativity of the community.

👉 Orbis86: Emerging Tech Trends and Impact (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​Dive into the latest in technology at Orbis86 SF sponsored by Hedera! Explore cutting-edge innovations, from blockchain to AI, and discover their profound impact on various industries. Join thought leaders and experts as they share insights and trends shaping our future. 🌟

🗓️ Tuesday, Aug 27

👉 ELC Annual 2024 (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for an extraordinary engineering leaders' gathering unlike any other - the Un-Conference for Engineering Leaders. Step into a dynamic and interactive environment where meaningful conversations and deep connections take center stage. This exclusive event is designed to provide a refreshing departure from traditional conference formats, placing emphasis on dialogue, collaboration, and personal growth.

👉 AI Founder Startup Growth Mastermind Salon (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 ​A mastermind group is a small group focused on creating improvement and change.

👉 Between Two Founders #2: Vanta CEO Christina Cacioppo (5:00 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​Vanta founder and CEO Christina Cacioppo sits down with Jeff Seibert, Co-Founder and CEO of Digits, to share behind-the-scenes challenges, pivotal moments, and valuable lessons learned towards building a category defining company.

👉 Quantum Gen AI Lecture Series (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
📍 Menlo Park
💬 ​Generative AI is rapidly finding ubiquitous applications across all industry verticals, enhancing efficiencies and innovation at an unprecedented pace. Now, imagine infusing this powerful technology with the limitless potential of Quantum Computing. Join us for an exclusive event hosted by qAIntum.ai, where we will delve into the fascinating History of Quantum Computing and explore how it’s shaping the future of AI.

👉 Bay Area Monthly AI Safety Meetup (August) w Nvidia, Sparkbeyond, Psyfy Inc (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​TLDR: Bringing together scholastic exercises with enterprise work in AI, this is a forum to discuss and address the deepest technical and ethical questions around AI safety in use within society. Primarily a social event to discuss current issues, featuring lightning talks while leaving more time for Q&A that could instigate a larger scope for any solutions.

🗓️ Wednesday, Aug 28

👉 Investing In Startups (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
📍 Remote
💬 ​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.

👉 VC Visionaries: Women Leading the Way (2:00 PM - 3:30 PM)
📍 Sunnyvale
💬 This gathering brings together trailblazing women in venture capital to share their insights, experiences, and perspectives. Connect with industry leaders and fellow visionaries to discuss trends, challenges, and opportunities in the VC landscape. Don't miss this unique opportunity to network, learn, and celebrate the achievements of women who are driving innovation and leading the way in venture capital. Be part of the conversation and help shape the future of the industry!

👉 Women Founders & VCs: Pitching Workshop + Fundraising Panel (5:30 PM - 9:00 PM) [HOSTED BY ME]
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join Women Founders Bay in San Francisco for an exclusive event dedicated to celebrating and uplifting women in tech.

👉 VC / Startup Dinner (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 Los Altos
💬 ​We are thrilled to invite you to an exclusive, private dinner event designed to bring together top venture capitalists and their selected startups for a night of networking and collaboration. This intimate gathering will be held at an exclusive country club in Los Altos, providing a sophisticated and relaxed atmosphere for meaningful connections and conversations.

👉 Agents and the Future w Jeremiah Owyang, General Partner @ Blitzscaling VC (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 ​An intimate dinner with the top AI Agent founders in the Bay Area and special guest: Jeremiah Owyang, General Partner @ Blitzscaling VC

👉 Mayfield's Navin Chaddha w/ Derek Andersen - Opportunities for AI Startups (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 Menlo Park
💬 Startup Grind Founder Derek Andersen and Mayfield Managing Director Navin Chaddha Discuss Opportunities for AI Startups Today, and How the Future Will be Re-Imagined by Cognition-as-a-Service

👉 Challenges and Opportunities in Food Tech for Sustainability (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 null
💬 ​The Silicon Valley Sustainability & Social Impact Network is excited to announce our inaugural event: "Challenges and Opportunities in Food Tech for Sustainability".

👉 Bay Area Tech Founders Mixer- Seed to Series B! (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 null
💬 ​Founders are welcome to come join the Co-founders of Sprinto at our August 28 Mixer. Bring in the night with pizza, beers and insightful conversations with founders who have been there and done that!

🗓️ Thursday, Aug 29

👉 AI After Hours (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 San Francisco is missing a biweekly meetup for the AI community to chill, crack open a beer, and network with founders, developers, and enthusiasts in the space.

👉 Femigrants Business Club: East Bay Meetup (5:00 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 Dublin
💬 The Femigrants Business Club event aims to unite immigrant leaders in business and corporations, creating a supportive and inclusive community. Our events go beyond simple networking. We create unique experiences that inspire and empower diverse female immigrants. Femigrants Foundation fosters a community where every voice is heard, and every journey is celebrated.

👉 AGI Builders Meetup SF (5:30 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 It's a gathering where AI builders, researchers, and enthusiasts share ideas, inspire peers, and transform the future.

👉 SF Blue Tech Happy Hour Networking Cruise: Building Bridges on the Water (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 SF Blue Tech brings together ocean and coastland stewards, scientists and blue tech professionals, educators, students, sailors, port workers, and blue investors to network, share resources and ideas, and inspire actions to help our planet, oceans, and waterways.

👉 Women Tech Meetup w/Freepik (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join our next Women Tech Meetup with Freepik on August 29th 💥 This isn't just another meetup; it's your invitation to a cozy, laid-back gathering that feels like stepping into a friend's living room—think Friends TV show vibes 🛋️ Expect warm, intimate discussions that spark creativity & connection.

👉 Venture Capital Panel: Investment and Latest Innovations FinTech (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 A distinguished panel of venture capitalists will discuss investment and latest innovations in fintech.

👉 Legal Hackers Happy Hour (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for the seventh installment of "Bay Area Legal Hackers Happy Hour," a monthly gathering where the intersection of law and generative AI comes alive in a relaxed social setting.

👉 Data for AI Presents: The Open Source Afterparty w/ MotherDuck, Datastrato, & Zilliz! (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for an exciting evening of insights, networking, and innovation as we explore the cutting-edge world of data infrastructure and platforming for Generative AI, multimodal models, and beyond. Whether you're a founder, engineer, executive, or innovator, this event is designed for those who are passionate about the future of AI and the data that drives it.

👉 Founder's Connect (6:30 PM - 10:00 PM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Join us for an exciting evening at Mayes for Founder's Connect, where innovation meets opportunity. This event is designed to give founders a unique platform to pitch their ideas to fellow entrepreneurs and potential investors in a dynamic speed-dating format. Each founder will have 5 minutes to present their pitch, followed by quick and actionable feedback from seasoned investors.

🗓️ Friday, Aug 30

👉 Pitch & Run SF 8a Friday Runs! (8:00 AM - 9:00 AM)
📍 San Francisco
💬 Founders, in tech: operators, investors, angels, runners: join Pitch and Run SF Friday AM's!

👉 Live networking: Investing in startups (3:00 PM - 4:30 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Join us for an in-person session to meet the partners at Progressive Ventures. We'll talk about the current state of venture, top innovation trends driving game-changing technologies in startups, and opportunities and trends in investments.

👉 Network with AI CTOs and Deep-tech Researchers (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
📍 Palo Alto
💬 Our goal is to bring together deep-tech researchers from both academic and industry backgrounds, as well as VCs interested in the deep-tech domain. This event fosters collaboration and networking among these diverse groups, facilitating the exchange of ideas and the formation of new partnerships.

Accelerators Accepting Applications

By Mariane Bekker

👉 Y Combinator

  • Location: Mountain View, CA (Near San Francisco)

  • Deadline: August 27

  • Start Date: Fall 2024

  • Upfront Cost: None

  • Investment: $125k for 7% equity plus $375k uncapped MFN SAFE


    🌟 One of the most renowned accelerators, Y Combinator provides seed funding, mentorship, and resources to startups.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 Techstars

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Deadline: November 20th

  • Start Date: March 10, 2024

  • Upfront Cost: $20k

  • Investment: $20k upfront and up to $120k for 6% equity


    🌟 Techstars offers a 3-month program with investment, mentorship, and access to a global network to help startups scale quickly.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 Hf0

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Start Date: September 18, 2024

  • Upfront Cost: None

  • Investment: 2.5% equity plus $500k uncapped MFN SAFE


    🌟 Focuses on startups tackling hard tech solutions with a strong emphasis on human and planetary health.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 500 Global Flagship Accelerator Program

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Deadline: August 23td

  • Start Date: November 2024

  • Upfront Cost: $37.5k program fee

  • Investment: $150k for 6% equity plus $37.5k program fee


    🌟 Offers extensive support and investment to early-stage startups, including mentorship and connections within their global network.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 Alchemist Accelerator

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Deadline: September 6, 2024

  • Start Date: Fall 2024

  • Upfront Cost: None

  • Investment: Average of $25k for 5% equity


    🌟 Specializes in enterprise startups, offering seed funding, mentorship, and resources to help scale innovative solutions

    .
    ✨ Apply Here

👉 Founders Institute

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Deadline: September 29, 2024

  • Start Date: October 2024

  • Upfront Cost: $1,000

  • Investment: Typically takes 2-4% equity


    🌟 Offers a structured program with mentorship and resources to help early-stage founders grow.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 HAX

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Deadline: Rolling Basis

  • Start Date: Monthly

  • Upfront Cost: None

  • Investment: Up to $500k investment in exchange for equity


    🌟 Focuses on hardware startups, providing funding and support for product development and manufacturing.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 The Mint (FinTech)

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Deadline: Rolling Basis

  • Start Date: Fall 2024

  • Upfront Cost: None

  • Investment: $500k for 10% equity


    🌟 Focuses on FinTech startups, providing significant investment and support to help startups scale and grow in the financial technology sector.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 Antler

  • Location: Austin, TX and New York, NY (Remote possible)

  • Deadline: Rolling Basis

  • Start Date: Rolling Basis

  • Upfront Cost: None specified

  • Investment: $500k total; $250k for 9% equity + $250k ARC


    🌟 Provides early-stage investment and support to startups, with a focus on helping founders build and scale their companies from the ground up.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 The Venture City

  • Location: Miami, FL

  • Deadline: N/A

  • Start Date: N/A

  • Upfront Cost: None specified

  • Investment: Varies by program


    🌟 Offers growth acceleration and funding to early-stage startups, with a focus on scaling businesses and accessing global markets.


    ✨ Apply Here

👉 Greylock Edge

  • Location: Menlo Park, CA (Near San Francisco)

  • Deadline: Rolling basis

  • Upfront Cost: None

  • Investment: Flexible financing from a priced seed round to an uncapped SAFE note, plus $500k+ in credits with AWS, Google, Microsoft, and more


    🌟 A bespoke 3-month company-building program offering access to Greylock's resources, including AI Researchers in Residence and recruiting support, with no required capital.


    ✨ Apply Here

The Week 10 Biggest Funding Rounds

This week saw several major funding rounds, though fewer than usual. Highlights include:

  1. Grafana Labs

    • Sector: Analytics

    • Funding: $270M

    • Details: New York-based Grafana Labs raised $270 million in a mix of growth equity and a secondary offering, extending its $240 million Series D from 2022. Led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, the round values the company at $6 billion. Grafana’s platform helps monitor and visualize data. Founded in 2014, the company has now raised over $805 million.

  1. TickPick

    • Sector: Ticketing

    • Funding: $250M

    • Details: New York-based TickPick secured $250 million from Brighton Park Capital. The ticketing marketplace differentiates itself with a no-fee pricing model, aiming to resolve consumer frustration with excessive ticket fees. Founded in 2011, TickPick has raised $290 million and has significantly increased sales over the past three years.

  1. Pathalys Pharma

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $105M

    • Details: Raleigh, North Carolina-based Pathalys Pharma raised $105 million led by TCG Crossover. The company focuses on developing treatments for kidney disease in its late stages. Founded in 2021, Pathalys has raised $266 million to date.

  1. Fortera

    • Sector: Climate

    • Funding: $85M

    • Details: San Jose, California-based Fortera raised $85 million in Series C funding from investors including Khosla Ventures and Temasek. The company has developed a low-carbon cement production method, aiming to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 70%. Founded in 2019, Fortera has raised $115 million.

  1. Story Protocol

    • Sector: Blockchain

    • Funding: $80M

    • Details: San Francisco-based Story Protocol raised $80 million in Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Polychain and others. The company addresses intellectual property theft in the AI era by embedding terms into smart contracts on its blockchain network. Founded in 2022, Story has raised $140 million and is valued at $2.25 billion.

  1. Openwater

    • Sector: Healthcare

    • Funding: $54M

    • Details: Newark, California-based Openwater raised $54 million to advance its medical technology system that treats diseases at the cellular level. The new round brings Openwater’s total funding to $100 million. Investors include Khosla Ventures and Bold Capital Partners.

  1. Opkey

    • Sector: Productivity Tools

    • Funding: $47M

    • Details: Dublin, California-based Opkey closed a $47 million Series B led by PeakSpan Capital. The AI platform helps organizations test enterprise resource planning software. Founded in 2015, Opkey has raised $57 million to date.

  1. XII Medical

    • Sector: Biotech

    • Funding: $45M

    • Details: Union City, California-based XII Medical raised $45 million in Series B funding led by Omega Funds. The company is developing therapies for sleep apnea. Founded in 2017, XII Medical has raised $75 million.

  1. Defcon AI

    • Sector: Defense

    • Funding: $44M

    • Details: McLean, Virginia-based Defcon AI raised a $44 million seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The company developed an AI-powered decision tool for military logistics planning. Founded in 2022, this is Defcon AI’s first disclosed funding.

  1. AstroForge

    • Sector: Space

    • Funding: $40M

    • Details: Huntington Beach, California-based AstroForge raised $40 million in Series A funding led by Nova Threshold. The company focuses on asteroid mining and has raised a total of $55 million. Founded in 2021, AstroForge aims to develop space mining technologies.

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 →