Founder Summit 2026 Opens in Boston With Full Day of Startup Strategy and Networking

Starting at 9 a.m. ET, the TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 is welcoming founders, investors, and startup leaders to SoWa Power Station in Boston for a day focused on the tactics and relationships essential to scaling startups more effectively. Early-bird pricing ends when registration opens; attendees registering before 9 a.m. ET can save up to $100 on admission and receive a second pass at no cost.

The day's programming spans fundraising strategy, product-market fit validation, artificial intelligence breakthroughs, and enterprise expansion. Experienced founders, investors, and operators will share practical guidance applicable to companies at any stage—whether seeking capital, refining market entry approaches, testing product-market fit, or preparing for the next growth phase.

Schedule and Activities

Registration and Expo Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
Attendees can collect badges, meet with partners, and browse the Expo Hall, where participating startups showcase solutions for accelerating company growth.

Networking Lounge powered by Braindate: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Braindate app enables founders, investors, and operators to arrange individual and group conversations throughout the day.

Breakout sessions: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Expert-led panels cover topics including building enduring companies, emerging AI opportunities, and other critical startup challenges. Steve Fredette from Toast will participate in an interactive AMA on company longevity, while Amulya Vishwanath from Techable Ventures will discuss untapped AI opportunities.

Roundtable sessions: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Experienced scaling leaders facilitate in-depth conversations on fundraising, product launches, artificial intelligence, and related subjects.

Breakout Session Lineup

Build Stage

• The Next Startup Advantage: Distribution Beats Technology — Hunter Worland (NEA)
• Fundraising Trends — Kristen Craft (Fidelity Private Shares), Jennifer Neundorfer (January Ventures), and Darren Ross (The.Team)
• The Next AI Opportunity: What Hasn't Been Built Yet? — Amulya Vishwanath (Techable Ventures)
• Your Pitch Has to Earn the Next Conversation — Dave Balter (True Ventures / Edisyl)
• So You Think You Can Pitch? – Dave Balter (True Ventures), Jonny Boyarsky (FirstGlance), Shruti Gupta (PollSee), Sunmin He (PitchIN), Chirag Shah (Define Ventures), Simran Suri (Maveron)

Impact Stage

• AMA with Toast Co-founder Steve Fredette — Steve Fredette (Toast)
• When to Scale and When to Hit the Brakes — Rudina Seseri (Glasswing Ventures)
• Finding Product Market Fit Before You Scale — Kent Bennett (Bessemer Venture Partners)
• Enterprise Relationships — Kristen Craft (Fidelity Private Shares), Yossi Hayut (Wix Ventures), Evan Schnidman (Fidelity Labs), Jennifer van Dijk (Boston Legacy FC)
• The Boston Founder Playbook — Chase Garbarino (HqO)
• How to Spot the 'King of the Hill' Company: Hidden Signals That Define Category Winners — Tina Tosukhowong (TDK Ventures)

Roundtable Topics

Interactive roundtable sessions connect founders with seasoned investors, peer founders, and domain experts. Attendance is limited, so securing a pass early is recommended.

• Data Room Best Practices: Reducing Friction in Due Diligence
• How to Build Events Strategy Before You Can Afford a Full-Time Events Team
• Your First Vertical, and It Happens to Be the Hardest One
• GraphRAG in Action: Stop Hallucinations with Knowledge Graphs
• Brand Is Your Edge: How Lean Consumer Startups Build Brands That Last
• Fundraising Best Practices: Making Financing Rounds Smarter, Faster, and Founder-Friendly
• Build Something We Don't Have a Word for Yet
• Small but Mighty: How AI Lets Lean Teams Outship the Giants
• What Counts as Traction Before You Raise?

Closing Reception

4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
The day concludes with a reception where founders, investors, and startup leaders can continue conversations over refreshments. These interactions often lead to future business relationships, partnerships, hiring opportunities, or investment connections.

Registration remains open for those who missed early-bird pricing. Attendees gain access to all expert-led sessions, founder roundtables, networking opportunities, and growth strategies from experienced builders and investors in the startup ecosystem.