TechCrunch Founder Summit is bringing a comprehensive one-day event to Boston’s SoWa Power Station on November 4, designed to equip startup founders with critical insights on fundraising, hiring, and building successful companies. The summit features sessions covering the new rules of raising capital, CEO evolution, AI-native companies, investor selection, category winners, hiring strategies, regional startup ecosystems, and product-market fit.
The event will showcase expertise from notable figures in the venture capital and startup world. Brian Halligan, co-founder of HubSpot and partner at Sequoia, will share insights on how the CEO role evolves as companies grow through different stages. His session explores leadership challenges and the constant reinvention required to build companies that can thrive beyond their early days.
AI strategy takes center stage with Lior Div, co-founder and CEO of 7AI, who will discuss what it means to build an AI-native company from day one. Rather than simply adding AI features to existing products, Div will examine how AI as a foundation changes everything from team structure and product development to operations and go-to-market strategy.
The fundraising landscape will be addressed through multiple perspectives. Brian Devaney, partner at Underscore, will break down what investors are currently looking for and how founders can stand out in a crowded market. Vineet Edupuganti, who raised an $11 million round for Cogent Security, will share lessons on choosing the right investors and evaluating partners beyond just valuation when building a cap table.
Tina Tosukhowong, investment director at TDK Ventures, will present the firm’s “King of the Hill” framework, offering attendees a disciplined process for evaluating companies based on economics, scalability, and commercial timing. This session aims to help founders identify when timing, talent, and technology align to create category-defining winners.
Building outside Silicon Valley will be explored by Chase Garbarino, co-founder and CEO of HqO, who has raised $200 million from investors and scaled his company to operations in 30+ countries while remaining based in Boston. He will discuss the real advantages and disadvantages of building in regions where the traditional startup playbook wasn’t written.
Additional sessions will cover critical topics like early hiring decisions with Melissa Taunton, partner at NEA, and product-market fit validation with Kent Bennett, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. Beyond the programming, the summit includes networking opportunities between founders and investors, allowing attendees to connect with others facing similar challenges and those who have already navigated the startup journey.