FounderX 2026

FounderX 2026 is an exclusive, three-day working session meticulously crafted for the pioneers building the agentic era. Far from a typical conference or summit, this event is an immersive experience focused on hands-on workshops, closed-door roundtables, and private dinners, designed to foster deep collaboration and provide actionable insights. The mission is to equip founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders with the tools, knowledge, and connections necessary to thrive in an AI-driven world.

This event is ideal for startup founders, angel investors, venture capitalists, accelerator and program directors, economic development organizations (EDOs), trade missions, corporate innovation teams, and university partnership offices. Essentially, anyone involved in building, funding, or launching startups, and connecting their market to the global startup economy, will find immense value. Attendees will gain practical skills in building, funding, and launching AI-native startups, learn advanced strategies for GTM, leadership, and investment, and forge lasting relationships with a global network of ambitious builders.

Key topics and tracks include Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies for AI startups, building a founder brand with AI, acquiring the first 100 customers using AI, leading in the age of AI, using AI to build product roadmaps from real usage data, understanding the entrepreneurial edge in AI, building an AI employee, and leveraging AI for investor due diligence and early-stage investing. Specific workshops delve into positioning AI startups, creating synthetic buyer personas, developing a content engine with AI, automating outbound sales, mapping team AI mindsets, instrumenting live products with AI, applying UNCTAD's Empretec behavioral approach, building AI agents without code, and using AI for rapid due diligence.

Notable speakers and instructors include Rajeev Behera, Founder & CEO of Every.io, who has raised over $100M and built multiple venture-backed companies; Bobby Bakshi, Founder of Bobby Bakshi Consulting and former Chief People Officer at Microsoft, focusing on human judgment in AI; Arlette Verploegh, Head of Entrepreneurship Development at UN Trade Development (UNCTAD), an expert in global entrepreneurship programs; Jonathan Greechan, Co-founder & CEO of Founder Institute, the world's largest AI-native company builder; and Adeo Ressi, Co-founder & CEO of Decile Group and Chairman of the Founder Institute, a leader in venture capital and startup ecosystems. The event also features experts like Jonathan Grover on AI startup positioning, Gaurav B. on AI-powered customer acquisition, Carlos Sanabria on AI for product roadmaps, Aran Ploshansky on building AI employees, Ashley Martis on AI for investor due diligence, and Kamal Hassan on early-stage investing.

Networking is a cornerstone of FounderX. The event kicks off with a welcome party and curated 1-on-1 matchmaking sessions, ensuring meaningful introductions. Day 2 includes private VIP dinners with global ecosystem leaders. Attendees will connect with 200+ startup founders, 100+ angel investors and VCs, and representatives from 40+ countries. A unique feature is the "one ticket, two rooms" access: two days of intimate, off-the-record sessions with 300 hand-picked founders and investors, followed by full access to STEP San Francisco on Day 3, a larger conference with 50+ speakers across four stages and attendees from 50+ countries. This dual access allows for both deep, curated connections and broader exposure to the global startup ecosystem. Past attendees praise the event for facilitating warm investor intros, co-marketing partnerships, and a lifelong network of ambitious builders.

Attendees will gain actionable takeaways, including playbooks for launching founders, direct lines into Silicon Valley's operator and investor networks, and a working understanding of practical AI applications. The event emphasizes real tools, real tutorials, and real takeaways that can be implemented immediately. The venue for Day 2 workshops is STAK Space at 1950 Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94612, United States, while Day 3 takes place at STEP San Francisco. The event's limited capacity of 300 seats ensures an exclusive and high-quality experience, fostering an environment where every interaction is designed to create real value. This intimate setting, combined with access to a larger public conference, sets FounderX apart as a truly unique and impactful event for the global startup community.