TechCrunch will hold its Founder Summit on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the SoWa Power Station in Boston. The full-day event is aimed at founders at every stage, who will get the chance to meet leading venture capitalists and seasoned entrepreneurs and pick up practical advice on building and growing a company.
The summit is smaller and more hands-on than the outlet's flagship Disrupt conference. Organizers pitch it as a one-day crash course for founders who want to prepare their 2027 plans, covering hiring, product market fit, finding investors and developing leadership skills. Investors who want to vet and support the next wave of East Coast founders are also part of the audience.
This year's agenda leans toward fundraising, building companies around AI from the start, and leadership. Toast co-founder and director Steve Fredette will discuss how a company can stay relevant as technology and customer expectations change. HqO co-founder and CEO Chase Garbarino will speak about building a category-defining business outside Silicon Valley, having raised $200 million and expanded to more than 30 countries.
Other sessions include Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners on validating demand before scaling, and 7AI co-founder and CEO Lior Div on what changes when AI is the foundation of a company instead of an added feature. Cogent Security co-founder and CEO Vineet Edupuganti will examine how to evaluate investors and cap-table trade-offs beyond valuation. TDK Ventures investment director Tina Tosukhowong will present a framework for judging startups on economics, scalability and timing, while TrueVentures partner and Edisyl CEO Dave Balter will talk about pitches that spark a continuing conversation instead of simply impressing.
The program also brings back the So You Think You Can Pitch? competition. Three early-stage startups will each get four minutes to win over a panel of judges, and the judges' feedback is meant to help attendees sharpen their own pitches. Smaller breakout sessions will go deeper on specific topics, and attendees can use the Braindate app to arrange meetings between founders and investors or between founders facing similar problems. Organizers say students can use the same networking time to build their early contacts.
The event was previously known as Early Stage and All Stage. Organizers say the mission is unchanged, but the new name is worth remembering for anyone researching past editions. Founder Summit week, running November 1 to 7, will host side events across the city, and organizers are accepting applications from people who want to host one.
The venue can be reached by public transportation. It is a short walk from the Back Bay and Tufts Medical Center stops on the Orange Line, or from the Broadway stop on the Red Line.
Ticket prices have risen in phases, with the latest increase coming after October 16. Current tiers are $499 for investors, $299 for founders and $149 for students. A $100 discount is available to investors and founders, and for a limited time each pass comes with a free second ticket through a buy-one-get-one offer. Group bundles for four or more people carry additional discounts.
A free route to attend is available through the volunteer program, which gives staff a behind-the-scenes look at the event and free access to programming outside their shifts. Applications for that program closed on October 19. Full details on speakers, the agenda and logistics are available on the TechCrunch event page.
