From Toast to Bessemer: Who founders will hear from at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026
techcrunch ·
TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 will take place on November 4 at SoWa Power Station in Boston, bringing together founders, investors, and operators to discuss the realities of building startups. Hosted in partnership with Fidelity Private Shares, the event moves beyond typical fundraising and AI topics to explore customer acquisition, team building, and leadership development. Key speakers include Steve Fredette from Toast, who will discuss how companies can continue reinventing themselves after reaching scale. Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners and Rudina Seseri of Glasswing Ventures will address the critical decisions regarding product-market fit and when to accelerate or restrain growth. Lior Div from 7AI will focus on integrating AI into a company's architecture from day one, while Chase Garbarino of HqO will share insights on scaling businesses outside of Silicon Valley. The agenda also features live pitching sessions where founders present to investor judges, including Dave Balter and Chirag Shah. Additional sessions cover distribution strategies, building high-performance teams, and identifying category winners through hidden signals.
techcrunch