Boston Startup Summit: 25% Discount for Nov 4 Event

TechCrunch is offering a 25% discount and a buy-one-get-one deal on tickets for its Founder Summit 2026. The one-day event is scheduled for November 4 at SoWa Power Station in Boston. The conference is co-hosted by Fidelity Private Shares.

The agenda covers topics beyond fundraising and artificial intelligence. Sessions address customer acquisition, team building, pitch refinement, and founder leadership. The program also examines scaling strategies for companies based inside and outside traditional startup hubs.

Steve Fredette, president and co-founder of Toast, will speak on the Impact Stage. His session, "Building a Company That Keeps Reinventing Itself," will discuss how the Boston-based public company has adapted to shifting market expectations. Fredette will address the balance between evolution and core business needs.

Investors will lead two sessions on growth management. Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners will discuss identifying product market fit before scaling. He will outline signals founders should observe before increasing headcount or spending. Rudina Seseri of Glasswing Ventures will explore the timing of acceleration versus restraint. Her session, "When to Scale and When to Hit the Brakes," aims to help leaders distinguish between these two strategic choices.

Lior Div, CEO of 7AI, will present "Built for AI From Day One." The talk will contrast adding AI features to existing processes with designing an entire company architecture around the technology. This session focuses on the structural differences between these two approaches.

The summit includes a local focus on the Boston ecosystem. Chase Garbarino, CEO of HqO, will deliver "The Boston Founder Playbook." He will examine talent, capital, and community resources available in the city. This session pairs with the Toast presentation to emphasize building ambitious companies without copying Silicon Valley models.

Dave Balter of True Ventures will lead a session on effective pitching. Later in the day, a live pitching competition will feature founders presenting to a panel. The judges will include Chirag Shah of Define Ventures and Simran Suri of Maveron. Other speakers include Hunter Worland of NEA, Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security, and Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures. Fidelity Private Shares will also contribute sessions on fundraising and enterprise relationships. The day will conclude with a reception presented by the private equity firm.