Building in the AI Wave: What Separates Startups That Break Through
About the Event
What does it actually take for an AI startup to break through — not just survive the hype, but build something that lasts?
Join us for an evening of honest, practitioner-level conversation with investors and operators who have been in the trenches: co-founding companies, scaling to $50M ARR, building venture portfolios from scratch, and backing the next generation of breakout startups.
This event is hosted by NEC X, the Silicon Valley innovation studio and venture builder backed by NEC. Through its Elev X! venture studio program, NEC X has helped launch and scale AI startups across North America. The event is presented in collaboration with DG incubation, a strategic partner supporting startup innovation and global entrepreneurship.
Want to Pitch?
We’re excited to feature 4-5 hand-picked startups on stage for the official pitch session 🎉
Founders who were not selected for the main stage will still have opportunities to share elevator pitches and connect directly with investors and ecosystem partners during networking.
Fireside Chat: Building in the AI Wave: What Separates Startups That Break Through
What we'll dig into:
What early-stage AI investors are actually looking for right now
How to get your first enterprise customers before you have a track record
The mistakes founders make when scaling too fast — or too slow
What separates the startups that break through from those that don't
Featured Speakers:
Ryan Taylor — Principal at Fusion Fund, investing in early-stage AI, healthcare, and deep tech startups. Prior to venture capital, he co-founded a venture-backed SaaS company and helped scale revenue at Justworks, contributing to more than $50M in ARR. He brings firsthand experience as both an operator and investor.
Namrata Banerjee — Director of Investments & Strategy at CMU VentureBridge, Venture Partner at Republic, with over 15 years of experience across venture investing, entrepreneurship, and enterprise leadership. She founded ConferenceShare, built more than 130 global partnerships, and has worked with startups and corporations at every stage of growth, bringing a broad perspective on scaling and commercialization.
Ben Fong — Head of BD at Berkeley SkyDeck, , working at the intersection of startups, corporate innovation, and venture ecosystems. As an early employee at Spin, he helped launch the company's first U.S. charging infrastructure and scale operations across dozens of cities before its acquisition by Ford.
📢 About NEC X
NEC X is the Silicon Valley innovation arm of NEC, and home to Elev X!, a venture studio program that has helped launch and scale AI startups across the U.S. and Canada.
💡 Why Elev X!?
🔹 Backed by NEC: 125 years of tech innovation, $8B in R&D, and 45,000+ patents
🔹 Hands-On Support: Deep collaboration with NEC engineers and business experts
🔹 AI & Deep Tech Focused: Investing in AI-driven startups pushing the boundaries of innovation