WAIC 2026 Private Dinner
WAIC Afterparty 2026 - Private Dinner
On the sidelines of WAIC 2026, we present an exclusive, invitation-only private dinner curated for 30 handpicked, VC-backed AI founders from around the world. Leave the crowds and formalities of the main conference behind, and join this intimate peer gathering for an evening of exceptional dining, candid off-the-record dialogue, and genuine founder-to-founder connection.
Every era has its quiet stewards, who remain standing long after the noise fades.
They do not claim the spotlight or chase attention, yet they bear the heaviest lifting in the shadows.
They are in no hurry to stir up thunder.
They simply become the dense, gathering storm clouds that precede the storm.
The EPIC Connector 100 AI Founders Private Dinner is both a gesture of gratitude and a look ahead.
We seek kindred lights with our own small glow,
to honor those who quietly carry this era forward while continuing to push the boundaries of innovation.
An intimate reunion, born from the 100 AI Founders community
This wave of AI transformation is moving faster and more diffusely than any previous technology cycle. Models, applications, global expansion, and organizational structures are all being rewritten simultaneously.
Against this backdrop, EPIC Connector has spent the past year forging connections between AI builders and founders across cities worldwide — from China and Singapore to North America, Europe, and Australia — through an ongoing series of dialogues and events.
These connections are more than just events; they are genuine exchanges and trust built up over time, across different cities. That is why, at this new milestone, we want to bring these fellow founders back together for a small, private dinner — to express our gratitude, and to keep the conversation going.
100 AI Founders: How we stay connected to founders
100 AI Founders: Global AI · 100 Pioneers is a long-form content and interview series launched by EPIC Connector. Through podcasts and fireside chats, we invite leading Chinese AI founders to share their authentic global entrepreneurial journeys, insights, and decisions.
To date, we have held in-depth conversations with many leaders pushing the frontiers of AI, including:
Yuandong Tian: Co-founder of Recursive Superintelligence, former Director of Research Scientists at Meta FAIR
Kisson Lin: Co-founder of Mindverse, Founder of Super Intelligence
Iris Sheng: Co-founder & former COO of AFFiNE
Tong Yang: Founder of Agnes AI, PhD Candidate in Artificial Intelligence at the National University of Singapore
SkyBlue Lan: Founder & CEO of Peak Mojo, OpenAI Invited Developer, Angel Investor & Former Silicon Valley VC Investor
They come from diverse technical backgrounds and stages of entrepreneurship, yet all are playing their part in the real global advancement of AI. Moving forward, we will continue to invite more founders and builders on the frontlines of global AI to grow the 100 AI Founders conversation series.
It is these fellow travelers that make every EPIC event meaningful.
Without you, events are merely information dissemination.
With you, they become authentic industry gatherings.
Why this dinner, why now
As AI enters a new phase of globalization, connection matters more than ever.
Beyond industry milestones like WAIC, we wanted to create a smaller, more intimate space for those who have been part of these conversations to reconnect.
There will be no stage, no keynote speeches, no pressure for public outreach.
We have one simple purpose:
to bring AI founders back to genuine, unfiltered conversation.
Dinner details
This private dinner will be held on the evening of July 18 in Jing'an District, Shanghai. The event is limited to fewer than 30 guests, designed as an intimate setting for focused exchange.
We aim to invite founders who are actively advancing in the global AI wave.
This dinner will also serve as a special gateway: guests will have the opportunity to apply for or deepen their participation in the 100 AI Founders interview series, becoming part of our ongoing documentation of the space.
If you have participated in the 100 AI Founders: Global AI · 100 Pioneers series, or connected with us at past EPIC events, we would love to see you again at this dinner.
We are holding a seat for everyone still on the journey.
About the organizer: EPIC CONNECTOR
The most connected AI-native community in the world
EPIC Connector is an innovation empowerment platform focused on technology industrialization and globalization, building an ecosystem that connects builders, founders, and global markets. With a presence across China, the US, Singapore, London, Australia, and Japan, our community stands beside global AI founders through this great era of AI expansion.
80,000+ founders and product builders in our network
Footprint across 7 countries: US, Singapore, China, UK, Australia, Japan, Sweden
100+ events hosted annually
Top-tier Product Hunt consulting: supported 200+ successful product launches
Incubated 10+ products to date