Founders Only: The Unofficial Disrupt Side Party for Early-Stage Founders
Day one of Disrupt week. 25 founders, application only, no investors and no vendors. Hosted by JIGO, GIGR, Serro, and EO.
Event Description
Disrupt puts 10,000 people in one building. Most of them want something from you.
So on the evening of day one we are doing the opposite. Twenty-five early-stage founders, a real venue in North Beach, good drinks, and a guest list we actually read. No badge scanning, no sponsor booths, no pitch queue, and nobody working the room for commission.
Founders only. We mean it.
Every request is reviewed by a organizers before it is approved.
• Yes: founders and co-founders, pre-seed through seed, and builders actively starting their next company
• No: investors, recruiters, agencies, consultants, and service providers
That is not us being precious. It is the entire point. One night this week where you can say what is actually going wrong without someone pitching you in return.
Pre-Seed, Unfiltered
One short fireside before the room opens up. Founders talking honestly about the pre-seed stretch: what they would do differently, what the advice circuit gets wrong, and what actually moved the needle.
Ryan Lee, Founder & CEO, JIGO
Youn Hwang, Co-founder, GIGR
Jake Kim, Serro
Twenty-five minutes, then the rest of the night is yours.
The night
• 18:30 Doors, drinks, open mingling
• 19:00 Welcome from EO and JIGO
• 19:10 Pre-Seed, Unfiltered
• 19:35 Open Q&A
• 19:45 Networking, food, drinks, and quiet corners for real conversation
• 21:00 Wrap
Details
• Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM PDT
• EO House, North Beach, San Francisco. Full address goes to approved guests.
• About 15 minutes by rideshare from Moscone West. Come straight from the show floor.
• Hard capacity of 25 to 30. Requests well past that are expected, so apply early.
• Complimentary pizza, snacks, craft beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options
Applying
Tell us your company, your role, your stage, and one line on what you are building. It takes a minute and it is how we keep the room what it says it is. Approved guests get the address and access details by email.
This is an independent, unofficial side event. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by TechCrunch or Disrupt.
Hosted by: JIGO, EO, GIGR, Serro