AI Startup 0→1: How to Become Seed-Ready in 12 Months【Boston】
Join us for an insightful session at MIT hosted by Elev X! by NEC X.
We’ll explore what it really takes to build a successful AI startup—starting from identifying the right problem, validating with early customers, building your MVP, and navigating the 0→1 journey.
Our fireside-chat panel features founders who have built AI solutions from scratch and scaled successfully.
What you’ll get:
Real founder stories & lessons — no fluff.
Practical insights on early customer acquisition, MVP development, and enterprise/industry workflows.
Networking with other AI-first founders, researchers, and ecosystem partners.
Exposure to the Boston/MIT AI & startup community.
This event is ideal for early-stage founders, technical founders, researchers considering commercialization, and anyone curious about building AI ventures.
🗓️ Agenda
5:45pm–6:00pm Registration & Networking
6:00pm–6:10pm Welcome
6:10pm–6:25pm Startup Pitches
6:25pm–6:45pm Fireside Chat
6:45pm–6:50pm Introduction of Elev X!
6:45pm–7:45pm Networking
🎤 Pitching Startups
3-4 selected early-stage startups will take the stage to pitch their ventures. If you're interested in pitching, apply from here by December 1, 2025 8:00pm ET.
🕰️ Pitch Format: 3-minute pitch per startup.
⚠️ To apply for the pitch opportunity, please complete both the Event Registration from this page AND the application form.
👥 Special Guest
A candid conversation bringing together perspectives from:
Dheekshita Kumar | Co-Founder and CEO at CivCheck
Built AI plan-review platform for permitting
Secured multiple U.S. municipal pilots
Led CivCheck’s acquisition within ~2 year
Rahul Chandra | Founder and CEO at C_Suite Advisors
Angel investor and startup scaler in the Boston tech ecosystem
Led AI and cloud go-to-market for enterprise tech
Scaled AI solutions from pilot to enterprise deployment
Naoto Mizuguchi | CFO at NEC X
🔔 Pitch Judge
Jamal Grant | Principal at Alumni Ventures
Vinit Nijhawan | Managing Director at MassVentures
🎯 Who Should Attend
Early-stage AI / B2B Saas founders or co-founders
Investors/VCs for early-stage startups
Technical researchers or students exploring commercialization
Startup advisors, mentors, and ecosystem partners
Anyone interested in the intersection of AI, enterprise, and regulated markets
💡 Why You Should Attend
Learn real tactics from founders who have built AI products and navigated enterprise/government environments.
Get actionable insight on launching in 2026—what works, what doesn’t, and how to access pilots/setups.
Deep dive into early-stage strategy: product, partners, funding, scaling.
Opportunity to connect with a curated community of AI founders in the Boston ecosystem.
📢 About Host
Elev X! is NEC X’s venture studio program supporting early-stage startups. Backed by NEC, a global technology leader, Elev X! helps founders accelerate from idea to impact through collaboration, pilots, and global connections.
🌍 Ecosystem Partners
Elev X! has partnered with leading investors and accelerators worldwide:
✅ Carbide Ventures – Early-stage VC led by entrepreneurs who built multiple unicorns
✅ Alchemist Accelerator – A top accelerator for enterprise startups
✅ SVG Ventures | THRIVE – The leading Agri-Food Tech ecosystem
✅ ERA – One of NYC’s top startup accelerators
✅ Translink Capital – A top-tier VC with deep global networks
✅ Geodesic Capital – Multi-stage VC offering growth capital and access to Japan & Asia
…and more!
🫱🫲 Event Partner