Successful Founders’ Journey: From Zero to Scale
Are you attending the Plug and Play Silicon Valley November Summit 2025? Do you have a startup idea that’s ready to take off?
Join us for "Successful Founders’ Journey: From Zero to Scale", a meetup built for early-stage founders who are serious about bringing bold ideas to life.
This event brings together startups, investors, and corporate partners driving the next wave of innovation. Together, we’ll dive into what it really takes to transform an early concept into a fundable, scalable venture within a year — from validating your idea and finding product-market fit to building traction with the right partners and investors.
🗓️ Agenda
5:30pm–5:50pm Registration & Networking
5:50pm–6:00pm Welcome
6:00pm–6:15pm Startup Pitches
6:15pm–6:35pm Fireside Chat
6:35pm–7:30pm Networking with 🍺 & 🍕
🎤 Pitching Startups
1. Nappr
2. Leeap Labs
3. Odis AI
4. MEMORY LAB
🔥 Fireside Chat
Hiro Yoshikawa | General Partner at Carbide Ventures
Former Founder/CEO of Treasure Data
Raised $288 million in funding
Achieved over $200 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR)
Naoto Mizuguchi | CFO at NEC X
Moderator:
Dr. Nitin Bajaj | Co-founder at American South Asian Network (ASAN)
What does it really take to turn an early idea into a successful, scalable company?
In this Fireside Chat, Hiro Yoshikawa shares the real stories behind scaling from zero to impact.
Drawing from both sides of the table, as a unicorn founder and now a VC investing in the next generation, Hiro offers an unfiltered look at what defines successful founders today:
The critical inflection points between seed and Series A
How to balance product vision, growth, and capital efficiency
What investors really look for in early-stage teams
The mindset and culture that separate good startups from great ones
Whether you’re still validating your idea or raising your next round, this conversation will give you practical insights and inspiration to navigate your own founder journey from zero to scale.
📢 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.
Elev X! is more than a program — it is a growing startup ecosystem. We actively bring together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate innovators, government organizations, and academia to spark meaningful collaboration and unlock new opportunities.
Through regular meetups and community events across the U.S., Elev X! creates opportunities for founders to connect directly with investors, experts, and fellow entrepreneurs — all in one place.
🌍 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
ASAN (American South Asian Network) is the leading platform powering South Asian progress across the United States. We elevate, empower, and unite a rising generation of South Asian creators, entrepreneurs, executives, and change-makers through community, culture, and capital!
Instagram | LinkedIn | WhatsApp community for South Asians