Global Founder Index Gala - Top 26 for 2026 Edition
The Global Founder Index Gala 2026
One night. 26 founders. The room where it happens.
Every year, Global Founder Index recognizes the founders shaping what comes next. This year, we are bringing them together for one evening alongside the investors, partners, and leaders who back them.
The Gala is where the 26 Founders of 2026 are revealed live, where winners sit down to dinner with the people who can change their trajectory, and where conversations that started over cocktails turn into deals by the end of the night.
The Evening
6:00pm · Doors Open, Cocktail Hour & Press
Arrive, grab a drink, and meet the room. Our media partner will be on site for short-form interviews.
6:30pm · The 26 Founders of 2026, Live
The moment everyone’s here for. Winners are announced category by category, with each trophy presented by the partner behind that category. The night builds to one final award: Top Founder of 2026.
7:30pm · Gala Dinner
A curated, seated dinner where winners and finalists are hosted across partner tables, putting founders face to face with the people who back them.
9:00pm · The Founder Index After-Party
Open bar, DJ, and the Deal Room stays open late. No agenda, no speeches. This is where the deals actually get done.
Partners: your early-access hour begins at 5:00pm. Details will be shared separately.
Attendance
The Gala is strictly invite-only and all registrations are subject to approval. Please register with the same name and email your invitation was sent to. A limited number of +1 seats are available for guests of our investors and partners.
Thank You to Our Sponsors & Partners
Microsoft for Startups
Microsoft for Startups is Microsoft's global startup program designed to help founders build, scale, and sell by providing access to cutting-edge AI technology, cloud infrastructure, technical expertise, and go-to-market resources. Beyond helping startups build and scale their products, the program supports their growth by connecting them with Microsoft's broader ecosystem of enterprise customers, partners, and sales teams.
As part of this partnership, each of the 26 finalists will receive a range of benefits through Microsoft for Startups, including Azure credits starting at $100,000, with the opportunity to unlock up to $200,000 as they grow.
Additional benefits include access to Azure AI infrastructure and services, GitHub Enterprise, LinkedIn benefits, Visual Studio Enterprise, 24/7 Azure Standard Support, go-to-market support, and unlimited technical pairing sessions with Azure engineers to help founders build, deploy, and scale their solutions.
Alumni Ventures
A member of our year-end selection committee, Alumni Ventures is America’s most active venture firm for individual investors, based on PitchBook data. It gives accredited investors access to build blue-chip venture portfolios, backed by professional diligence and co-investment alongside leading firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Bessemer, and Y Combinator. TIME and CB Insights ranked Alumni Ventures among the Top 20 U.S. venture firms in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
165 Global
165 Global is a global family office backing purpose-driven, founder-led companies from seed through growth. With a focus on long-term impact, the firm partners with ambitious entrepreneurs building meaningful businesses and transforming industries.
Melodi Capital
Melodi Capital is a boutique fractional CFO firm specializing in strategic finance for high-growth businesses. Through a long-term, relationship-driven approach, it supports companies and entrepreneurs as they build, grow, and create lasting value.