Funding the Founder in the AI Era
Funding the Founder in the AI Era
Co-Hosted With Innovate Bay
Thursday, July 23, 2026 · 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
San Francisco Bay University 161 Mission Falls Ln, Fremont, CA 94539 · Mission Falls Business Park
AI has changed what companies look like, what they cost to build, and how fast they scale. But the fundamentals of matching capital to company haven't changed — and most founders still pursue the wrong kind of money for the kind of business they're actually building.
Following our May session on AI-era go-to-market and software development, this gathering turns to the capital side: how different businesses get funded, which investors actually fit, and how funding needs shift as companies move through stage transitions.
This isn't a one-off event. It's an ecosystem.
THE FRAMEWORK
The 4Cs of the Founder Ecosystem
Enduring companies are built where four forces intersect: Capital, Competencies, Customers, and Cities.
East Bay Founders exists to bring these forces together — creating the conditions for companies to start, scale, and succeed. This event focuses on the first C: Capital.
THE AGENDA
5:00 – 5:30 PM — Registration & Networking
Doors open. Meet founders, investors, operators, and builders from across the East Bay and Silicon Valley ecosystem.
5:30 – 5:40 PM — Welcome & East Bay Founders Overview
Introduction to the East Bay Founders community and the mission behind building a founder ecosystem across cities, capital networks, and technology operators.
5:40 – 6:20 PM — Panel 1: Types of Businesses, Types of Capital
Software, services, frontier tech, hardware — financing needs differ dramatically across business types, and so do the investors who can actually back them. This session unpacks how the shape of your business should shape the capital you pursue.
Panelists to be announced — featuring a VC-backed software founder, a bootstrapped non-software founder, and investors with multi-sector portfolios.
6:20 – 6:50 PM — Light Dinner & Networking
6:50 – 7:05 PM — Sponsorship Remarks
7:05 – 7:45 PM — Panel 2: Types of Investment
Every company starts as a startup — but very few are venture-backed or even venture-backable. A deep dive on the full landscape of capital sources: venture capital, venture debt, commercial lending, angel investment. When each fits, when each doesn't, and how founders should think about the mix.
Panelists to be announced — featuring a VC, a venture debt provider, a commercial lender, and an angel investor.
7:45 – 8:25 PM — Panel 3: Stage Transitions
Stage transition points are make-or-break moments for growing companies. What are they in general, when do different capital sources come in, and how do these inflection points vary across different kinds of startups?
Panelists to be announced — featuring a startup lawyer, a recruiter, a multi-stage VC, and a founder who has scaled from 1 to hundreds of employees.
8:25 – 8:35 PM — EBF Community Update
What's ahead for East Bay Founders programming.
8:35 – 9:00 PM — Wrap-up and Networking
THE ROOM
Who Should Attend
Founders building companies of every shape — software, services, hardware, frontier tech
Investors and venture partners
Lenders, angels, and alternative capital providers
Product and engineering leaders thinking about funding strategy
Ecosystem builders and operators
Light dinner and refreshments will be provided.
THE COMMUNITY
About East Bay Founders
East Bay Founders is a community connecting capital, colleagues, customers, and cities to help entrepreneurs learn faster, build smarter, and scale companies that last.
Where Founders Grow. www.eastbayfounders.net