Building a Unicorn with AI Agents: From Idea to First Check
You have the idea. What you don't have is the money to hire a team, and no investor will write a check until you show traction. Join Adeo Ressi, Chairman of the Founder Institute, to learn how solo founders run a squad of AI agents in place of their first five hires, what investors look for in AI-native companies in 2026, and how FI companies get funded, from Founder Capital's $25K first checks to the FI Venture Network and local demo days. Register now and bring your questions for Adeo.
What You'll Learn:
How a squad of AI agents can cover the work of your first five hires, from market research to sales outreach;
What investors look for in AI-native companies in 2026, and which signals get you a first meeting;
What a fundable AI-native company needs to show before it gets its first check;
How FI companies get funded, including Founder Capital's $25K first checks, the FI Venture Network and local demo days;
How to put questions about your own company directly to Adeo, who has launched 14 venture capital funds.
Featured Speaker:
Adeo Ressi - Chairman @ Founder Institute - Adeo Ressi is the Chairman of the Founder Institute, the World's Largest AI-Native Company Builder, and CEO of Decile Group. He has founded 11 startups, launched 14 venture capital funds and generated nearly $2 billion in exits before the age of 30. He is also the inventor of the SAFE note, and through Decile Group he backs emerging venture capital managers around the world.
Who Should Attend:
Solo founders who already have an idea and want to turn it into a fundable company;
Founders already building with AI tools who want to know what investors expect next;
Professionals planning to leave their job and start a company in the next year;
Aspiring founders considering the next Founder Institute cohort.
Additional Resources: Find more Startup Events, learn about the Founder Institute Agentic Program, or explore AI Tools for Startup Ideation and Validation to shape what you build first.
About Founder Institute: The Founder Institute is the World's Largest AI-Native Company Builder, giving idea-stage, first-time founders, and employees making the leap to entrepreneurship the tools, global network, and proven methodology to build an AI-powered startup from zero to funding. Since 2009, our structured programs have helped over 9,000 founders across 100 countries raise more than $2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 6 continents, our mission is to empower talented and motivated people everywhere to build impactful, AI-powered companies.