Funding Fridays by TiE Silicon Valley

​TiE Silicon Valley’s Funding Fridays is designed to help founders accelerate their fundraising through direct conversations with venture capitalists, real-time feedback, and meaningful investor connections tailored to your stage and sector.

​Featured VC: Venky Karnam, Partner at Ahead VC

​About Ahead VC: Ahead VC are the first believers in brilliant outsiders, operating on the conviction that only outsiders change the status quo. They write the first checks in visionary builders and actively support them in gaining critical access to both capital and enterprise customers.

​While supporting amazing builders across stages, their key areas of interest include: • Applied AI (including agentic automation, vision, and voice-based applications) • Robotics and next-generation automation • Startups disrupting standard operational paradigms based in the US and India

​They look for bold founders building high-impact startups with deep operational conviction.

​This session is a unique opportunity for founders currently raising capital to:
✅ Pitch directly to an active investor
✅ Receive candid, actionable feedback on your fundraising strategy
✅ Build meaningful connections to advance your fundraising journey

​ℹ️ Format: In-person 1:1 meetings with the VC
📅 Date: Friday, June 19, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT