TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026: Your complete guide

TechCrunch's founder-focused event returns this fall under a new banner: Founder Summit, formerly known as Early Stage and All Stage. The one-day gathering takes place Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the SoWa Power Station in Boston, and it's aimed squarely at founders who want tactical, hands-on advice rather than a sprawling conference floor. Ticket discounts currently on offer end October 16, so the pricing clock is already running.

Why the name changed

The event's mission hasn't shifted — only the branding has. Founder Summit replaces the Early Stage and All Stage names from prior years, consolidating them into a single gathering. Anyone researching past editions should search under the old names. The format stays distinct from TechCrunch's larger Disrupt conference: where Disrupt offers a broad speaker lineup featuring names from Anthropic, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Benchmark (its tickets remain on sale separately), Founder Summit is deliberately smaller and built for deep-dive conversation.

Who it's for and what's on the agenda

The agenda concentrates on three themes: fundraising, AI-native building, and leadership. Confirmed sessions include:

• The New Rules of Raising Capital — Brian Devaney, partner at Underscore, on what investors look for now and where founders quietly lose leverage
• The CEO Job Never Gets Easier — HubSpot co-founder and Sequoia partner Brian Halligan on how the role evolves at each growth stage
• Built for AI From Day One — 7AI co-founder and CEO Lior Div on making AI the foundation rather than a bolt-on feature
• Not Every Dollar Is Equal — Cogent Security co-founder and CEO Vineet Edupuganti on cap-table trade-offs beyond valuation
• How to Spot the 'King of the Hill' Company — TDK Ventures investment director Tina Tosukhowong's framework for judging economics, scalability, and timing
• Your Company Is Who You Hire — NEA partner Melissa Taunton on early hiring and culture
• The Boston Founder Playbook — HqO co-founder and CEO Chase Garbarino on building outside Silicon Valley; he has raised $200 million and scaled to 30+ countries
• Finding Product Market Fit Before You Scale — Bessemer Venture Partners' Kent Bennett on validating demand first

Beyond the main stage, the day includes smaller breakout sessions and networking through the Braindate app, which matches investors with founders and connects founders facing similar challenges. Students can also use it to start building a network.

Surrounding events and how to attend cheaply

Founder Summit week runs November 1–7, with Side Events throughout Boston expanding the gathering beyond the single day. Companies can still apply to host their own Side Event.

On pricing, tiers move upward in phases, with the next increase coming after October 16. Current rates: $399 for investors, $199 for founders, and $149 for students, and all ticket types are currently discounted by $200. A second ticket for a co-founder or colleague comes at 50% off, and group bundles for four or more people carry additional discounts. There's also a no-cost route: volunteers who staff the event get free access to programming outside their shifts, though the volunteer application window closes October 19.

Getting there is straightforward — the SoWa Power Station is a short walk from the Back Bay and Tufts Medical Center stops on the Orange Line, or the Broadway stop on the Red Line.

Where things stand

Registration is open, speakers are confirmed, and the current discount window runs through October 16 — with the volunteer deadline following on October 19. For founders weighing attendance, the practical question is whether to lock in current pricing before either date passes and, if planning a longer stay, whether to apply to host a Side Event during Founder Summit week.