Boston startup leaders gather for one-day summit on scaling

The technology startup ecosystem in Boston will converge on the SoWa Power Station on November 4 for a single day of programming.

TechCrunch is hosting the Founder Summit 2026, an event co-sponsored by Fidelity Private Shares. The full-day schedule targets founders, investors, and operators who are making high-stakes decisions before their companies have established clear market answers.

The agenda extends past common topics like artificial intelligence and capital raising. Sessions are designed to address customer acquisition, team construction, and leadership development. A specific focus is placed on scaling operations in regions outside of traditional startup hubs.

Steve Fredette, the president and co-founder of Toast, is scheduled to speak on the Impact Stage. His session, titled Building a Company That Keeps Reinventing Itself, will examine how the Boston-based public company maintains its trajectory despite shifting market conditions. Fredette will discuss balancing technological evolution with the original needs that drove the business.

Investor perspectives will address the balance between rapid expansion and caution. Kent Bennett, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, will lead a session on identifying product market fit before increasing headcount or spending. Rudina Seseri, the founder and managing partner of Glasswing Ventures, will explore when founders should accelerate growth and when they should pause to protect the business.

The program includes a dedicated look at the local environment. Chase Garbarino, CEO of HqO, will present The Boston Founder Playbook. This session examines how companies can secure talent, capital, and customers in the city without replicating Silicon Valley models. Lior Div, CEO of 7AI, will also speak on the difference between adding AI to existing workflows and building a company architecture around the technology from the start.

Practical pitching skills form another pillar of the day. Dave Balter, a venture partner at True Ventures and CEO of Edisyl, will advise on how to secure further engagement with investors. Later in the afternoon, a live judging panel featuring Balter, Chirag Shah of Define Ventures, and Simran Suri of Maveron will evaluate founder presentations on the Build Stage.

Additional speakers include Hunter Worland of NEA, who will discuss distribution as a competitive advantage, and Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security, who will address building high-performance teams. Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures will cover indicators for identifying category winners. Fidelity Private Shares representatives Kristen Craft and Evan Schnidman will lead sessions on fundraising trends and enterprise relationships. The event concludes with networking opportunities and a reception.