From Toast to Bessemer: Who founders will hear from at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026
Developed over time first seen 1 hour ago
TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 will bring founders, investors and operators together in Boston on 4 November to discuss practical challenges in building and scaling companies. The full-day event will cover customer acquisition, product-market fit, hiring, pitching, leadership and growth, extending beyond fundraising and AI.
Speakers include Toast co-founder Steve Fredette on continually adapting a company, Bessemer Venture Partners’ Kent Bennett on assessing product-market fit before scaling, and Glasswing Ventures’ Rudina Seseri on when to accelerate or hold back. 7AI chief executive Lior Div will discuss building a company around AI from the outset; the article presents the programme as advice drawn from investors’ and operators’ experience.
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In short
- Founder Summit takes place in Boston on 4 November.
- Sessions address product-market fit, scaling and company building.
- Speakers include leaders from Toast, Bessemer and 7AI.
How this story developed
- 5 minutes ago TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 will bring founders, investors and operators together in Boston on 4 November to discuss practical challenges in building and scaling companies. The full-day event will cover customer acquisition, product-market fit, hiring, pitching, leadership and growth, extending beyond fundraising and AI.
Explained simply
Founders are people who start companies, while investors provide money and advice in the hope that those companies will grow. As a business develops, its leaders must find customers, work out whether people want its product and decide when to hire or expand.
The event brings together people with experience in those decisions. Speakers include Steve Fredette, co-founder of payments company Toast, and investors Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners and Rudina Seseri of Glasswing Ventures; 7AI chief executive Lior Div is also due to discuss building a company around artificial intelligence.
Their different roles offer perspectives on how companies can adapt, assess demand and choose when to grow. These questions matter to founders because decisions made early on can shape a company’s direction and use of resources.
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