From Toast to Bessemer: Who founders will hear from at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 

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.