Startups

Boston Side Events line up at Early Stage with Techstars, Women in Tech, Harvard and more

Comment

TechCrunch Early Stage Side Events

Get ready to amplify your Early Stage 2024 experience with the electrifying lineup of Side Events taking Boston by storm during the week of April 22–28.

As the countdown to TechCrunch Early Stage begins, we’re thrilled to share our Side Events lineup to foster meaningful connections within the vibrant Boston tech community. Whether you’re a seasoned industry pro or a budding entrepreneur, our Side Events promise an unforgettable week filled with networking opportunities, innovation showcases, and engaging conversations. So mark your calendars, secure your spot, and dive into the excitement of Early Stage Week like never before!

Quick Side Event Disclaimers:

  • Registering/RSVPing to a Side Event does not grant you access/ticket/badge to the main Early Stage 2024 conference on April 25.
  • Each event is organized and operated solely by a host (i.e., not Yahoo Inc. or any of its affiliates or brands, including TechCrunch).
  • Attendance is 18+ minimum and some venues are 21+ only.
  • Side Events are open to the public unless specified.
  • Please register/RSVP for any of the Side Events you want to attend.

Early Stage 2024 Side Events schedule

TechCrunch Early Stage Happy Hour

Hosted By: Descope
Time: April 25, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Description: Join us for an after-hours TechCrunch Early Stage Founders Happy Hour. Let’s raise a glass to innovation and disrupt together!
Register Here

Smart Contract Driven Development

Hosted By: Rezoomex
Time: April 26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Description: Join our invaluable 4-hour workshop aimed at early-stage startups looking to quickly develop end-user-ready products. Founders will learn how to build smart contracts for effective team engagement, guaranteeing fairness and integrity. Non-technical? No problem — our AI tools will transform your ideas into reality. We’re offering a 20% discount on all smart contracts and a lucky draw for $10,000 in free development time! The event concludes with an opportunity for networking over beer and lunch.
Register Here

Techstars Startup Weekend Boston

Hosted By: Prepare 4 VC
Time: April 26–28, starts at 5 p.m. and runs through weekend
Description: Gain valuable insights on transforming your concept from an initial sketch to a fully-fledged startup. From pitching your idea, scrutinizing business models, identifying your target audience, to marketing your product — we cover it all! By the culmination of the 3-day event, you’ll craft an MVP and showcase it. Use the promo code “TCEARLYSTAGE” for 15% off your ticket!
Register Here

Super Founders and Funders in AI Panel & Mixer Featuring Venture-Backed Founders and VCs

Hosted By: Supermomos and HBS AI Club
Time: April 22, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Description: Join us for an intimate evening over a Founders and Funders in AI Panel & Mixer featuring venture-backed Founders and VCs, in honor of TechCrunch week! We will feature venture-backed founders and VCs in the panel. There will be time for networking and mingling, with drinks and food on the house. This event is catered to founders, VCs, and operators building full-time in the AI ML space, and also a select group of students from the HBS AI Club.
Register Here

Built World Startup Happy Hour

Hosted By: Suffolk Technologies and TriNet
Time: April 23, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Description: Calling all innovators shaping the built environment! Find the next step for your entrepreneurial journey with Suffolk Technologies + TriNet at our exclusive rooftop happy hour! Learn more about Suffolk Technologies’ BOOST Accelerator Program and TriNet’s HR solutions for startups. Network amidst breathtaking views of the Boston skyline, including iconic landmarks crafted by Suffolk such as Raffles, One Dalton, and the BU Data Science Center. Enjoy refreshing beverages, appetizers, and ignite connections that could redefine the future of the built environment.
Register Here

Founders History Tour w/SVB!

Hosted By: Silicon Valley Bank
Time: April 24, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Description: Join SVB on an interactive and non-traditional deep-dive into Boston (and America’s) rich history; founded on innovation, grit, resilience, and freewill. Hosted by SVB Boston’s Director of Startup Banking (who also happens to be a Revolutionary War re-enactor), this tour will begin with a cup’a choudah at the nation’s oldest restaurant and continue through downtown to most of the historic spots; ending at the only place in the world where you can drink a Sam Adams while looking at Sam Adams. So enjoy our historic city before TechCrunch Early Stage and join fellow founders following in the footsteps of our nation’s early founders.
Register Here

Early Stage Round Table

Hosted By: 9point8 Collective and Orrick
Time: April 24, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Description: Join 9point8 Collective and Orrick for a round table focused on accelerating your early-stage startup. Attendees will hear from serial entrepreneurs and investors covering various aspects of startup success, including going to market, cap table management, growth and scaling, and managing exits. The round table will be collaborative with audience Q&A and group participation along with the main panel.
Register Here

Startup Launchcode Founder Workshop

Hosted By: Startup Launchcode
Time: April 24, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Description: Join SVB on an interactive and non-traditional deep-dive into Boston (and America’s) rich history; founded on innovation, grit, resilience, and freewill. Hosted by SVB Boston’s Director of Startup Banking (who also happens to be a Revolutionary War re-enactor), this tour will begin with a cup’a choudah at the nation’s oldest restaurant and continue through downtown to most of the historic spots; ending at the only place in the world where you can drink a Sam Adams while looking at Sam Adams. So enjoy our historic city before TechCrunch Early Stage and join fellow founders following in the footsteps of our nation’s early founders.
Register Here

Founders Happy Hour with Vouch, Remofirst, and SVB

Hosted By: VouchRemofirst, and SVB
Time: April 24, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Description: If you’re in town for TechCrunch Early Stage or looking for a place to connect with others in the startup space, join us for a Happy Hour hosted by Vouch, Remofirst, and SVB at Black Lamb — just a 10-minute walk from the conference center! RSVP today to secure your spot for this exclusive networking event. See you soon 🥂
Register Here

Disrupt Your Chaotic Startup Life with Productivity Innovation: Networking Reception

Hosted By: SiloClick LLC
Time: April 24, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Description: Join SiloClick for a private Networking Reception on Wednesday, April 24. This event is not just a warm-up for the TechCrunch Early-Stage Conference but a transformative opportunity to navigate your startup journey more effectively. Enjoy food, beverages, and engaging conversations within your startup founder community. We welcome startup founders seeking innovative solutions to maintain wellness while achieving the optimal point of productivity for those crucial momentum moments throughout your startup journey. Investors interested in the future-of-work and productivity space and industry peers aiming to enhance both productivity and wellness in the workplace are also warmly invited!
Register Here

Startup Happy Hour with Onshape

Hosted By: Onshape (PTC Inc.)
Time: April 24, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Description: Join us the week of TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 at PTC’s headquarters for an exciting happy hour for founders! Immerse yourself in Boston’s dynamic startup community and connect with local hardware experts and innovative product designers. This event is curated for professionals seeking to broaden their network, as well as venture firms and accelerator spaces exploring collaboration opportunities. Join us for an evening dedicated to insightful conversations, new ideas, and fostering a creative community.
Register Here

Accessibility Tech and Innovation

Hosted By: Verizon
Time: April 25, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Description: At Verizon, we are striving to move our world forward through diversity, equity and inclusion. On April 25th at our Boston Innovation Lab, we are inviting and would like to hear from people who are interested in emerging technologies that can help our mission. We will have our Head of Accessibility and several startups present their ideas and would love to hear your thoughts. Together, we can do more – we can unlock opportunities for all!
Register Here

Women Tech Meetup + Panel

Hosted By: Women in Tech — Global Movement
Time:
April 25, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Description: Join our Women Tech Meetup — an incredible gathering of women in technology, female founders, entrepreneurs, community builders, and other professionals! Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, engaging conversations, networking, and a beautiful venue. Additionally, we will host a panel discussion on fundraising, venture capital, and the challenges that founders face on their journey to building successful companies, along with strategies to overcome them.
Register Here

Early Stage Deep Tech Happy Hour

Hosted By: AlleyCorp
Time: April 25, 5: 30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Description: Join AlleyCorp, Anzu Partners, Argon VC, Aurelia Foundry, Converge Ventures, Cybernetix Ventures, First Star Ventures, Glasswing Ventures, Hyperplane Ventures, and SkyRiver Ventures after TechCrunch Early Stage, for a happy hour with deep tech founders, operators, and investors. The party will start at 5:30 p.m., immediately following TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 on April 25. This event is 21+. As space is limited, please RSVP to secure your place.
Register Here

Is it SAFE?

Hosted By: Corpora
Time: April 26, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Description: Safes are the most popular early-stage financing tool today. They’re so easy to use, so they seem like a no-brainer for founders. But … are they as founder-friendly as you would think? Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let’s talk about some of the lesser-known dangers of safes, which often become apparent to founders only when it’s too late.
Register Here

Getting Ready for Due Diligence from Angel Groups and Seed Investors

Hosted By: Launchpad Venture Group
Time: April 26, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Description: This is an in-depth workshop for founders to learn when raising money from angel groups and other seed investors:

  • What does the diligence involve
  • Areas of the diligence and what investors look for in each case
  • How to prepare and what documents and artifacts you need to have ready in each area

Register Here

Women in Business

Hosted By: At the Table and Northeastern University
Time: April 26, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Description: Get ready for an extraordinary evening at Northeastern University with our “Women in Business” Networking Event, a cornerstone of our partnership with AtTheTable.io. This isn’t just an event; it’s a celebration of female entrepreneurship, designed to inspire, connect, and energize.
Register Here

More TechCrunch

The problem is not the media, but the message.

Apple’s ‘Crush’ ad is disgusting

Ever wonder why conversational AI like ChatGPT says “Sorry, I can’t do that” or some other polite refusal? OpenAI is offering a limited look at the reasoning behind its own…

OpenAI offers a peek behind the curtain of its AI’s secret instructions

The federal government agency responsible for granting patents and trademarks is alerting thousands of filers whose private addresses were exposed following a second data spill in as many years. The…

US Patent and Trademark Office confirms another leak of filers’ address data

As part of an investigation into people involved in the pro-independence movement in Catalonia, the Spanish police obtained information from the encrypted services Wire and Proton, which helped the authorities…

Encrypted services Apple, Proton and Wire helped Spanish police identify activist

Match Group, the company that owns several dating apps, including Tinder and Hinge, released its first-quarter earnings report on Tuesday, which shows that Tinder’s paying user base has decreased for…

Match looks to Hinge as Tinder fails

Private social networking is making a comeback. Gratitude Plus, a startup that aims to shift social media in a more positive direction, is expanding its wellness-focused, personal reflections journal to…

Gratitude Plus makes social networking positive, private and personal

With venture totals slipping year-over-year in key markets like the United States, and concern that venture firms themselves are struggling to raise more capital, founders might be worried. After all,…

Can AI help founders fundraise more quickly and easily?

Google has found a way to bring a variation of its clever “Circle to Search” gesture to iPhone users. The new interaction, launched in January, allows Android users to search…

Google brings a variation on ‘Circle to Search’ to iPhone users

A new sculpture going live on Wednesday in the Flatiron South Public Plaza in New York is not your typical artwork. It combines technology, sociology, anthropology and art to let…

Always-on video portal lets people in NYC and Dublin interact in real time

Apple’s iPad event had a lot to like. New iPads with new chips and new sizes, a new Apple Pencil, and even some software updates. If you are a big…

TechCrunch Minute: When did iPads get as expensive as MacBooks?

Autonomous, AI-based players are coming to a gaming experience near you, and a new startup, Altera, is joining the fray to build this new guard of AI agents. The company announced…

Bye-bye bots: Altera’s game-playing AI agents get backing from Eric Schmidt

Google DeepMind has taken the wraps off a new version of AlphaFold, their transformative machine learning model that predicts the shape and behavior of proteins. AlphaFold 3 is not only…

Google DeepMind debuts huge AlphaFold update and free proteomics-as-a-service web app

Uber plans to deliver more perks to Uber One members, like member-exclusive events, in a bid to gain more revenue through subscriptions.  “You will see more member-exclusives coming up where…

Uber promises member exclusives as Uber One passes $1B run-rate

We’ve all seen them. The inspector with a clipboard, walking around a building, ticking off the last time the fire extinguishers were checked, or if all the lights are working.…

Checkfirst raises $1.5M pre-seed to apply AI to remote inspections and audits

Close to a decade ago, brothers Aviv and Matteo Shapira co-founded a company, Replay, that created a video format for 360-degree replays — the sorts of replays that have become…

Controversial drone company Xtend leans into defense with new $40 million round

Usually, when something starts to rot, it gets pitched in the trash. But Joanne Rodriguez wants to turn the concept of rot on its head by growing fungus on trash…

Mycocycle uses mushrooms to upcycle old tires and construction waste

Monzo has raised another £150 million ($190 million), as the challenger bank looks to expand its presence internationally — particularly in the U.S. The new round comes just two months…

UK challenger bank Monzo nabs another $190M as US expansion beckons

iRobot has announced the successor to longtime CEO, Colin Angle. Gary Cohen, who previous held chief executive role at Timex and Qualitor Automotive, will be heading up the company, marking a major…

iRobot names former Timex head Gary Cohen as CEO

Reddit — now a publicly-traded company with more scrutiny on revenue growth — is putting a big focus on boosting its international audience, starting with francophones. In their first-ever earnings…

Reddit tests automatic, whole-site translation into French using LLM-based AI

Mushrooms continue to be a big area for alternative proteins. Canada-based Maia Farms recently raised $1.7 million to develop a blend of mushroom and plant-based protein using biomass fermentation. There’s…

Meati Foods bites into another $100M amid growth to 7,000 retail locations

Cleaning the outside of buildings is a dirty job, and it’s also dangerous. Lucid Bots came on the scene in 2018 with its Sherpa line of drones to clean windows…

Lucid Bots secures $9M for drones to clean more than your windows

High interest rates and financial pressures make it more important than ever for finance teams to have a better handle on their cash flow, and several startups are hoping to…

Israeli startup Panax raises a $10M Series A for its AI-driven cash flow management platform

The European Union has deepened the investigation of Elon Musk-owned social network, X, that it opened back in December under the bloc’s online governance and content moderation rulebook, the Digital Services Act…

EU grills Elon Musk’s X about content moderation and deepfake risks

For the founders of Atlan, a data governance startup, data has always been at the heart of what they do, even before they launched the company. In fact, co-founders Prukalpa…

Atlan scores $105M for its data control plane, as LLMs boost importance of data

It is estimated that about 2 billion people, especially those in lower and middle-income countries, lack access to quality and affordable essential medicines. The situation is exacerbated by low-quality or even killer…

Axmed raises $2M from Founderful to streamline drug supply chains in underserved markets

For decades, the Global Positioning System (GPS) has maintained a de facto monopoly on positioning, navigation and timing, because it’s cheap and already integrated into billions of devices around the…

Xona Space Systems closes $19M Series A to build out ultra-accurate GPS alternative

Bankruptcy lawyers representing customers impacted by the dramatic crash of cryptocurrency exchange FTX 17 months ago say that the vast majority of victims will receive their money back — plus interest. The…

FTX crypto fraud victims to get their money back — plus interest

On Wednesday, Google launched its digital wallet in India with local integrations, nearly two years after the app was relaunched as a digital wallet platform in the U.S. As TechCrunch exclusively reported last month,…

Google Wallet is now available in India

Bluesky has launched a new product roadmap for the coming months. The decentralized social network said on Tuesday that it is planning to introduce direct messages, support for videos, improved…

Bluesky to add DMs, video support and in-app custom feed curation

Samsung Medison, a medical device unit of Samsung Electronics that specializes in developing diagnostic imaging devices, said on Wednesday it plans to acquire Sonio, a Paris-based startup that makes AI-powered software…

Samsung Medison to acquire French AI ultrasound startup Sonio for $92.7M