Find a Cofounder, Help or Join a Startup

Build or join a startup in one night. Meet cofounders, collaborators and early-stage teams

So we're doing something different! Now in our 4th year during TechCrunch Disrupt, we're bringing a more intentional approach to networking.

Here's the idea: Looking for a co-founder, team member or the right connections to grow your startup? Or have skills, expertise or resources to offer a startup? We're bringing founders, tech professionals, investors and others in the startup ecosystem together to find their best fit.

Part 1: Speed Pitches
Share what you do, what you're looking for or how you'd like to contribute. Sign up to pitch at check-in.

Part 2: Curated Networking
Join breakout groups designed to connect you with people who best match your goals and interests. Prefer to mingle freely? You're welcome to skip the pitch, hop between groups or simply network on your own.

Schedule:
5:00 PM – Doors open for networking
6:15 PM – Founder pitches
6:45 PM – Breakout groups
8:00 PM - Happy Hour offsite

🚀 What happens:

Founders pitch early-stage startups
Live audience voting selects the top startup of the night
Attendees join breakout groups to collaborate, give feedback, or join teams

🤝 Who should attend:

Startup founders
Engineers & builders
Designers & marketers
Investors & operators

💡 Why come:

Meet potential co-founders and teammates
Get real feedback on your idea
Discover early-stage startups to join

🏆 The winning startup qualifies for our championship round at the end of the year to pitch for the grand prize!

Hosted by:
Founder Institute San Francisco/Oakland
AI rewrote the rules of startup building and the playbook has changed. Tech & skills are no longer the bottleneck: speed & direction are.
Founder Institute merges structured learning and execution + AI agents that build alongside you.

The Method: Business bootcamp structure + weekly pitch feedback + founder working groups.
The Network: 1:1 mentor sessions, Funding Lab, legal aid, and global event access.
The Result: 9,000+ founders across 100 countries backed by $2BN+ raised.

We give early-stage founders the tools, network, and momentum to go from zero to funding.
Learn More: https://fi.co/aifounder
Interested in our program? Meet the Team: Jeni & Lucas - come say "hi" 🌞
➡️ Our upcoming Fall cohort starts soon! Apply by Oct 30th https://fi.co/san-francisco

Startup Oasis
Is a global, grassroots-powered community connecting founders with cofounders, teammates, go-to-market opportunities and professional services while helping tech professionals find roles at startups.

Stop wandering the desert, and join the Oasis.