Online Event
How to Raise Money for Your AI Startup as a Solo Founder
Hear from investors how they assess solo AI founders, and what gets you to a first check.
Date
Oct 15, 2026
Time
09:00 am - 10:00 am
Address
Online Event
Solo founders now start a large share of new companies, but they still raise a much smaller share of venture money. Many investors learned to ask about the co-founder first.
This session puts that question to investors directly. You will hear how they assess a solo AI founder in 2026, what makes up for a missing co-founder, and what traction they expect before the first check. Bring your questions for the live Q&A.
Register now and hear it from the people who write the checks.
What You'll Learn:
- How investors assess a solo founder compared with a founding team
- What evidence makes up for not having a co-founder
- How AI tools change what investors expect a solo founder to have built
- What traction a solo AI founder needs before asking for a first check
- Where solo founders find their first investors
Who Should Attend:
- Solo founders with an idea or an early product
- Aspiring founders deciding whether to look for a co-founder
- Professionals planning to build an AI startup alone
- Early founders preparing their first fundraise
Additional Resources: For more information about the investors, accelerators, incubators, and tech events available in Midwest, see our list of Startup Resources. Preparing to talk to investors? Read our Pitch Deck Guide. Want a structured path from idea to funding? Read the FI program overview.
About Founder Institute: The Founder Institute is the World's Largest AI-Native Company Builder, giving idea-stage, first-time founders, and employees making the leap to entrepreneurship the tools, global network, and proven methodology to build an AI-powered startup from zero to funding. Since 2009, our structured programs have helped over 9,000 founders across 100 countries raise more than $2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 6 continents, our mission is to empower talented and motivated people everywhere to build impactful, AI-powered companies.
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