COVID-19 and “Shelter in Place” forced everyone to realign, re-evaluate and operate remotely in an imminent economic downturn. We’ve been especially attentive to the disruption in our industry and the way tech startups will form and thrive. We are excited to partner with Google for Startups and host a series of virtual sessions in order to help founders keep a pulse on the US market in rapidly shifting conditions. We will update this post regularly. In addition feel free to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook for ongoing updates.
July 1st, 9AM PST
Tech Leadership in Times of Uncertainty
The recent few months have impacted tech companies of all sizes, from seed to post-IPO. Within these companies, tech leaders have had to readjust their processes and practices to work more effectively, and align with their companies’ changing priorities. Which new technologies do these leaders look for and prioritize? How do they handle scaling / downsizing / process challenges while their employees are working remotely? Overall, how do these leaders best juggle those priorities that are tugging them from all directions? Our panel will address these topics and others in this open discussion. For additional information and to sign up click here.
June 3rd, 9AM PST
The Go-to-Market Shift for B2B Enterprise Tech
In this session, we will be hosting UpWest’s Founding Partner Shuly Galili, in conversation with Lonne Jaffe, Managing Director at Insight Partners, a leading venture capital fund that invested more than $700 million across 15+ Israeli startups, and Jocelyn Goldfein, Managing Director at Zetta Venture Partners, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on intelligence enterprise software who recently announced their new $180 million fund.
Throughout the last two decades, both Jocelyn and Lonne have accelerated business growth for billion-dollar companies by building AI/ML technologies, driving deployment strategies as well as leading and investing in sizable software deals. Lonne and Jocelyn will share their perspectives on the long-term effect of the 2020 pandemic on B2B go-to-market conditions, and how this may change the global enterprise tech investment environment: What tactical steps can founders take now to gain market intelligence, inform their strategy and increase defensibility in a post-COVID business world? What are the key indicators for predicting startup success from the get-go, and where do these reflect later on within venture capital firms’ investment process? For additional information and to sign up click here
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Previous Sessions
May 5th, 9AM PST
How Silicon Valley VCs Think About Post-COVID Opportunities
In our first session, top Silicon Valley VCs will share their perspectives on the tech environment post-COVID19, and what startups need to think about when strategizing for early-stage funding in this new reality. Topics will include: Where are the opportunities in the new market reality? Where are investors deploying capital? How is their investment thesis evolving post-COVID? For additional information and to sign up click here.
May 12, 9AM PST
Seed Strategy: Fundraising in Recession Years
In this session, we will l be hosting Jeff Clavier, Uncork Capital’s Founding Managing Partner, a veteran venture capitalist and an early-stage investor backing successful startups such as Fitbit (NYSE:FIT), Sendgrid (NYSE:SEND, Twilio), Eventbrite (NYSE:EB), Mint (Intuit), Brightroll (Yahoo), LiveRamp (Acxiom) and Wildfire (Google). Jeff will draw from his experience investing and supporting startups during the previous economic downturns, sharing his take on how founders can better prepare to raise their Seed round, as well as his perspective on how Seed funding will evolve in 2020 and beyond. For additional information and to sign up click here.
May 18, 9AM PST
The CIO View: Objectives for Startups in 2020 and Beyond
In this session, we will be hosting UpWest Founding Partner Shuly Galili and CyCognito’s CEO & Co-Founder, Rob Gurzeev, in conversation with Alan Boehme, VP Innovation Digital/Information Technology at Procter & Gamble, one of the world’s largest consumer multinational corporations. Serving in this key position, Alan is responsible for envisioning and orchestrating innovative corporate projects, outlining what companies should prioritize within their operations and how they should lead the conversation with IT leaders in today’s environment.
Alan will share his perspective on what’s on the horizon for post-COVID-19 technologies and engagement with startups in various verticals; How did the pandemic affect the application of information technology within large corporations? In what way has the innovation strategy roadmap changed and what challenges lie ahead for startups looking to sell into big corporations? Which sectors and technologies can contribute to market recovery and where is the opportunity for them to drive revenue growth, service quality, improve production, and cost controls?
For additional information and to sign up click here
