By Prakash Narayan-
TiEcon 2024 will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center from May 1 through 3, and the readers of this article get a special 15% discount if you use the code TIECON2024INDICA when you register at tiecon.org
TiEcon is the flagship conference for entrepreneurs hosted by TiE Silicon Valley. It is one of the largest entrepreneur conferences in the world that is run entirely by volunteers. The conference attracts attendees from around the globe.
This year, the theme of the conference is AI Ubiquity. With keynotes by Jensen Huang, Nikesh Arora, Navin Chaddha, Jay Chaudhry and others, there is bound to be a lot of buzz around AI at the conference. While TiEcon is well known for its fabulous content, some of the key take-aways that people get from this annual event are the various entrepreneur programs that are held:
- Startup Bootcamp
- LLM Bootcamp (by NVIDIA)
- AI Bootcamp (by Google)
- VC Connect
- MentorConnect
- TiE50
- Expo
A brief description on some of these programs is provided below. The programs are structured so that there is minimal overlap. This will allow entrepreneurs to attend more than one program if they so desire.
- Startup Bootcamp
TiEcon Startup Bootcamp is an intensive full day program designed to provide early-stage entrepreneurs with the necessary tools, resources, and network to take their startup to the next level.
This year’s TiEcon Startup Bootcamp will be held on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Santa Clara Convention Center. It will feature renowned entrepreneurs, educators, investors, and mentors who will share their insights and expertise with the participants.
This unique format will allow entrepreneurs to learn from Silicon Valley experts about how to start right. Attendees will work with mentors, seasoned entrepreneurs and local business leaders in a small group setting and gain insights on how to take their business to the next level. The startups will also have an opportunity to pitch to a panel of investors and get feedback from them.
The fee to participate in Startup Bootcamp is $249 – to be added to the TiEcon registration.
- VC Connect
VC Connect takes place on Thursday, May 2nd from 2:30 to 5:00 pm at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
The VC Connect program gives entrepreneurs a chance to get feedback directly from seasoned Silicon Valley venture capitalists. These VCs have invested in and helped grow startups from early stage all the way to exit. Their expertise spans AI, Security, Cloud, Enterprise applications and more.
The fee to participate in VC Connect is $249 – to be added to the TiEcon registration. There is a curation process for startups to participate in VC Connect. Once a startup registers, they receive a qualification form which they must submit. The expectation is that the entrepreneurs are working full time on their startup. Since there are limited seats at the table, we request only one founder per startup to participate.
A maximum of 3 entrepreneurs will have a discussion with a VC for 50 minutes. After that, the VCs will be rotated, and the founders will have a second session with a different VC. This allows entrepreneurs to get feedback from 2 different investors over nearly 2 hours.
- MentorConnect
MentorConnect program offers a structured environment for Mentorship to TiEcon 2024 attendees. It is held over two cohorts over lunch (12:30 pm to 1:30 pm) on Thursday, May 2nd and Friday, May 3rd.
All the mentors are highly accomplished entrepreneurs and professionals. Mentees have the opportunity to seek advice and get feedback from these luminaries in a small setting (typically not more than 6 per table). This year, given the theme of the conference of Ubiquitous AI, there are many AI experts among the list of Mentors. Whether the mentee is a novice entrepreneur or a wannabe entrepreneur looking to validate your idea, they have the opportunity to get mentored on a near one-on-one basis with some of the very best in the business.
Here is a sampling of Mentors in this year’s program:
To participate in this program, include the MentorConnect Add-on during registration for the conference – for a fee of $99. For those that select the MentorConnect Add-on, they will receive a separate email to select a Mentor of their choice (for each day) from a cross section of luminaries.
- TiE50
TiE50 is TiE Silicon Valley’s premier annual awards program, contested by thousands of early to mid-stage startups worldwide. Participating technology startups benefit from significant exposure to venture capitalists, angels, and entrepreneurs; in-person product showcasing, and business partnering/networking.
Since the inception of the TiE50 program, about 85% of the winners and top startups have been funded with over a billion dollars. Many of these companies have been acquired or went IPO. About 29 of the exits were over $100 Million, e.g., FireEye (IPO), Mulesoft (IPO), Pearl Therapeutics (acquired by Astra Zeneca), and Velocloud (acquired by VMware).
A select panel of experts will screen the companies. This process weeds through the applicant pool to select the very best 50 finalists.
The selected startups will pitch on May 2 at TiEcon 2024 with a 3-minute video recording and will have the opportunity for live Q&A.
There are several other benefits for TiE50 winners:
- Grand Awards ceremony on Main Stage with the award presentation from accomplished keynote speakers and sponsor
- Photo opportunity for PR and news
- Opportunity to network with Sponsors, Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, and some of the brightest minds of Silicon Valley
- Year-round branding and logo promotion on TiE Silicon Valley and TiEcon websites
- $800+ VALUE encompassing Annual Membership to TiESilicon Valley chapter for 1 team member ($150 value), one complimentary pass to TiEcon 2023 ($429 value), discounted prices for additional team members to attend TiEcon 2024, discounted rates for VC Connect & TiEcon Expo, and complimentary Mentor Connect ($99 value)
- The top TiE50 winners will get the chance to audition live for the “Meet the Drapers” show during TiEcon
- TiE50 networking booth
- Expo
TiEcon 2024 Expo provides you with physical booth spaces to showcase your products and technology. Expo will feature startups, technology corporations, research labs, and universities showcasing their products and services to conference attendees.
Why exhibit at TiEcon 2024?
- Meet your prospects face-to-face!
- Showcase technology; position your brand; product or book launch in-front of 5000+ technology professionals.
- Face-to-face access to attendees with direct purchasing and referral power.
- Network and create direct connections with strong decision makers.
- Use your space to attract talent for hiring.
- Send a message about new deals, services, and why one would choose you over other competitors.
You can request a booth by navigating from: https://tiecon.org. The code provided earlier TIECON2024INDICA is applicable across all registrations.
