SF Exclusive VIP Drinks for AI Founders (Seed to Series A+) and Accredited Investors - Side Event at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

You're invited: SF Exclusive VIP Drinks for AI Founders (Seed to Series A+) and Accredited Investors!

A side event at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

Join us for a focused, high-density evening of high-value networking following Day 1 of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. No pitches. No panels. Authentic connections in an intimate setting over drinks. The host will be on-site to welcome you and help foster organic connections with other VIP guests.

💡 Why Attend?

- Discover new business opportunities
- Access accomplished AI founders and active investors
- Connect with our AI ecosystem in the Bay Area beyond TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

🎟️ Tickets

$20.00 per person

Approval Process: Your card will be pre-authorized upon application. You will only be charged if your application is approved. Unapproved applications will be released with zero charge. Once approved, tickets are non-refundable.

📍 Where is it?

Financial District, San Francisco
(Exact venue details will be shared with confirmed guests on October 6.)

🍻 Format

Cash bar

🎯 Who is this for?

- AI founders (Seed and Series A+)
- Accredited investors (SEC definition)

Note: A TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass is not required to RSVP.

🔍 Vetting

All guests are reviewed and vetted through sources such as LinkedIn to ensure a high-caliber experience for everyone.

Note: Service providers, sales representatives, and recruiters will not be approved.

✨ Featured guests:

Doug Barry is the Co-Founder, COO, and CFO of Proto, Inc., a next-gen spatial AI platform serving 120+ enterprise clients and backed by $35M from Tim Draper, Christie’s Ventures, and True Capital. He was previously the Co-Founder of Selby Ventures where he led a founding investment in Pandora Radio ($2.6B IPO) along with exits to Google and IBM, and the Co-Founder & CEO of Size Technologies (acquired by First Data). He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Vyoma Gajjar is an angel investor based in the Bay Area and Senior Principal AI Architect at ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW), where she leads enterprise AI architecture strategy. With over nine years of experience architecting AI systems at IBM, she brings ground-level technical insight to early-stage investing. Her focus centers on teams building AI systems that need to move from prototypes to repeatable, observable, production-grade enterprise software. She is a member of Sand Hill Angels.

👋 About the hosts:

Equity X Investments, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser in the San Francisco Bay Area (CRD #332527), serving accredited investors with fiduciary duties of loyalty and care by providing AI market research and liquid public equity strategies ($100k+ AUM) in the technology and healthcare sectors.

Akio Kurata is the Founder & CEO at Equity X, Inc. and Equity X Investments, LLC. He is a FinTech entrepreneur and portfolio manager with over 16 years of experience in AI, investment banking at Nomura and Rothschild & Co, and quantitative strategies. He holds a Series 65 license, 3 patents in AI for quantitative finance, a U.S. O-1A visa for an individual with extraordinary ability or achievement, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Tokyo.

👔 Attire

Business casual

📅 Stay in the Loop

​Subscribe to our event calendar to get notified about future curated gatherings: https://luma.com/sf-accredited-investors

🔔 Notes

RSVP now. Attendance is limited. If your registration is approved, your pass will be non-transferable and non-refundable. A QR code check-in is required for entry.

📜 Past events

AI in Production: Growth & Capital on May 12, 2026

Exclusive Gathering of Founders beyond Seed and Series A, Accredited Investors and VCs - Side Event at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 on October 27, 2025

⚠️ Disclaimers

This event is hosted by Equity X Investments, LLC (not TechCrunch Media LLC, nor any of its affiliates or brands, including TechCrunch).

By registering, you agree to receive communications from the host and sponsors, and consent to event photography for promotional use.

Content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice. Public equity strategies and private investments carry risk of loss.