Boulder Startup Week 2025

- First time founders make a lot of mistakes. And a lot of those mistakes are the same mistakes as every first time founder.- You can learn everything the hard way or hear some stories that might save you the pain.- I’ll share stories and then we’ll workshop your first time founder problems. And what you’re probably missing.

Are you raising money for your startup? Or interested in eventually raising money? Join this panel discussion hosted by Boulder investors and founders to unpack what it means to raise money. Expect a candid conversation with the hopes of demystifying Venture Capital and other forms of funding. This panel will be hosted by:

Natty Zola - Partner at Matchstick Ventures (seed stage investor)
Nicole Glaros - former MD for Techstars Boulder
Jaclyn Hester - Partner at Foundry (growth stage investor)
Yoav Lurie - successful founder and angel investor

AI startups raised $97B in 2024, but let’s be real—most of them are just glorified features, not standalone businesses. If your AI tool can be replicated or absorbed by a larger platform, you’re not building a company—you’re building someone else’s roadmap.In this brutally honest session, we’ll unpack why so many AI startups struggle to move beyond the “cool demo” phase and how to break out of the feature trap. We’ll cover:The Feature vs. Product vs. Company framework—where does your AI idea actually sit?

1. Why distribution, not technology, determines your fate
2. Why founding mindset matters
3. How to anchor AI capabilities to a defensible business modelLessons from AI startups that escaped feature purgatory—and those that didn’t

If you’re building an AI startup and raising VC funding, you need to think bigger. Come ready to challenge your assumptions and leave with a playbook for how to assess if you're building a lifestyle biz, a seasonal tool or a VC-backable company.

As your startup grows, understanding the legal essentials is crucial for protecting innovations, scaling effectively, and ensuring long-term success. This session covers key topics like navigating fundraising complexities, resolving disputes proactively, and staying compliant with evolving AI regulations. Gain practical insights to confidently tackle legal challenges and strategically scale your business in a fast-paced, regulated environment.