FUNDA: Next Wave of Indian-Origin Founders

FUNDA’s San Francisco gathering, Young, AI-Native, Shipping Fast: The Next Wave of Indian-Origin Founders, runs Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. Registration and networking open at 5:00, with welcome remarks, a panel, Q&A, then dinner networking from about 6:35 onward. The exact address publishes after host approval. Luma lists the night as approval-required with limited capacity, so a submitted request is not a reserved seat until the host confirms.

FUNDA is a curated Indian-origin founder circle, not an open Meetup. The theme targets young AI-native builders and operators who want peer density rather than a tourist keynote. That filter matches Circuit’s bar for diaspora founder rooms that compound beyond free drinks. Apply only if you can contribute a real shipping story; cold networking without product context is a weak fit for this gate.

This is right for Indian-origin AI founders and aligned operators who can clear an approval gate. Skip it if you need a public ticket or a general AAPI career mixer. Wait for the address before blocking travel across the city or from the Peninsula. Dinner networking is part of the night; arriving only for the panel and leaving early wastes the densest introduction window.

Approval emails can land late in the day. Keep Thursday evening soft until the venue note arrives, and do not book a hard dinner elsewhere that conflicts with the 6:35 networking block. If you are waitlisted, check Luma once more the morning of rather than refreshing all afternoon; capacity moves when guests decline. Bring a concise shipping update you can share in two minutes so dinner introductions stay concrete without becoming a pitch theater night.

Same week as TiE SV Investors Day and Off the Record; pick the room that matches capital versus peer founder density. Request access on Luma early, wait for approval and the venue note, then keep the confirmation for check-in. Re-check Luma if capacity fills and the page moves to waitlist.