What we’re about
The Startup Traction & Funding Network brings together aspiring and experienced tech entrepreneurs to discuss, meet, and collaborate to build great new startups, and to push the local startup ecosystem forward.
This group hosts numerous free events throughout the year where you can learn the best practices of starting a company from people who have been there and done that. You’ll have the opportunity to meet local founders and investors, exchange ideas with experts, get feedback on your idea, participate in startup workshops, and more.
Typical startup event topics include:
• Refining your startup idea
• Startup legal basics
• How to pitch your startup
• How to launch a global company
• How to raise funding for your startup
• And much more!
Join the group to be invited to our next event!
For information about the investors, incubators, and tech events available, see our list of Startup Resources (https://fi.co/startup_resources). Interested in perfecting your pitch? Read our Pitch Deck Guide (https://fi.co/pitch_deck) and download templates.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- FI Pittsburgh - Philadelphia Fall 2025 Graduation: Meet the New Portfolio CompanLink visible for attendees
Join us for the most recent Pittsburgh Graduation, where you can see an inspiring talk by and a few debut presentations from the new Alumni. Learn about some of the companies that will go onto seed-accelerators, raise funding, and build the next great Pittsburgh startups. There will also be an opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs and celebrate the new Graduates.
❯ Graduation Keynote Address:
- Isabelle Kent - CEO at Startup Leaders: As the CEO of Startup Leaders, I lead the city's startup nucleus through support, mentorship, and funding. I have over 10 years of experience in strategy, growth, and innovation for startups and scale-ups across various industries. My mission is to promote, empower, and connect entrepreneurs with the resources to help them grow.
❯ We Proudly Announce the Following Graduates:
- Adaeze Udeogalanya @ African Women in STEM
- Daryl Riley @ Tendaji
- Idongesit Obeya @ Altruistic Scribe Company
- James Ndegwa @ Patient Data Exchange Inc.
- Nick Gaul @ Compete NG LLC
❯❯ This is a live, interactive online event, so be sure to RSVP at https://fi.co/e/378084/meetup to receive the Zoom URL to join us live!
- Ideation Bootcamp: Pitch ShowcaseLink visible for attendees
Join us for the Ideation Bootcamp: Pitch Showcase, where the top 5-7 startups from our latest Startup Ideation Bootcamp will present their innovative ideas to a select group of investors. These founders have gone through an intensive 8-week program, receiving expert feedback, leveraging AI tools, and applying a proven methodology to shape their startup concepts.During this event, you'll get a chance to see the next generation of startups pitch their ideas, followed by a Q&A session where founders will answer questions from VCs. Don't miss out on this exclusive showcase of entrepreneurial innovation!
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❯ What You'll Learn:- Key insights from top startup pitches and ideas.
- How founders refine their concepts with expert feedback.
- What investors look for in successful startup presentations.
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❯ Featured Speakers:- Jonathan Greechan - Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute - Jonathan Greechan is the Co-Founder & CEO of the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator. Since 2009, he has grown and scaled the organization to chapters in over 200 cities and 90 countries, producing over 7000 portfolio companies with nearly $2B in venture funding.
- Sonam Velani - Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Streetlife Ventures - A mission-driven leader bridging capital, policy, and technology, she has led multi-billion-dollar investments in climate infrastructure, affordable housing, and inclusive economic growth across roles at Goldman Sachs, the World Bank, Zipline, and the NYC Mayor’s Office.
- Olivia O'Sullivan - Head of Platform at Forum Ventures - Olivia is the Head of Platform at Forum Ventures, where she leads efforts to build communities and resources that help early-stage founders scale. With a background in brand and product marketing, Olivia has played pivotal roles in launching major initiatives and working across GTM, operations, and community to drive growth.
- Tahira Dosani - Co-founder and Managing Partner at ResilenceVC - Tahira Dosani is the co-founder and Managing Partner of ResilienceVC, an early-stage fintech fund investing in startups that drive financial resilience.
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About the Ideation Bootcamp:
The Startup Ideation Bootcamp is an intensive 8-week program to help aspiring entrepreneurs build a great startup idea using expert feedback, helpful AI tools, and a proven process. The next bootcamp will be scheduled soon, register here to get updates.
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❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights! Ensure your participation by RSVPing now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/20057 to receive the link to join us live! - Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Rich MaloyLink visible for attendees
Do you want to ask questions to startup investors about fundraising in a friendly, judgment-free environment? Are you looking to raise funding in the future, and want to learn what investors look for and how they evaluate potential investments? Then join us for this live, interactive Q&A event featuring Rich Maloy, Managing Partner at SpringTime Ventures. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your network and ask in-depth questions - Register now!
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❯ What You'll Learn:- Key metrics and pre-requisites for raising funding
- How to make yourself more attractive to investors
- The best ways to source different funding resources such as Angel investors, Venture Capitalists, grants and loans
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❯ Featured Speakers:- Rich Maloy - Managing Partner at SpringTime Ventures - Rich's mission is to rebuild the American dream through entrepreneurship. He works with early stage startups transforming the world, giving all people the opportunity to grow, learn and earn. With prior careers in finance and sales, he's now focused on startups investing through SpringTime Ventures where he is a Managing Partner. He's a father of two young children and loves sci-fi, skiing, and video games.
About the FI Venture Network
The FI Venture Network is an exclusive network of investors actively funding pre-seed and seed-stage startups before anyone else. Learn more by visiting the FI Venture Network page.
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❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights! Ensure your participation by RSVPing now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/19495 to receive the link to join us live! - Responsible AI for Startups: Frameworks You Can Apply from Day OneLink visible for attendees
AI startups face high stakes when it comes to Responsible AI as decisions made early can't be undone. At this live online event, attendees will learn how to adopt robust responsible AI frameworks from day one to stay compliant and competitive. Fion Lee-Madan, Technical Co-Founder of Asenion, will share how early-stage founders can navigate AI governance, risk, and compliance. If you're building with AI and want to learn about responsibility from the ground up, don't miss this essential session.
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❯ What You’ll Learn- How to integrate Responsible AI into your startup from day one
- Why implementing compliance and ethics early sets your AI up for long-term success
- Practical frameworks to future-proof your AI product
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❯ Featured Speaker:- Fion Lee Madan - Technical Co-Founder, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Asenion (formerly Fairly AI + anch AI) - A founder, leader, lifelong learner, and catalyst of change, Fion Lee-Madan understands the shifting B2B enterprise software landscape and the transformative impact of AI. As a technical and business executive for Fortune 500 companies and at ATG through its Oracle acquisition, she led initiatives in product-market fit, demand generation, and customer success, thriving in competitive markets. Her experience living, working, and raising children internationally over the past 20 years fuels a deep commitment to promoting the fair and responsible use of technology, and to building a global network to operationalize Responsible AI to Fairly AI standards.
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❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights! Ensure your participation by RSVPing now at 👉 https://fi.co/startupwebinar/19296 to receive the link to join us live!
