TechCrunch's 2025 will feature a candid conversation at Builders Stage in 2025, taking place in Moscone West, San Francisco from October 27-29. This unlocks what startup funding looks like beyond venture capital Echo Chamber.
Funding routes that don't start in the valley
Today's founders have more capital paths than ever before. But how do you navigate them? And do you know which ones actually support your growth? In this session, listen to Erik Allebest, CEO and co-founder of Chess.com. Gale Wilkinson, Vitalize's founder and managing partner. Kay Makishi, Vice President of Lupoff/Stevens Family Office. Each brings a different perspective on how to raise funds without giving up on the vision or cap table.
Whether building through bootstrap, family office taps, or angel networks, this discussion breaks down what is currently working, what to avoid, and how to choose the approach that suits your goals.
Meet speakers who open up new funding lanes
Erik Allebest transformed his university passion into Chess.com. It is currently a leading platform for players and learners with over 200 million users. Built without chasing venture capital, it is a bootstrap success story in its own league.
Gale Wilkinson has made 50 personal angel investments and led more than $80 million in early stage funding across 150 startups. She is a WorkTech expert, venture diversity champion and a go-to voice for founders who want value-sharing capital.
Kay Makishi is a New York-based family office that brings cross-border lenses as a leading investor. With our experience spanning our markets with the Japanese market, she offers rare insights into how high-netted individuals and families can set back the startups for returns as well as impact.
Skip the status quo and provide funding smarter
There are multiple ways to reach the next round. Don't miss this session showing how founders fund differently. Destroy the pass to TechCrunch today in 2025, saving up to $668 on ticket savings and in a room with over 10,000 startups and VC leaders.
TechCrunch Events
San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025
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