How to Launch an AI Company in 2026 w/ Connor Sattely

You have years inside an industry and a problem AI could solve. What you don't have is a technical co-founder, so you've been waiting. In 2026, that's no longer a reason to wait. Connor Sattely, CEO of the Founder Institute, has reviewed more than 1,000 deals for 200+ VC firms. He'll show you what an AI-native startup looks like on day zero and where industry insiders have the edge. Then he goes live: someone in the chat pitches an idea, and in 10 minutes FI's AI startup agents research the market and write the customer outreach. Register now and bring your idea. Connor might run it live.

❯ What You'll Learn

How AI changed three rules of company building: you can start without a co-founder, ship an MVP in days instead of months, and bootstrap to prove demand before you raise;
Where the clearest openings are for domain experts who learn to put AI to work in the industry they already know;
What an AI-native startup looks like at day zero, from the first tools to the first customer conversation;
How FI's AI startup agents handle market research and customer outreach, shown live on an idea picked from the chat;
What to do in your first week after the session to start testing your own idea.

❯ Featured Speaker

Connor Sattely \- CEO @ Founder Institute \- Connor Sattely is the CEO of the Founder Institute\, the World's Largest AI\-Native Company Builder\. He has spent 15 years in startup ecosystems around the world\, working with thousands of startups and hundreds of local entrepreneurship programs\, and has founded companies of his own\. Before joining FI\, he spent two years at Decile Group, helping more than 200 VC firms make over 1,000 deals through VC Lab. He has also led Venture Institute, VC Lab's free program for people starting a career in venture capital, and launched the Top Decile Podcast, which interviews the newest VC firms in the Decile Group community.

❯ Who Should Attend?

Professionals with years in one industry who have spotted a problem AI