Securing Pre-Seed Capital Without a Product

The "Winning Pre-Seed Without a Product" session is set to anchor the Builders Stage at Moscone West, scheduled for October 13-15 in San Francisco. The discussion aims to provide a roadmap for founders navigating the gap between high-level concepts and the rigorous expectations of modern seed-stage venture capital.

Three industry leaders will headline the conversation. Sandhya Venkatachalam, founder of the $52 million Axiom Partners fund, brings expertise from her background at Khosla Ventures and Social Capital, where she backed companies like Groq and GalileoAI. She will be joined by Puneet Agarwal of True Ventures, a firm with a nearly two-decade history of enterprise infrastructure investment. Rounding out the panel is Austin Clements of Slauson & Co., who focuses on economic inclusion and founder empowerment, notably through his work with the PledgeLA initiative.

This session serves as part of a broader programming rollout for Disrupt 2026, emphasizing tactical advice over general industry trends. Organizers are positioning the event as a venue for founders to refine their fundraising strategies and operational focus ahead of the late-year market push.