AI Founders Connect
Where founders meet capital.
Meet AI founders, investors and operators. Discuss pre-seed to Series A funding, partnerships and the next deal. AI Founders Connect is a volunteer-led, New York not-for-profit corporation. Participation is free; capital conversations are not pay-to-play.
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Inside our events
Real people. Real conversations.
See our events in action: founder pitches, investor panels and direct conversations about capital, growth and business opportunities.
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AI Founders Connect | Westminster & Partners | Where Founders Meet Capital. Published by AI Founders Connect.
Meet Muklesur Bharuya, Attorney-at-law & Barrister, Fund Manager
Muklesur Bharuya, Attorney-at-law & Barrister, Fund Manager · Founder of AI Founders Connect He founded AI Founders Connect to bring founders, investors and deal-makers into the same room. His legal background, teaching and published work inform conversations about capital, growth and commercial decisions.
Founder pitches. Investor perspectives. Four countries.
Our programme history reaches across four countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. From our early Bay Area gatherings to editions at Cambridge, Berkeley, Cornell Tech and beyond, that history is made by the people who take part. Explore our featured editions to meet their contributors and revisit the programme through the available recap sources.
Featured stories
Cambridge — 5 presenting companies. At West Hub on 29 January 2026, founders from LithoSight, Predictiva, Deep Medical, DeSolve Technology and Cellcraft presented their work. Explore Round 16 and our earlier Cambridge edition.
Cambridge, Round 16 wider event history
Cornell Tech — 8 startup pitches. Revisit the New York gathering of 23 April 2026: the companies that presented, the panel that contributed and the conversations captured in the event recap.
Berkeley — 5 VC-panel contributors. Revisit the 20 March 2025 edition at Stephens Lounge, UC Berkeley, and meet the named panel and presenting founders.
Your next conversation starts here
Upcoming event · Round 21
AI Founders Connect Hosted by Cornell Tech - Round 21
Cornell Tech, 34 North Loop Road, New York, NY 10044
From the first pitch to the next move
Meet in person. Hear the pitch. Question the business model. Meet founders and investors with time for a direct conversation.
Stay connected. Continue funding, partnership and growth conversations through the network after the event.
Build traction with one commercial metric and a focused plan. Founder Support includes monthly office hours, one document review and two brief follow-up questions. Pay $200/month for your first 3 monthly billing periods, then $500/month. Prices are in USD, including applicable tax. Free network participation remains separate.
Ideas worth bringing into the room.
Selected writing by Muklesur Bharuya, Attorney-at-law & Barrister, Fund Manager
AI in advice firms: what advisers need to know FT Adviser · 18 July 2024 · By Muklesur Bharuya, Attorney-at-law & Barrister, Fund Manager Read the article
AI will make managing money a whole lot easier FT Adviser · 13 May 2024 · By Muklesur Bharuya, Attorney-at-law & Barrister, Fund Manager Read the article
Smart-Contract: The Rise of Decentralised Finance A book by Muklesur Bharuya, Attorney-at-law & Barrister, Fund Manager, documented in City’s 2023 alumni profile. Discover the book and its story
A connected network around the founder journey
AI Founders Connect is part of a wider network of people and experience, supported by Westminster & Partners’ legal and investment businesses. Each has its own role and destination.
AI Founders Connect · Founder network Events, founder pitches and conversations about capital and growth. Explore
Westminster & Partners · Legal A separate destination for professional legal support. Explore
Westminster & Partners · Investment A separate investment business and approach. Explore
Connections with a specific story
SMU · Founder-support connection Westminster’s related legal practice is listed in SMU IIE’s legal startup perks for BIG incubatees. Explore
City · Entrepreneurial roots City’s 2023 alumni profile documents Muklesur’s LaunchLab involvement; Westminster also appears in the CityVentures startup directory. Read the 2023 founder profile · View the CityVentures directory
Purpose before profit.
We bring experienced people together in a spirit of service: sharing knowledge, opening conversations and helping founders find their next step. AI Founders Connect Inc. is a New York not-for-profit corporation, led by volunteers and built around education, mentoring and responsible AI entrepreneurship.
No pay-to-play. Community participation is free. Where we charge for event tickets, the purpose is to cover the costs of our not-for-profit activities—not to sell investor access, pitch selection or funding. Optional professional support has its own clearly defined scope and terms.
A place for people building what comes next
Founders: present your business, discuss fundraising and meet potential investors and partners.
Investors: hear founder pitches, test the proposition and discuss investment opportunities.
Operators and specialists: bring experience in funding, commercial growth, transactions and exits.
Do I need to pitch? No. Where an edition offers general attendance, you can join without pitching. Check that edition’s listing.
Is AIFC an investment fund? No. AIFC is the founder network and events organisation. The Westminster investment business is separate.
Your next deal starts with a conversation.
Join the network, explore an event or tell us how you would like to contribute.
Join our next event Founder Support — $200/month Explore Westminster & Partners Legal
Community participation is free. Join the network or get in touch to tell us how you would like to contribute.