ACG SV VC Startup Circle October 2026

AI is changing cybersecurity faster than ever before. Join technology and security leaders, Shaistah, Satish and Julie Tsai as they discuss where AI is giving attackers the advantage, how defenders are adapting, and what CEOs, boards, and security leaders should prioritize to protect their organizations. Expect practical insights on AI adoption, security investment decisions, leadership metrics, and the biggest mistakes organizations continue to make.

Event Details

When:

October 13, 2026 5 PM - 7 PM PDT

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Overview

Body

Where Capital Meets Growth:
Scaling AI Companies and Driving Enterprise Adoption

Artificial intelligence is creating unprecedented opportunities for founders and investors, but building a successful AI company requires more than cutting-edge technology. It demands the ability to attract capital, deliver measurable outcomes, and navigate the realities of enterprise adoption, particularly within highly regulated industries.

Join experienced founders, investors, and AI leaders for a discussion on the evolving intersection of venture capital, startup growth, and real-world AI deployment. Panelists will share insights on raising capital, building category-defining companies, and overcoming the operational, regulatory, and trust challenges that emerge when scaling AI solutions for enterprise customers. Whether you're an early-stage founder, growth-stage executive, or investor, you'll gain practical perspectives on where the next wave of value creation in AI is taking shape.

Learning Objectives

Understand how investors evaluate AI companies in today's funding environment
Learn what it takes to move AI from experimentation to production within large enterprises
Explore the unique challenges of deploying AI in regulated industries, including governance, risk management, and trust
Gain practical insights on scaling teams, products, and go-to-market strategies for sustainable growth

Speakers:

Austin Erlich
Board Member
Overlord Labs

Austin is currently Co-Chair of the HardTech SIG at the Band of Angels. The Band of Angels is based in Silicon Vally, and is the largest and oldest angel investing group in the country. In addition to his role at the Band of Angels, Austin also serves on several corporate Boards as a Director or Observer including: mmTron, OverLord Labs and Molten Dynamics, and on the advisory Board at SuperMem, and an advisor to both Silicon Catalyst, and K2X.

Prior to his role at the Band of Angels, Austin was Co-founder and CEO of Quovera. Quovera was a Systems Integration, Management Consulting, and Cloud Computing Company serving Global 100, Fortune 500 and High Growth Middle Market Clients.

Quovera, achieved profitability after three months of operations, and cash flow positive by end of year one. Doubled revenue annually for the first six years of operation ( $1M year one - $87M year six ).

Raised $27M in a series A Mezzanine Round of funding in preparation for an IPO in the fall of 2000. Selected Credit Swiss First Boston as lead Underwriter, managed IPO process through Org meeting in August of 2000.

Prior to founding Quovera, Austin led Oracle’s largest Applications consulting practice, was Director of Information Technology at Oracle, AVP at Prudential Bache Securities, Scientific Code Consultant at the John Von Neumann National Super Computer Center at Princeton, and Staff Physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics.

Umair Khalid
Managing Director - Agentic AI
Wells Fargo

I bring two decades of experience leading product teams, monetizing emerging technologies, and building zero-to-one products across AI, SaaS, cloud computing, and enterprise transformation.

Currently, I serve as Head of Product for Artificial General Intelligence at Amazon, where I lead a team focused on content acquisition and grounding services for language models.

Previously, as Head of Product for AWS Enterprise Transformation, I scaled programs and platforms that directly contributed to incremental AWS revenue which has served thousands of customers. I also pioneered AI-powered systems that improved customer success outcomes and accelerated enterprise modernization journeys.

Earlier in my career, I held product leadership roles at Blue Cross Blue Shield (Cambia Health Solutions), Verizon, Ericsson, and Motorola, where I focused on AI, data platforms, IoT, and emerging technologies. Across these roles, I built platforms that improved healthcare outcomes, helped Fortune 1000 clients scale digital transformation, and shaped early markets for IoT and big data services.

As an open-source contributor and advocate for responsible AI adoption, I’m passionate about ensuring that AI systems are both technically scalable and aligned with human needs.

Vijay Rajendran
Venture Building
gAI Ventures

Vijay Rajendran is an innovative leader and technology investor with a history of advising global companies, coaching startups, developing new markets, and creating innovative products and services.

Vijay is creating and investing in new ventures at gAI Ventures, a venture builder that transforms traditional industries with vertical AI. He has led portfolio value at 500 Global, a venture capital firm with $2.7 billion under management that invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies. He led a global team helping startups in over 80 countries and their founders develop connections, raise capital, and create a thriving community. Previously, he led a venture studio for a global bank, founded fintech and ecommerce startups, and served as a management consultant.

Vijay received a BS in Business Administration from Boston University as well as an MS in Foreign Service and an MBA from Georgetown University. He is also an alumnus of the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute. Vijay is the author of The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding with Confidence, published in 2025 by Leader’s Press. He also teaches a course on Leadership and Change Management for Startup Founders at UC Berkeley.