Founders' Corner Part II
Where Ideas, Capital & Community Connect Between Silicon Valley & Asia
Complimentary registration is available through Kampong Collective, thanks to our sponsors. Registration subject to approval.
Silicon Valley Access Week
October 16, 2026 · 12:30 PM–4:30 PMDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room No. 225150 E San Fernando St, San Jose, CA 95112Co-hosted By
Lead Sponsor
You don't have to be a founder to join Founders' Corner.
Founders' Corner brings together founders, investors, professionals, mentors, students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and curious minds to exchange ideas, make meaningful connections, and explore opportunities between Silicon Valley and Asia.
Launched at Kampong Collective's Spice & Story in August, Founders' Corner created a new kind of gathering within the Kampong, the Malay word for "village," where entrepreneurship, community, and connection come together.
This October, the conversation continues.
Kampong Collective is partnering with Pitch Global and Silicon Valley Access during Silicon Valley Access Week to bring our communities and networks together.
Come meet founders. Hear investor perspectives. Discover what people are building. Make connections that could lead somewhere.
And if you're building something yourself, come as our guest. Pitch slots for this session are now full, and the afternoon still puts you in the room with investors, mentors, and fellow founders.
Join Us as Our Guest
Register through Kampong Collective for complimentary access, made possible by the generous support of our sponsors. Registration is subject to approval.
Come Curious. Leave Connected.
What You'll Find at Founders' Corner
No pitch deck required. Come to listen, learn, connect, and discover.
Ideas Worth Discovering
Hear what founders are building and gain insight into how investors think about opportunities, growth, and fundraising.
People Worth Meeting
Connect with founders, investors, professionals, mentors, students, and others who bring different experiences, expertise, and networks into the room.
Opportunities Worth Exploring
Discover conversations around markets, capital, partnerships, and connections between Silicon Valley and Asia, with Kampong Collective bringing its Southeast Asian roots and community into the conversation.
Who belongs here?
Founders' Corner is founder-friendly, but it isn't founders-only. You'll feel at home here if you're:
- A founder or entrepreneur building something
- An aspiring founder with an idea or the curiosity to start
- An investor looking to discover emerging founders and companies
- A professional, executive, or mentor ready to connect, contribute, or open doors
- A student curious about startups, entrepreneurship, and what's possible
- Interested in business, investment, and opportunities between Silicon Valley and Asia
- Or simply someone who wants to meet interesting people building interesting things
Everyone's welcome
Whether you joined us at Spice & Story or are discovering the Kampong for the first time, there's a place for you here. You do not need to have attended Part I to join us.
October 16 · 12:30–4:30 PM
Afternoon Program
Arrival + Registration
Check in, settle in and start connecting.
Welcome
Opening remarks and introduction to the afternoon.
Investor Fireside Chats
Keynote Fireside: PR Yu, Founder and Managing Partner of Yu Galaxy, one of the US' largest solo-GP firms with $600M in assets under management. From the National Renewable Energy Lab to Innovalight, acquired by DuPont, to Optony and SV Tech Ventures. More than 100 investments, some decided in days, not months.
Takayuki Kihara, CFO of NEC X, NEC's Palo Alto venture studio that has backed more than 100 startups, with equity-free capital of up to $250K. Twenty-three years across Japan, India, and the US, from AI solutions at NEC Laboratories India to Vodafone and SoftBank Japan.
HJ Hu, Partner in Growth Investments at Novo Holdings, the Novo Nordisk Foundation's investment arm. Twenty-five years backing healthcare and technology across the US, Asia and Europe, from co-founding Cathay Health to building Temasek's medtech investing. Educated at Stanford and Harvard.
All three in conversation with Axel Tillmann of Pitch Global, followed by Q&A.
Founder Pitches
Selected companies present for up to eight minutes. Then the room reacts: candid questions, honest feedback, and real-time responses that show you how your story lands with investors and operators.
Elevator Pitches + Founder Resources
Additional startups and individuals can pitch what you’re building. You never know who’s in the room. Your next partner, team member, mentor, or connection to California government-funded business support could be listening!
Networking
Continue the conversations and connect across the Silicon Valley and Asia ecosystem, with curry puffs that are uniquely Malaysian and Singaporean, made with love by Jai Kandayah of MYSelera Bistro, Kampong Collective's chef extraordinaire.
Founders: Pitch Applications Are Now Closed
Thank you to everyone who applied. Pitch slots for Founders' Corner Part II are full, and we are no longer accepting new applications.
You are still very welcome for the afternoon. Investors, mentors, and fellow founders will be in the room.
Beyond the Pitch
Founders' Corner is about more than a few minutes at the microphone. Participating startups can gain visibility, make connections across the Silicon Valley and Asia ecosystem, receive feedback, and connect with California government-funded business assistance, mentoring and grants advisory resources.
How to join
Register
Complimentary registration is available through Kampong Collective, thanks to our sponsors. Registration is subject to approval.
Why Founders' Corner?
Southeast Asian cultures, voices, and contributions remain underrepresented in many of the spaces where ideas are seen, connections are made, and opportunities are created.
Kampong Collective exists to help change that.
We convene communities to elevate and amplify Southeast Asian voices and expressions, build meaningful connections, and create opportunities for greater visibility and success.
Founders' Corner extends that mission into entrepreneurship and innovation, creating a place where founders, investors, professionals, mentors, students, and communities can connect, share ideas, and open doors for one another.
Because celebrating where we come from also means creating opportunities for where we can go next.
Join Us at Founders' Corner Part II
Where Ideas, Capital & Community Connect Between Silicon Valley & Asia
Complimentary Registration
Complimentary registration is available through Kampong Collective, thanks to our sponsors. Registration is subject to approval.
Founders' Corner Part II is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, including Singapore Global Network.
We'd love to get to know you. By sharing a little about yourself, you help Kampong Collective and Singapore Global Network understand and serve our growing community more meaningfully, while keeping you connected to future events, stories, and opportunities.
There's a place for you in the Kampong.