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During the day at WAIC, everyone talks about models, fundraising, and the next big wave.

But when the exhibition halls close, we want to bring together a different crowd — founders who are still on the front lines: finding users, building products, and earning their first real revenue.

This time, we’re taking over a pub and asking one serious question:

Given your current cash flow, growth rate, and burn rate, can your startup survive without raising another round?

In Silicon Valley, this is known as being Default Alive or Default Dead. As Paul Graham puts it, a company that is Default Alive can survive on its own even if the next round of funding never comes. A company that is Default Dead, on the other hand, is already running against the clock.

For this Startup Bistro Night | WAIC Special Edition, we’re doing things a little differently.

You can:

- Post your toughest business need on our Bounty Wall

- Introduce yourself, your product, and what you’re looking for in a 60-second open mic

- Bring an unvalidated project on stage and put it through a real market test

- Meet founders, builders, investors, and operators who are actively building in AI and going global

- If you’re looking for users, resources, partners, or simply trying to figure out whether your project is Default Alive or drifting toward Default Dead, join us for a drink on July 17.

Event Details

Time: 18:30 – 22:00

Date: July 17

Location: By the Suzhou Creek, Shanghai

Exact venue will be shared after registration approval.

Who’s coming: 100+ of the youngest, most AI-native, and internationally minded AI builders.

What’s on the Agenda

18:30 – 19:00  Check-in, networking, and some real-world fuel

19:00 – 19:10  Opening remarks

19:10 – 19:20  Open Mic｜60-second founder flash pitches

19:20 – 19:35 GTM at the Speed of AI

Speaker: Jose Florido, Chief Market Development Officer at Magnific, Former Product & Design Lead at Google / Meta / Spotify

19:35 – 19:50 

19:50 – 20:15 Frontline Bounty Hunters｜Flash Talks

20:15 – 20:35 Special Interactive Session｜Vibe-Killing

20:35 – Late Pizza, beer, and late-night founder rants

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Who Will Be There

- Serial entrepreneurs in AI

- Indie hackers building for global markets

- AI product managers, algorithm engineers, and big-tech operators — both full-time and soon-to-be founders

- Early-stage angel investors looking for promising projects

- Partners and leaders from well-known early-stage investment firms in China and abroad

- WAIC exhibitors and ecosystem partners

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Who Should Join

This event is for you if you are:

- An AI builder currently working on a global-facing product

- An ambitious founder who wants to build a profitable business before chasing investment

- Curious to see what the youngest, most global, and most AI-native builders are working on

- An investor interested in AI projects led by Gen Z founders 

- Looking for users, partners, talent, resources, or brutally honest market feedback