Boston New Technology (BNT)

Name: Product Proof Your Startup: What Investors Look For
Start: 2026-09-22T21:00:00.000Z
End: 2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Boston, MA

4.5•1052 ratings

About us

Boston New Technology (BNT) is one of the region’s longest-standing and most active startup communities, bringing together founders, engineers, investors, and operators for more than 15 years. Today, the ecosystem includes over 45,000 active participants across platforms, with engagement concentrated in Greater Boston and supported by a stable, repeat participant base that has expanded globally.

BNT is not a loose collection of events, but a coherent and measurable ecosystem with a clear geographic center, consistent participation, and sustained community momentum.

So what's our mission? Our mission is to embody the most inclusive and empowering tech community possible. In doing so, we strengthen the innovation economy through high-signal programming and real connection. We do this through startup showcases, targeted networking, and ecosystem amplification that helps early-stage teams gain visibility, feedback, and traction. With more than 700 startups featured, 200+ events produced, and a growing data-informed understanding of how our community functions, BNT is now focused on depth over sprawl—refining what works, strengthening the core, and building a durable foundation for long-term impact.

Upcoming events

See all

P3: They're Not Buying Your Formula. They're Buying the Painkiller..
Thu, Jul 30 · 12:00 PM EDT
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Online
Online
Founders love talking about what they've built.
Customers care about what it fixes.
One of the most common mistakes in startup pitching is spending too much time explaining the solution—and too little time helping people feel the problem.
This week's Precision Pitch Practice begins with an open discussion around one simple idea:

No one is buying your formula. They're buying the painkiller.

Together we'll explore questions like:

Are you selling features or outcomes?

Do customers immediately recognize the pain you're solving?

How can you communicate value before explaining technology?

Why do some technically brilliant products struggle to gain traction?

How do you know whether you've identified a problem people genuinely want solved?

We'll discuss why great founders don't simply build impressive products—they become deeply curious about the frustrations, obstacles, and unmet needs of the people they serve. The most compelling pitches aren't lectures about technology; they're conversations that begin with empathy.
Following the discussion, we'll transition into our traditional Precision Pitch Practice, where founders can present their elevator pitches or five-minute presentations and receive constructive feedback from fellow founders, operators, mentors, and startup leaders.

This week, we'll listen for one key question:

Would someone hearing your pitch walk away remembering your product—or remembering the problem it solves?

Whether you're refining an MVP, preparing to launch, or getting ready to meet customers or investors, join us as we explore how the strongest startups don't just explain what they do—they make people feel why it matters.
Because people rarely buy solutions.
They buy relief.
5 attendees
Boston New Technology Town Hall (Q3)
Thu, Aug 20 · 12:00 PM EDT
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Online
Online
This is an open session for our community—founders, operators, builders, mentors, and partners—to come together, hear what’s ahead, and help shape what we build next.
Boston New Technology has always been strongest when it acts as a pulse for the ecosystem: a place where people connect, exchange ideas, discover opportunities, and help one another move forward. This Town Hall is a chance to step into that conversation and help shape the next chapter together.
We’ll cover:
• What we’ve been working on across BNT
• Upcoming events and programming
• Opportunities to get involved (mentors, volunteers, collaborators)
• Open discussion and community feedback
We'll also be discussing:
• Reflections on Startup Weekend, Tech Week, and continued activity within the community
• The future of BNT programming, including showcases, Precision Pitch Practice, Product Lab, and additional community initiatives
• More hackathons to come and the return of the BNT newsletter
• Ways we can create more meaningful pathways for founders, builders, and community members to engage
If you've been attending events, thinking about getting more involved, or simply want a clearer view into where BNT is heading—this is the room to be in.
6 attendees
The Human Advantage: Progress & Trust In The Age of AI
Tue, Aug 25 · 5:00 PM EDT
Boston, MA, Boston, MA, US
This is a paid event, please register here on Luma to purchase your ticket. Non-refundable.

Artificial intelligence is changing almost every aspect of work.
Founders are using AI to build products faster.
Companies are redesigning workflows around AI agents.
Students are asking what skills will still matter.
Leaders are wondering how organizations should evolve.
But amidst all of this excitement, one question stands above the rest:
As AI becomes more capable, what becomes more valuable about being human?

Join Boston New Technology, Startup Grind Boston and StartOut Boston for an evening exploring leadership, trust, judgment, creativity, community, and organizational design in the age of AI.

Together we'll discuss questions such as:

• What should founders delegate to AI—and what should they never delegate?
• How do we preserve trust and culture in AI-enabled organizations?
• What skills will define successful leaders over the next decade?
• Can AI strengthen communities—or only individuals?
• How should educators prepare the next generation?
• What does "human-centered AI" actually mean?

This will not be another product demo or AI tools showcase.
Instead, we'll bring together founders, investors, operators, educators, students, and community leaders for an interactive discussion about how we build organizations that remain deeply human while embracing extraordinary new technology.
Whether you're building a startup, leading a company, teaching students, investing in innovation, or simply curious about the future of work, you'll leave with better questions—and practical ideas for navigating the years ahead.

About Shweta Agrawal:

Shweta Agrawal is a prominent tech executive, AI product leader, and community builder recognized as one of Boston's "Top 40 Under 40" honorees. She serves as the Co-Director and Chief Product Officer at Boston New Technology (BNT), one of the region’s most established ecosystem platforms. Since stepping into leadership at BNT, she has driven the group's mission to support early-stage startup founders, operators, and investors through curated monthly showcases, strategic networking events, and more.

With a multi-decade background that transitions from engineering into customer-centric product management, Shweta has built a track record of driving cross-functional alignments and managing large-scale, complex product life cycles. Her professional philosophy prioritizes ethical AI adoption and value-driven product development that views the overall user experience as a product in its own right. Whether advising fast-scaling startups on product market fit or building out complex tech infrastructure, her leadership emphasizes data-driven execution, measurable outcome-based OKRs, and strategic GTM scaling.

Beyond her core corporate roles, Shweta is a dedicated advocate for inclusive innovation and humanizing technology. She frequently acts as a startup mentor, explicitly focusing her advocacy on empowering female tech leaders and underrepresented founder groups within the artificial intelligence sector. Additionally, she is an active global speaker, regularly sharing product strategy frameworks on international stages such as the Women in Tech Global Conference, the AI Summit, and the CPO Summit.

Additional Speakers TBA!
2 attendees
Product Proof Your Startup: What Investors Look For
Tue, Sep 22 · 5:00 PM EDT
Boston, MA, Boston, MA, US
This is a paid event, please register here on Luma to purchase your ticket. Non-refundable.

Most founders spend too much time preparing their pitch.
The strongest founders spend that time preparing their product and obtaining validation and traction.
Before investors evaluate your deck, they evaluate something much more important:

Does this company have evidence that it can succeed?
Join Boston New Technology, Startup Grind Boston, StartOut, as we explore how founders can build products—and companies—that are ready for investment.

The evening begins with a keynote from Shweta Agrawal, who will introduce a practical framework for moving from founder assumptions to validated products through customer interviews, experimentation, product refinement, and disciplined go-to-market strategy.

We'll then hear from investors, founders, and product leaders who will discuss:
• What convinces investors that a product is ready?
• How much validation is enough?
• What customer evidence matters most?
• When does go-to-market become investment-ready?
• What mistakes do founders repeatedly make?
• How can founders reduce product risk before fundraising?

This is not another "What do investors look for?" panel.
It's a conversation about building companies that naturally earn investor confidence through evidence, execution, and customer understanding.
Whether you're preparing your first startup or scaling your next venture, you'll leave with practical ideas for building a stronger company—not simply a stronger pitch.

About Shweta Agrawal:
Shweta Agrawal is a prominent tech executive, AI product leader, and community builder recognized as one of Boston's "Top 40 Under 40" honorees. She serves as the Co-Director and Chief Product Officer at Boston New Technology (BNT), one of the region’s most established ecosystem platforms. Since stepping into leadership at BNT, she has driven the group's mission to support early-stage startup founders, operators, and investors through curated monthly showcases, strategic networking events, and more.
With a multi-decade background that transitions from engineering into customer-centric product management, Shweta has built a track record of driving cross-functional alignments and managing large-scale, complex product life cycles. Her professional philosophy prioritizes ethical AI adoption and value-driven product development that views the overall user experience as a product in its own right. Whether advising fast-scaling startups on product market fit or building out complex tech infrastructure, her leadership emphasizes data-driven execution, measurable outcome-based OKRs, and strategic GTM scaling.

Beyond her core corporate roles, Shweta is a dedicated advocate for inclusive innovation and humanizing technology. She frequently acts as a startup mentor, explicitly focusing her advocacy on empowering female tech leaders and underrepresented founder groups within the artificial intelligence sector. Additionally, she is an active global speaker, regularly sharing product strategy frameworks on international stages such as the Women in Tech Global Conference, the AI Summit, and the CPO Summit.

Additional Speakers TBA!
2 attendees