KHIPU for Startups
Co-located with KHIPU 2027 (April 5–9, 2027), KHIPU for Startups is a new two-day track bringing together a curated cohort of 30–50 technical founders, CTOs, and AI builders from across Latin America for candid conversations, technical exchange, and community building alongside the 500+ researchers, students, and international pioneers gathered in São Paulo.
Why KHIPU for Startups?
1. Where Research Meets AI Building
Bring Latin America’s technical startup builders into the same intellectual environment as the region’s scientific community at USP—sparking new ideas, technical exchange, and collaborations across academia and industry.
2. Candid Perspectives on Scaling AI
Hear directly from global and regional founders, research pioneers, and engineering leaders—including confirmed speakers Oriol Vinyals, Nando de Freitas, Sara Hooker, and Duda Franklin—on what it takes to build, adapt, and scale ambitious AI companies.
3. A Connected Regional Ecosystem
Build lasting relationships with fellow technical founders, AI researchers, investors, and ecosystem partners from across Latin America and the global AI community during two focused days in São Paulo.
Program Highlights
The Startup Track combines dedicated founder-focused sessions during the day with shared main-stage keynotes and evening community events across the full KHIPU 2027 conference. Planned sessions include:
Fireside Chats & Frontier Perspectives
Candid conversations with frontier AI leaders and founders—including Oriol Vinyals on transitioning from leading research at Google DeepMind to co-founding Discovery Loop, alongside sessions with Nando de Freitas, Sara Hooker, and Duda Franklin.
Compute Clinic
Focused talks from AI labs, cloud providers, and startups on securing compute and training models efficiently on a budget, followed by a practical discussion on doing more with less.
VC Workshop & Pitch Feedback
Investors and technical founders discuss what AI investors in Latin America and globally look for today, followed by small-group roundtable feedback with VCs.
Hands-On Engineering & Agent Workflows
Practical, code-first sessions where engineering teams walk through real production setups, agent architectures, evaluation pipelines, and model adaptation in practice.
Applied Technical Talks
Deep dives into core technical challenges facing AI startups—from training and evaluating with synthetic data to fine-tuning and deploying domain-specific models.
Morning Keynotes & Poster Sessions
Join KHIPU’s 500+ researchers and students for morning plenary keynotes and evening poster sessions (140+ research posters), connecting directly with the region’s academic labs and emerging talent.
Industry & Career Fair Mixer (Thu 17:00–18:30)
Connect with PhD and MSc students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty from across Latin America during Thursday’s unopposed plenary Career Fair and networking reception.
Founder Networking & Startup Alumni Network
Build lasting peer connections across the cohort in São Paulo and stay connected year-round through the KHIPU Startup Alumni Network.
Attending in the Startup Cohort vs. Sponsoring KHIPU
There are two distinct ways for startups, technology companies, VCs, and labs to take part in KHIPU 2027. Note that while our invited speakers include global and regional founders and researchers, the Startup Cohort application is specifically for Latin American startup builders attending as peers—whereas Sponsorship guarantees full-week team passes, dedicated recruiting and CV access, and brand visibility.
Startup Cohort Participant
Designed for technical founders and CTOs of Latin American AI startups who want to attend the two-day track as builders to learn, exchange technical ideas, and get feedback from peers, researchers, and VCs.
- Competitive selection: Reviewed by 2+ independent reviewers based on technical depth (~30–50 founders total).
- Two-day track focus: Covers Wed, April 7 – Thu, April 8, 2027 (up to 2 technical founders/leads per selected startup).
- Peer learning, not a recruiting booth: Built for participating in clinics, roundtables, and workshops—not a substitute for a sponsor booth or guaranteed recruiting package.
Event & Startup Track Sponsor
Designed for funded & hiring AI startups, tech companies, VCs, cloud/compute providers, and research labs seeking guaranteed full-week team access, direct recruiting of top AI talent, and high-visibility branding.
- Guaranteed full-week passes & Speakers Dinner: 2 to 15 full-week passes (Mon, April 5 – Fri, April 9) plus 1 to 5 invitations to the Speakers & Sponsors Dinner (by tier).
- Recruiting & brand showcase: Dedicated week-long booth, early access to the attendee CV database, Career Fair recruiting, and logo/stage visibility.
- Accessible regional entry tier: Starts at $4,000 USD (Bronze)—reserved exclusively for Latin American companies and nonprofits (includes 2 guaranteed passes + 1 Speakers & Sponsors Dinner ticket)—up to $80,000 USD (Titanium).
| Feature | Startup Cohort Participant (Selected Startup) | KHIPU Sponsor (Bronze $4k – Titanium $80k) |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Technical founders and CTOs of AI startups based in or from Latin America looking for peer learning and technical exchange. | Hiring AI startups, tech companies, VCs, cloud/chip providers, and labs looking for guaranteed passes, talent recruiting, and brand visibility. |
| How to join | Apply online; each application is evaluated by 2+ independent reviewers for technical depth. | Select a sponsorship tier in the 2027 Prospectus or contact [email protected]. |
| Is attendance guaranteed? | No. Space is capped at ~30–50 founders and selection is competitive. | Yes. Guaranteed passes are confirmed as soon as your sponsorship is finalized. |
| People per organization | Up to 2 people for the two-day Startup Track only (at least one technical founder or CTO; a 3rd considered only by exception). | 2 to 15 guaranteed passes for the entire KHIPU 2027 event (covering both the full 5-day Main Conference and the Startup Track — Bronze: 2 · Silver: 3 · Gold: 6 · Platinum: 8 · Diamond: 10 · Titanium: 15), plus 1 to 5 tickets to the Speakers & Sponsors Dinner. |
| Dates & access | Two-Day Startup Track (Wed, April 7 – Thu, April 8, 2027), including shared sessions on those days. | Full Week (Mon, April 5 – Fri, April 9, 2027) across both the Main Research Conference and the Startup Track. |
| Speakers & Sponsors Dinner | Not included (cohort networking takes place during track sessions, coffee breaks, and evening poster/career mixers). | Included (1 to 5 invitations by tier) — exclusive evening dinner with KHIPU speakers, organizers, and fellow sponsors. |
| Brand visibility & booth | Attendee participation only (select cohort teams may be invited to share brief product demos or lightning talks within track sessions). | Full-week exhibition booth in the main networking area, prominent logo & social promotion, pre-keynote video (Silver+), and optional Startup Track session sponsorship. |
| Recruiting & talent access | Informal peer networking during sessions and socials (no recruiting booth or CV database access). | Dedicated Career Fair recruiting (panels & networking), early access to the opt-in attendee CV database in March, and on-site interview rooms (Gold+). |
| Community & scholarship impact | — | Funds the event and directly supports named travel and accommodation scholarships for Latin American students and faculty (Silver+). Tax-deductible in the U.S. via KHIPU.AI (501(c)(3)). |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between applying to the Startup Cohort and sponsoring?
Cohort participants are technical founders and CTOs selected through a competitive application to attend the two-day KHIPU for Startups track (April 7–8) as peers. Sponsors secure a package that guarantees their team’s passes for the entire KHIPU 2027 week (April 5–9), along with invitations to the Speakers & Sponsors Dinner, an exhibition booth, early access to attendee CVs, Career Fair recruiting, and brand visibility.
My startup is funded or hiring. Should we apply or sponsor?
You are welcome to apply to the cohort like any other Latin American AI startup and go through the standard review process. However, if you want guaranteed team passes, Speakers & Sponsors Dinner invitations, a booth, early access to researcher CVs, or dedicated recruiting and visibility, sponsorship is the right path.
We’re a Latin American startup or company. Is there an accessible sponsorship tier for us?
Yes. Our Bronze tier ($4,000 USD) is reserved exclusively for Latin American–based companies and nonprofits. It includes 2 guaranteed full-week passes, 1 ticket to the Speakers & Sponsors Dinner, a booth throughout the week, Career Fair networking, and access to the attendee CV database.
Who should apply to the Startup Cohort, and how many people can attend?
Technical founders and CTOs of AI startups based in or from Latin America—from early technical prototypes to growth-stage companies. Selected startups may bring up to two people (including at least one technical founder or technical lead; a third person is considered only in exceptional cases).
Do sponsors also need to apply to attend KHIPU for Startups?
No. Sponsor packages already include guaranteed full-week participant passes (from 2 passes at Bronze up to 15 at Titanium), which grant full access to both the Main Conference and all KHIPU for Startups sessions.
I missed the main KHIPU 2027 application deadline. Can I apply here instead?
No—the Startup Track is specifically for technical founders and CTOs building AI companies, and is not a second application route into the main academic conference (whose applications closed on September 7, 2026). Academic researchers and students should follow khipu.ai for future KHIPUx and KHIPU calls.