KHIPU for Startups

KHIPU 2027 • Co-Located 2-Day Track

KHIPU for Startups

Wednesday, April 7 – Thursday, April 8, 2027  |  University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil

Co-located with KHIPU 2027 (April 5–9, 2027), KHIPU for Startups brings together a curated cohort of technical founders, CTOs, and AI leads from high-potential Latin American startups for two intensive days of technical deep dives, fireside chats, compute clinics, and direct connection with 500+ leading AI researchers, graduate students, faculty, and investors.

Cohort Applications Opening Soon: Selected startups receive complimentary access to the 2-day Startup Track (up to 3 attendees per company, including at least one technical founder or AI lead).
Built Around Three Core Founder Needs

Why Apply to KHIPU for Startups?

1. Technical Talent & Research Collaboration

Demo your product alongside researchers at the joint Poster & Startup Demo Session, join the Thursday Career Fair, and recruit or collaborate directly with 500+ vetted AI researchers, PhD/MSc students, and faculty from across Latin America.

2. Compute, Frontier Models & Engineering

Dive into the Compute Clinic (training and scaling models efficiently), hands-on workshops on Synthetic Data and Model Adaptation, and candid conversations with founders and CTOs of frontier AI labs.

3. Regional Peer, VC & Public-Sector Network

Connect with fellow technical founders from across Latin America, participate in the VC Workshop with regional and global investors, join the Government AI Reverse Pitch, and become part of the KHIPU Startup Alumni Network.

Two-Day Format (April 7–8, 2027)

Program Structure & Highlights

Keynotes, Fireside Chats & Clinics

  • Frontier AI Lab Founders & Research Leaders: Candid fireside chats and technical discussions with founders, CTOs, and research leaders from frontier AI labs and global technology companies (speakers to be announced).
  • Latin American AI Founders & Regional VCs: Keynotes and panels featuring established technical founders and investors building and scaling AI across Latin America.
  • Compute Clinic & Technical Workshops: Practical deep dives on training and adapting models efficiently, synthetic data, and production AI engineering.
  • VC Workshop & Government AI Reverse Pitch: Dedicated sessions connecting founders with regional and international venture capital partners and public-sector initiatives.

Two-Day Track Schedule at USP

  • Day 1 (Wed, April 7): Latin American Founder Keynote, AI Research Landscape Overview, Compute Clinic & VC Workshop, Joint Poster & Startup Demo Session, and Themed Founder Networking Dinners.
  • Day 2 (Thu, April 8): Frontier AI Lab Fireside Chat, Technical Workshops (Synthetic Data, Adapting Models, & Government AI Reverse Pitch), Startup Lightning Talks, Joint Career Fair & Talent Mixer, and Launch of the KHIPU Startup Alumni Network.