TechCrunch Sessions: SaaS 2021 - Final Agenda Revealed

TechCrunch Sessions: SaaS is Returning!

Mark your calendars! TechCrunch Sessions is making its return on October 27th, focusing on the dynamic and highly competitive world of Software as a Service (SaaS). We are excited to unveil our comprehensive agenda, featuring prominent industry leaders and innovative startups.

Take advantage of the $75 early-bird ticket pricing while it lasts – secure your spot now to benefit from the full agenda and save $100 before prices increase!

A Day of Insight and Discussion

Throughout the day, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts and participate in discussions covering the potential of advancements in data, open source technologies, strategies for addressing escalating security challenges, and investment in early-stage startups, among other crucial topics.

We’ve assembled a stellar lineup of speakers, including industry visionaries such as Javier Soltero of Google, Kathy Baxter from Salesforce, Jared Spataro at Microsoft, Jay Kreps of Confluent, Sarah Guo of Greylock, and Daniel Dines of UiPath.

Networking and Accessibility

Connect with professionals from across the globe through our world-class virtual networking platform. All this is available for $75 or less, with special discounts offered to nonprofits, government agencies, students, and emerging founders!

Our agenda highlights both established powerhouses and smaller teams pioneering and challenging conventional technologies within the industry. Be sure to explore it!

Investing in Today’s SaaS Market: Survival of the Fittest

• The venture capital landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Investors seeking opportunities in promising SaaS ventures face an increasingly competitive environment. With the influx of non-traditional funding, the normalization of remote deal-making, and a globally expanding market for software startups, venture capitalists are compelled to adapt their strategies and expectations. TechCrunch will host a discussion with three leading investors to explore how they are navigating this competitive landscape, the changes they’ve implemented in their processes, and the demands of today’s top founders.

Capturing Global Opportunities: Three Easy Steps

• As the global economy becomes more interconnected, is your business prepared for success? Fardad Zabetian, co-founder and CEO of KUDO, will share his insights on how to capitalize on global opportunities.

The Power of Data, Everywhere

• Companies are grappling with the challenge of managing and sharing ever-increasing volumes of data. Databricks, a leading data lake provider, recently achieved a valuation of $28 billion in its latest funding round. We will speak with CEO Ali Ghodsi about the factors driving his startup’s success and its future direction.

SaaS Security: Present and Future Challenges

• Organizations are constantly facing a barrage of threats from various sources. In a year marked by widespread remote work and the dominance of the cloud, both startups and established corporations must remain vigilant about security. This session will explore the critical security considerations for SaaS startups, both now and in the future, featuring insights from Edna Conway (Microsoft), Wendy Nather (Cisco), and Olivia Rose (Amplitude).

The Data Warehouse: A Foundation for Modern Data Stacks

• The modern data stack is undergoing rapid transformation, with new technologies emerging constantly. Increasingly, the data warehouse is becoming a central component of these architectures. This panel discussion will delve into the reasons behind this trend, the specific technologies driving it, and the potential future of the data stack, with contributions from Soumyadeb Mitra (RudderStack) and Ben Gotfredson (Snowflake).

Automation’s Moment: A New Era

• The pandemic underscored the importance of automation, a trend that is expected to accelerate. We’ll be joined by UiPath CEO Daniel Dines, investor Laela Sturdy from CapitalG, and Dave Wright from ServiceNow to discuss why this is a pivotal moment for automation.

Technology-Driven Strategy: How High-Growth Companies Achieve Results

• Rapidly growing companies are in a constant state of flux, with evolving business priorities and challenges. Hear from SAP’s hypergrowth customers about how they leverage technology to inform their strategy and drive business outcomes. SAP Managing Director, Midmarket and Ecosystem, Greg Petraetis will discuss how businesses evolve from innovators to disruptors and category leaders, and how their technology choices impact their future.

The Impact of the Pandemic on Cloud Productivity

• SaaS encompasses productivity applications like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive. We’ll discuss the role of Google Workspace within Google’s cloud strategy with executive Javier Soltero.

AI Ethics at Scale

• Ensuring fairness and mitigating bias in AI models is challenging even in controlled environments. How can these principles be applied at the scale of operations at Amazon and Salesforce? Amazon AI Applied Science Manager Nashlie Sephus and Principle Architect of AI Practice Kathy Baxter will discuss the responsibilities and opportunities of implementing ethical practices in enterprise applications.

Optimizing SaaS Productivity: Addressing SaaS Sprawl

• SaaS now represents a significant portion of the software landscape, often comprising 100% of the installed software estate in cloud-native companies. Uncontrolled adoption can lead to SaaS sprawl, also known as “Shadow IT.” This talk will illustrate common pitfalls and propose the necessary processes, skills, and capabilities for CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs to effectively manage SaaS subscriptions, mitigate risks, and ensure audit compliance, presented by André Christ (LeanIX).

The Future is Open

• Many startups today incorporate open source components, fostering community engagement and driving sales. We’ll discuss why open source is a popular business model with Abby Kearns from Puppet, Augusto “Aghi” Marietti from Kong, and Jason Warner, an investor at Redpoint.

Microsoft’s Transition to the Cloud

• Jared Spataro has spent over 15 years at Microsoft, witnessing the shift from on-premise software to the cloud-dominated landscape. He now leads one of the most successful SaaS products and will share insights into how Microsoft navigated this transformation and its impact on the company.

Turning Data into Software Gold: Startup Strategies

• The era of big data is past. Today’s leading SaaS startups are focused on leveraging data to create value, rather than simply collecting it. We’ve gathered three leaders from data-focused startups to share their insights on how SaaS companies are using data to build new markets, solve complex problems, and achieve rapid growth, featuring Jenn Knight (AgentSync), Barr Moses (Monte Carlo), and Dan Wright (DataRobot).

Scaling Your Team: People Strategies for Growth

• As your business expands, it’s crucial to invest in the growth of your people. In today’s rapidly changing world, traditional team development methods are often insufficient. This session, led by Max Wessel, chief learning officer at SAP, will explore how to build a culture and workforce that is flexible, adaptable, and prepared for rapid growth.

Scaling a SaaS Startup in a Remote World

• Standing out in today’s crowded startup market is challenging. Despite the competition, Workboard has achieved significant growth. We’ll speak with CEO Deidre Paknad about how she successfully scaled her company in terms of both revenue and team size, even amidst the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

Life After Acquisition: Founder Perspectives

• We’ll speak to three founders about the emotional and practical aspects of being acquired and what happens after the deal closes. Our panel includes Jyoti Bansal (AppDynamics), Nick Mehta (GainSight), and Monica Sarbu (Xata.io).

Setting Data in Motion

• Confluent, built on Apache Kafka, evolved from a LinkedIn project to a successful IPO. We’ll speak with co-founder and CEO Jay Kreps about his journey.

The Future of Automation: Machine Learning and Human-in-the-Loop Approaches

• Digital transformation has driven widespread adoption of robotic process automation (RPA). However, RPA is a mature technology with limitations. Emerging machine learning-based platforms, combined with human-in-the-loop approaches, are expanding the possibilities of automation. Varun Ganapathi, Ph.D., co-founder and CTO of AKASA, will discuss how these advancements are enabling automation of more complex and dynamic processes.

Stay Informed: Follow TC Sessions: SaaS for updates on new speakers, event additions, and ticket discounts.

Why attend TC Sessions: SaaS? While this is our first dedicated SaaS event, TechCrunch has a proven track record. Here’s what past attendees have said about their TC Sessions experience:

“TC Sessions: Mobility offers several big benefits. First, networking opportunities that result in concrete partnerships. Second, the chance to learn the latest trends and how mobility will evolve. Third, the opportunity for unknown startups to connect with other mobility companies and build brand awareness.” — Karin Maake, senior director of communications at FlashParking.

“People want to be around what’s interesting and learn what trends and issues they need to pay attention to. Even large companies like GM and Ford were there, because they’re starting to see the trend move toward mobility. They want to learn from the experts, and TC Sessions: Mobility has all the experts.” — Melika Jahangiri, vice president at Wunder Mobility.

TC Sessions: SaaS 2021 will be held on October 27th. Gather your team, join the community, and unlock new opportunities. Don’t delay – secure your early-bird ticket today!