FYSK 2025: A Year in Review
Our 2025 showcases proved that meeting founders in person pays off
🌟 RSVP to our Jan. 28th showcase to meet the next batch of breakout founders.
The best founders don’t stay hidden for long. In 2025, the companies we championed early proved why spotting potential before the consensus matters.
2025 was a year of compounding returns—for founders, for early believers, and for jobseekers who showed up to FYSK events in person. Here’s our year in review.
Early 2025 presenters have emerged as market leaders
58% of founders who presented at our early 2025 showcases have already raised a subsequent round. A few have 10x’d their valuation since presenting.
When Tarek Mansour of Kalshi took the stage at our New York showcase in April, Kalshi had just entered sports markets and received clearance to operate in all 50 states. Since presenting, they raised a Series C in June, a Series D in October, and a Series E a few weeks ago. Today, Kalshi operates across 3,500 markets, with over $1B traded on the platform each week.
The energy and intentionality from both organizers and founders made it a standout experience—thank you for setting a new standard!” — Software Engineer, April Showcase
In February, Gorkem Yurtseven shared with the room that Fal had reached a $40M run rate with no sales team, shortly after closing their Series B. By July, they raised their Series C. This December, they closed their Series D and have surpassed $200M in revenue, supported by a small sales team they hired after the showcase.
“This was hands down the best career event I’ve attended. Every founder here was genuinely eager to hire and invested in meaningful dialogue.” — ML Engineer, Feb Showcase
Other startups that presented earlier this year — OpenEvidence, Distyl, Assort Health — have also gone on to raise from top tier investors.
Our showcase aims to show you founders just as they begin to break out, before the story is obvious and access tightens. Fundraising alone doesn’t define a great startup, but these successes aren’t accidents — there were early signs that these startups would be a hit when they presented at the showcase. Seeing these startups take off emphasizes why early signals matter, and how being part of that moment when you’re looking for opportunities can change everything.
Past features raised record rounds in 2025
2025 was also a big year for previous showcase founders: 145 former FYSK presenters raised additional capital in 2025.
When Michael Truell presented Cursor in August 2023, he was recruiting founding engineers for his team of five. Just over two years later, their modest beginning that Michael shared at the show seems almost unbelievable—Cursor has exploded, scaling from $100M to $1B ARR in under twelve months.
“Curating the event creates an incredible experience for the folks attending. I left the event feeling more connected to the startup community than I ever have at any demo day, hackathon, or corporate event.” — ML Engineer, March Showcase
When Jesse Zhang presented Decagon last April, the company was still operating in stealth. Now, they’re closing out 2025 with a $1.5B Series C and their platform impacting tens of millions of customers.
Some bets take time to mature, but for early believers who join these founders, the results speak for themselves. The companies we spotlighted years ago are now building at scale, proof that paying attention early pays off.
Why 2025 attendees are glad they came
This year’s showcases created 4,823 direct connections between founders and job seekers—no recruiters, no filters, just face-to-face conversations that kick of great relationships.
Every attendee’s path looks different. Some jobseekers landed jobs at startups they’d long dreamed of joining. Others had conversations with founders that reshaped their entire vision of what they wanted to do in their career. Some jobseekers connected with a founder at the show and circled back months later when the right role opened up.
Every journey is unique, but each reflects one truth: showing up in person and making the right connections at the right time opens doors to career-defining opportunities.
Looking ahead
2025 validated our thesis: curated connections and face-to-face conversations unlock opportunities traditional methods can’t touch. In 2026, we’re going even bigger.
RSVP to our January 28th SF showcase to meet the next batch of breakout founders. When you apply, you’ll also land on our list for access to exclusive dinners we’re hosting early next year. We can’t wait to introduce you to more standout companies and help you find your next career-defining opportunity.