Helena Cross
VP Engineering · Aperture Cloud
PROGRAM FORMAT
CONNECT_
DON'T MEET MORE PEOPLE. MEET THE RIGHT ONES.
Networking should not be random. Matches are made from what you're building and what you need — and every match says why.
MATCHED_CURATED_ONE-TO-ONE_
PROFILE_
MATCH_
INTRO_
MEETING_
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT_
WHY IT MATTERS
THE RIGHT ROOMSTILL NEEDSTHE RIGHT PERSON_
Being in the right room is not the same as meeting the right person. Connect closes that gap deliberately — matches built from what you are working on, and a reason attached to each one.
MATCH_
Made from what you're building and what you need.
EXPLAIN_
Every match says why.
MEET_
One conversation that's actually worth having.
THE RIGHTPEOPLEAT THERIGHT TIME
MATCH_
Made from what you're building and what you need.
EXPLAIN_
Every match says why.
MEET_
One conversation that's actually worth having.
WHO GETS MATCHED?
WHO GETS MATCHED?_
From founder × investor to student × mentor, CONNECT_ pairs people whose needs and offers actually line up.
FOUNDER × INVESTOR_
What's actually being built,
matched to what's actually being funded right now.
RESEARCHER × INDUSTRY_
A specific finding,
matched to a team with the exact use for it.
STUDENT × MENTOR_
Early, honest questions,
matched to someone who's already answered them.
STARTUP × ENTERPRISE_
A working product,
matched to a buyer already evaluating one like it.
TALENT × ORGANISATION_
What someone can actually do,
matched to what a team specifically needs this quarter.
LOCAL × GLOBAL_
A tight local community,
matched into a genuinely global network.
UPCOMING CONNECT MEETINGS
UPCOMING CONNECT MEETINGS_
Curated one-to-one meetings from upcoming HATCon events.
SAMPLE PROGRAM — meeting slots are published as each city confirms
5 sessions shown
09:30
NOV 14
Matched on stage of company and thesis fit, not just sector — both sides see why the match was made before the meeting starts.
HATCon BengaluruFOUNDER × INVESTOR20-minute slots
11:00
NOV 14
CYBERA detection-research specialist matched with teams who have the exact production problem the research addresses.
HATCon BengaluruRESEARCHER × INDUSTRY20-minute slots
13:00
NOV 14
FRONTIERMatched on the specific sub-field a student is exploring, paired with a mentor who's worked in exactly that corner of robotics.
HATCon BengaluruSTUDENT × MENTOR20-minute slots
10:00
NOV 15
BLOCKCHAINA startup matched with an enterprise team already evaluating the exact category of infrastructure they've built.
HATCon New DelhiSTARTUP × ENTERPRISE20-minute slots
14:00
NOV 15
AIMatched on specific skills and what a hiring team actually needs this quarter — not a generic keyword match.
OnlineTALENT × ORGANISATION20-minute slots
FOUNDER × INVESTOR: AGENTIC INFRA AT SERIES A_
Both sides walk in already knowing why they were matched — the stage of the company, the thesis fit, and what's specifically being evaluated.
The best intro is the one where both people already know why they're in the room.
Amara OkonkwoML Systems Engineer, Substrate
DIFFERENT WAYS TO CONNECT
DIFFERENT WAYSTO CONNECT_
Same matching engine. Different reasons to meet. Who you're paired with depends on what you're there for.
FOUNDER × INVESTOR_
What's being built. What's being funded. Matched on stage and thesis, not just sector.
RESEARCHER × INDUSTRY_
A finding. A use for it. The gap between a paper and a product, closed.
FOUR DEPTHS. ONE MATCHING ENGINE.
FOUR DEPTHS.ONE ENGINE_
Different domains. The same reason for every match. Four fields, each matched at its own depth, by one engine.
SAMPLE FIGURES
AI_
312 MATCHES · 47% OF THE PROGRAMME
Systems that reason, act and build alongside us.
- Founders
- researchers
- ML talent
Related circle: AI Infrastructure
CYBER_
198 MATCHES · 30% OF THE PROGRAMME
Defending the systems the world now runs on.
- Security founders
- enterprise buyers
Related circle: Cloud Security
BLOCKCHAIN_
87 MATCHES · 13% OF THE PROGRAMME
Trust, identity and value as programmable primitives.
- Protocol teams
- enterprise pilots
Related circle: Zero Knowledge
PEOPLE TO MEET
PEOPLE TO MEET_
I've had more useful 20-minute matched meetings here than a full day of open networking anywhere else.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO SHAPE
TELL US WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR_
The clearer your profile, the better every match gets.
AIDEBATE_
What actually makes a founder × investor match worth having?
2H AGO
CYBERTHREAD_
How specific should 'I can help with' be to be useful?
1D AGO
FRONTIERTHREAD_
What's the right way to ask for an intro without wasting it?
10H AGO
BLOCKCHAINDEBATE_
Should a match come with an NDA before the first real call?
4H AGOAITHREAD_
What belongs in a one-line pitch versus the full profile?
1D AGOCYBERDEBATE_
Is a warm intro worth more than a strong cold profile?
7H AGOTHE MATCH SHOULDN'T END HERE
THE MATCH SHOULDN'T END HERE_
From a 20-minute meeting to an actual relationship.
GO DEEPER FROM HERE
GO DEEPER FROM HERE_
Six formats. A bigger picture.
WANT BETTER MATCHES?
Complete your profile to get matched_
There's no application for CONNECT_ — every member is eligible. Better matches just take a clearer profile.
COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE_CFP OPENING SOON_
- I'm building
