Welcome to “Mercury Fund Day at the Ion” – a program series hosted by the Ion and Mercury, where software founders can connect with mentorship at Houston’s HQ for innovation.

What is it: Mercury Fund Day, previously known as Software Day, is a monthly series driving the support, inspiration, and connections needed to help startups on their path to rapid, sustainable growth. Each month, Mercury Fund Day will include office hours (by application), a keynote session, and networking.

Each month will include a new speaker and topic covering the latest trends and breakthroughs in software technology and practical advice for founders. From AI to blockchain and guidance on fundraising, explore topics that are relevant for your company’s journey.

Afterward, join us for a networking happy hour at Second Draught, brought to you by Gunderson Dettmer, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals, forging connections that could shape the future of your venture.

This month’s topic:

Every enterprise software company says it’s going AI-first. Few have actually rebuilt the product, the pricing model, and the team around it.

Join us at Mercury Day at Ion Houston on August 11th for a working conversation with three people doing that rebuild from different seats: Mustafa Ali (Growth, Twilio), Zafir Khan (Product, Meta), and Salim Gheewalla (Founder, Utilitise, which replaced the IT help desk with AI that fixes problems before anyone notices).

Panelists will get into what separates a great AI product experience from a clunky one, when AI should run invisibly in the background versus prompt the user directly, what consumption-based pricing does to a SaaS business model, and how hiring changes when a team is building AI-native from day one.

Hosted by Heath Butler of Mercury Fund, panelists include:

• Mustafa Ali – Growth @ Twilio
• Zafir Khan – Product @ Meta (former Mercury Intern)
• Salim Gheewalla – Founder @ Utilitise

Prior to the fireside chat, a select group of early-stage software startups will participate in office hours. Over the course of 2-hours, first-time entrepreneurs looking for guidance or seasoned founders needing help tackling tough challenges will have access to a group of curated mentors from the Mercury network and gain insights and guidance tailored to their needs. Startups are invited to apply to participate here by Tuesday, August 4.

“Mercury Fund Day at the Ion” isn’t just an event – it’s a catalyst for growth and collaboration. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of Houston’s thriving tech ecosystem. Join us as we bring together leading mentors, promising startups, and like-minded Houstonians focused on transformative software innovations.