Finding Founders First | Panathēnea 2026

How do the best investors spot exceptional founders before everyone else does? At Panathēnea 2026, Niko Bonatsos, Managing Director at Verdict Capital, joins Wesley Chan, Founder and Managing Partner of FPV Ventures, Don Stalter, Founder and Managing Partner of Sunshine Lake, and Mike Butcher, Founding Partner at Pathfounders, for a conversation on identifying entrepreneurial talent at the earliest stages. Behind every great company is a founder who saw an opportunity before the market did. The challenge for investors is recognizing that potential before traction, headlines, and valuations make it obvious. Drawing on decades of experience backing some of the world's most ambitious entrepreneurs, the panel explores what separates extraordinary founders from the rest and how early-stage investors evaluate people, ideas, and markets. The discussion examines pattern recognition, conviction, founder-market fit, ambition, resilience, and the evolving characteristics of successful entrepreneurs in the AI era. The speakers also share lessons from investing at the earliest stages and discuss how founders can stand out in an increasingly competitive ecosystem. Whether you're a founder, investor, operator, or aspiring entrepreneur, this session offers valuable insights into the art and science of finding founders first. Panathēnea is an international festival bringing together founders, investors, scientists, artists, and innovators to explore the future of technology, entrepreneurship, and culture in Athens. The 2026 edition welcomed more than 11,500 participants from over 60 countries.