How to meet founders and tech people in Bali
A first-week plan for meeting founders and tech people in Bali: which weekly events to go to, where people actually work, how to behave in the room, and how to follow up. Dates checked 25 October 2026.
How to meet founders and tech people in Bali
The fastest way to meet founders in Bali is to go to the same weekly event two or three times in a row, then follow up in the community chat. In Canggu in November and December 2026 that's BSTC's free How I AI night every Wednesday at Seoul Soul Project, plus the monthly networking drinks and dinner (next one Thursday 12 November at Yema Kitchen). Add a coworking space where builders work and you'll know a useful group of people within two weeks.
Most people do it the other way round: they join five WhatsApp groups, lurk, go to one event, and leave Bali knowing nobody. Repetition beats volume. People here remember the face they've seen three Wednesdays running, not the one who turned up once.
The weekly rhythm (November and December 2026)
All dates checked against the event pages on 25 October 2026.
| When | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Wednesday, 4 Nov to 9 Dec 2026, 6 to 9pm | How I AI, Season 2 (BSTC) | Seoul Soul Project, Canggu | Free entry, order dinner or drinks |
| Thursday 12 Nov 2026, 6:30pm | Networking Drinks & Dinner #39 (BSTC) | Yema Kitchen, Canggu | Free entry |
| Last Tuesday of the month, 6:30pm | Ubud Tech Meetup | Last held at Outpost Ubud Penestanan | Check its calendar |
| Roughly monthly, weekends | GDG Bali developer meetups | Denpasar | Check its chapter page |
How I AI is BSTC's weekly builder night. The format is a one-minute "Money Round" where people share what they've built or shipped with AI that week, a short AI news rundown from Josh Morrow, then two builder spotlights of ten minutes each with Q&A, and open networking over dinner (event page; Meetup listing, checked 25 Oct 2026). Season 1 ran 17 editions at the same venue. Season 2 runs six Wednesdays.
The networking drinks and dinner is the broader room: founders, indie hackers, agency owners, solo devs and a few investors. A short open mic, a couple of founder talks, then networking. #39 is on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 6:30pm (event page).
Outside Canggu: the Ubud Tech Meetup says it meets on the last Tuesday of every month, but its most recent listed event was 30 June 2026 (Luma, checked 25 Oct 2026), so check before you ride up. GDG Bali's last listed meetup was 19 July 2026 in Denpasar and none was listed as upcoming (GDG Bali, checked 25 Oct 2026). For every other group and its last dated event, see startup and tech communities in Bali.
Your first week, day by day
This assumes you land early in the week and base yourself in or near Canggu.
- Before you land: sign up at /join so you're in the Telegram chat from day one, and RSVP for the next How I AI on the events page. Write one line on what you're building and one line on what you need. You'll use it all week.
- Day 1 to 2: pick a coworking space (see below) and buy a few day passes rather than a month. Say hello in the community chat with your two lines.
- Wednesday: go to How I AI. Arrive at 6pm when doors open. It's the easiest hour to talk to people, before the programme starts. In the Money Round, say what you've built this week in one minute.
- Thursday or Friday: message the two or three people you had a real conversation with. Suggest a coffee or a coworking day, not a call.
- Weekend: if you're a developer, check GDG Bali for a weekend meetup in Denpasar.
- Second Wednesday: go back. This is the one most people skip, and it's the one that counts.
- The monthly dinner: go to the next one (12 November in 2026). By now you'll recognise faces, which makes a bigger room much easier.
Where people actually work
Coworking is where the follow-up coffees happen. We only list spaces with a dated source showing they're operating, and Bali spaces close often, so check before you pay for a month.
- BWork, Canggu and Uluwatu. Its own site lists both locations, 24/7 member access and community events, including events at BWork Canggu on 30 October and BWork Uluwatu on 31 October (bwork.id, community calendar, checked 25 Oct 2026). It's also where Startup Grind Bali says it holds its fireside chats.
- Tropical Nomad, Canggu. Listed as open by two independent guides: Finns' coworking guide updated 21 July 2026 (Finns) and a Canggu nomad guide dated 4 July 2026 that says it's open 24/7 (Tunextravels). We couldn't load its own website on 25 Oct 2026.
- Tribal, Pererenan. Listed as open by the same two guides; Finns says there's no membership and you stay by ordering food or drinks, and that it runs "Tribal Talks" events (both checked 25 Oct 2026).
- Outpost Ubud Penestanan, Ubud. Hosted the Ubud Tech Meetup on 30 June 2026 (Luma). We couldn't load Outpost's own site on 25 Oct 2026.
Closed, but still listed in a lot of guides:
| Space | Finns (updated 21 Jul 2026) | Tunextravels (dated 4 Jul 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Dojo Bali, Canggu | "no longer exist[s]" | "shut down permanently in December 2022" |
| Outpost Canggu | "no longer exist[s]" | original coworking floor "closed in April 2024"; coliving in Berawa still running |
| Kinship | "no longer exist[s]" | not mentioned |
For a fuller comparison of spaces and prices, see our coworking guide, and for where to live, the Canggu neighbourhood guide.
Etiquette: how to be someone people want to see again
BSTC's event rules are short: no hard selling, 60-second intros max, signal over noise (event page). In practice:
- Don't pitch on the first conversation. Ask what they're building and what's hard about it. If what you sell is relevant, they'll ask.
- Be specific. Something like "I'm building a scheduling tool for physios, 40 paying clinics, stuck on hiring a second dev" gets you an intro. "I'm in tech" gets you a nod.
- Order something. The venues host for free and ask you to buy dinner or drinks. It's how the events stay free.
- Don't add everyone on LinkedIn at the table. Follow up the next day with one line that references what you talked about.
- Give before you ask. Answer someone's question in the chat before you post your own request.
- Respect the island. These events depend on local venues that host for free. Treat staff and neighbours well.
More detail in how to network at tech events, and if you're looking for a partner specifically, how to find a technical co-founder in Bali.
What doesn't work
- Only joining chats. Group chats help you find events. They don't replace showing up.
- One-off visits. One event gets you business cards. Three gets you people who'll reply.
- Assuming a listing is current. Plenty of Bali event pages are years old. Check for a date in the current month before you go. Our communities directory shows the last dated event for each group.
FAQ
What's the best way to meet other founders in Bali?
Go to the same weekly event several times and follow up with the people you talked to. In Canggu in late 2026 that's BSTC's How I AI every Wednesday from 4 November to 9 December, 6 to 9pm at Seoul Soul Project, free entry.
Are there networking events for founders in Canggu?
Yes. BSTC runs a free networking drinks and dinner roughly monthly; #39 is on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 6:30pm at Yema Kitchen, Canggu. BWork also lists community events on its own calendar.
Do I need to be a member to go to BSTC events?
No. The events are free and open, you just RSVP. Signing up at /join gets you into the Telegram chat, which is where follow-ups and smaller meetups happen.
Where do tech people work in Canggu?
BWork, Tropical Nomad and Tribal in Pererenan were all listed as open by sources dated July to October 2026. Dojo Bali and Outpost Canggu's coworking floor have closed, though older guides still list them.
Is there a tech scene in Ubud?
There's a monthly Ubud Tech Meetup on the last Tuesday of the month, last held on 30 June 2026 at Outpost Ubud Penestanan according to its Luma page. Check its calendar before going.
Can I pitch my startup at these events?
Not as a hard sell. BSTC's rules are no hard selling and 60-second intros. How I AI has a one-minute round to share what you've built that week, which is the right place to say what you're working on.
Join BSTC
Sign up at balistartupandtech.com/join. The Telegram link arrives straight after you sign up, so you can say hello before your first Wednesday.
Lachlan McRitchie