September 17, 2026:‍ ‍‍The biggest moment in Texas innovation is about to arrive. On October 1, 2026, more than 20 co-host organizations across 10+ cities will power the 4th Annual Texas Venture Fest. It’s a statewide and simultaneous celebration for 3,500+ Texans convened by the ecosystem of entrepreneur support featuring networking and programming. As the largest Texas-focused experience in the history of the Lone Star State, this signature event amplifies each region’s unique startup and venture ecosystem locally, while connecting them into one powerful statewide network.

This unique experience highlights how the largest pro-business state in the United States can collaborate as one unified force for innovation. The effort is driven by a diverse coalition of organizations such as: venture capital firms, emerging managers, accelerators, incubators, angel networks, universities, startup development organizations, chambers of commerce, economic development corporations, coworking hubs, membership clubs, and more—all building a connected and thriving ecosystem.

“We bring together as a statewide coalition, this shared purpose: amplifying the ecosystem of entrepreneur support. When each cohost showcases their own regional perspective and expertise, together, our work connects local strengths into a statewide network,” said Texas Venture Fest organizer CS Freeland. “This is part of the vision behind the ‘Innovation is Statecraft’ theme that innovation is a strategic capability that strengthens Texas’s economy and advances our national and global position. I thought that the theme should shape this year’s Texas Venture Gala & Forum (the sister signature experience to the Fest), which brought hundreds of Texans together at our statehouse for the first time. The Fest puts that vision into practice through locally led gatherings across Texas. We’re grateful to the 100-plus partners who help us co-create events and resources throughout the year. Not only is this a statewide celebration, it’s an opportunity to craft what Texas builds next.”

The coalition building effort is further supported through sponsorships from banks, law firms, tax and accounting firms, recruiting/HR firms, and other industry partners whose contributions also meet the diverse needs of Texas’s entrepreneurs. Local Fest hosts can be contacted for further interest to join the effort.

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES FROM COALITION PARTNERS

The following statements from co-host organizations across Texas reflect the shared purpose and the local strengths that power this statewide network.

Austin’s Venture Crawl / Silverton Partners: Silverton’s Founders’ Bags & Brews is going full Oktoberfest this time around alongside Texas Venture Fest and kicking off ACL Weekend One. Expect Easy Tiger sausages + giant pretzels, live music from Yodel Blitz, and lederhosen & dirndls highly encouraged. Austin has a special entrepreneurial environment where a rising tide lift all boats.

Austin’s Venture Crawl / LiveOak Ventures: At LiveOak Ventures, we're all-in on Texas, all-in on founders, all-in on community. We partner with exceptional Texas-based founders — from pre-seed to Series B — building tech and tech-enabled service companies here in the Lone Star State. This year, we're proud to partner alongside S3 Ventures, 512 Financial, and KPMG to support the Texas Venture Fest. Come find us at the Founders' Outpost for brews and pizza at Star Bar!

Austin’s Venture Crawl / Geek Ventures: At Geek Ventures, our mission is to drive equal opportunity for visionary immigrant entrepreneurs through capital and connections. Texas Venture Fest reflects this vision by bringing together diverse founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders to accelerate innovation. We are especially grateful to our Vice President, Sarah Romanko, for serving as Chief of Staff for this year’s Fest and exemplifying the values we champion.

Austin’s Venture Crawl / Radian Capital: We are a growth equity fund backing fast-growing, capital-efficient, and founder-led technology companies. Radian spends an outsized amount of time across the Texas ecosystem and is excited to support Texas Venture Fest. 

Austin’s Venture Crawl /Space Workforce Incubator for Texas: The Space Workforce Incubator for Texas (SWIFT) is a statewide initiative focused on building the talent pipeline needed to support Texas’ rapidly growing commercial space economy. By connecting industry, education and workforce partners, SWIFT helps create accessible pathways into space careers for students, career changers and skilled workers, while addressing the evolving workforce needs of aerospace and space-related companies across the state. The nonprofit also hosts "Ecosystem Space" on the second Thursday of every month, bringing the space community together in Austin; their next event happening this Oct 8th.  At this year's Texas Venture Fest, SWIFT will host a “Jobs Behind the New Space Economy” roundtable exploring the wide range of careers powering the next era of space innovation. Participants will discuss emerging workforce needs, education and training pathways, and how Texas can prepare the talent required to support continued industry growth.

Austin’s Venture Crawl / The Federal Labs Consortium: The FLC is thrilled to be involved with Texas Venture Fest to bring the power of federal R&D to this thriving innovation ecosystem! Come check us out at the 3 p.m. panel, "Resources for Innovation: USPTO & Federal Labs." Swing by the FLC/USPTO booth from 5-8 p.m. to learn more about federal innovations, facilities, and partnership opportunities. The FLC is a nationwide network of more than 300 federal laboratories, agencies, and research centers that work to bring innovative technologies to operational use through partnerships and collaboration with private industry, academia, and other organizations. Learn more at federallabs.org.

Austin’s Venture Crawl / City of Austin: Excited to be a part of Texas Venture Fest! That’s why I believe we should all continue connecting, collaborating, and building bridges. Through my work with the City of Austin and Global Reach, I’ve seen firsthand how bringing the right people together can strengthen the entire ecosystem and create a greater impact.. Mike Hargis

Austin’s Venture Crawl / 512 Financial: Building a company is hard, and no founder does it alone. At 512Financial, we help investor-backed companies put the right finance and HR leadership in place. We’ve supported more than 200 companies through over half a billion dollars in capital raises and liquidity events. It’s why we’re proud to sponsor Texas Venture Fest again and keep showing up for the Texas startup ecosystem that has done so much for us. Come have a beer and a slice with us at Founders Outpost on October 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Star Bar, alongside S3 Ventures, LiveOak Ventures, and KPMG. www.512financial.com

El Paso’s Pioneers 21: Texas Venture Fest is back in El Paso! Pioneers 21, in partnership with UTEP’s Hunt G.O. Foundry, invites you to connect with entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and community leaders for an evening celebrating entrepreneurship, new ideas, and opportunities across our region. As part of El Paso Startup Week, join us as the Borderland takes part in this statewide celebration of Texas innovation, brought to you locally by P21 GovTech. Executive Director, Laura Butler

Georgetown: The City of Georgetown is excited to bring together entrepreneurs, business leaders, and community partners to create meaningful opportunities for our local startup and small business ecosystem. We’re especially excited to welcome Gary Forni of Central Texas Angel Network, who will lead a hands-on workshop on “Thinking Like an Angel” and pitch preparation, with the day co-sponsored by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and lunch sponsored by VeraBank, along with door-prize opportunities for one-hour coaching sessions with angel investors and business coaches. We’ll also be launching a new digital platform designed to connect Georgetown startups and small businesses to resources, coaching, and tools to help turn ideas into action and strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Hill Country: Hill Country Venture Fest gives rural students a serious stage for testing their ideas, building confidence and learning directly from business and community leaders. Students from across our region will present at Mason’s historic Odeon Theater, receive practical feedback and be recognized for the courage it takes to build something of their own. We are proud to bring students, families, educators, business leaders and public servants together around the next generation of rural entrepreneurs.” Katie Milton Jordan, organizer, Hill Country Venture Fest

North Texas: We’re so excited to host North Texas Venture Fest at Kiln, Dallas’s beautiful new coworking space, and bring founders, capital, business and civic leaders together in a place built for connection. We’re especially honored to welcome Michael Phillips, COO of T.D. Jakes Enterprises, whose work with the Good Soil Movement is creating meaningful access to capital, technology and growth for thousands of entrepreneurs. As The Founders Arena enters its next chapter, we’re excited about the global opportunities ahead and continuing to connect innovation from around the world to real commercialization opportunities in North Texas. The Founders Arena’s CEO, Pamela Cytron

Pflugerville: “There is enormous power in getting women into a room where they can learn from each other, share resources, and make connections. Sometimes one conversation can change the direction of your life.” Kathy Terry on the Women's Summit

 “Pflugerville’s next great business could be an idea someone is working on at their kitchen table right now. Venture Pfest connects that person with the tools, guidance, and relationships needed to take the next step. We want people to know they don’t have to build a business alone; this community is invested in their success.” Jerry W. Jones Jr. about entrepreneurship and Venture Pfest:

Round Rock Chamber’s Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship: I’m so excited that this is our fourth year participating in Texas Venture Fest! This year, I’ll be joining founder Mathias Ihlenfeld for a fireside chat about the good, the bad and the ugly of entrepreneurship. I’m looking forward to a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a company and keep going when things don’t always go according to plan. —Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Adriana Nunez-McDermott at the Round Rock Chamber

San Antonio: Texas Venture Fest San Antonio is our chance to put the city's founders, arts and culture scene, and everyday momentum in front of people who haven't seen it yet. We built this event around the companies and creators doing real work here, the ones who don't always get the spotlight. We're excited for people to leave with a different picture of what's happening in San Antonio." - Dr. Lina Rugova & Christine Colburn, Emerge and Rise

ABOUT

The innovation story of the Texas Venture Fest has rapidly evolved every year, outgrowing it’s name since inception. Texas Venture Fest began in 2022 as the Austin Venture Crawl, bringing together more than 700 attendees across downtown Austin venues with support from several Texas venture capital firms and the Austin Chamber. In 2023 CS Freeland the organizer, drove across Texas and personally invited a variety of leaders across Texas to join the effort, expanding to 10 cities with more than 40 panelists and approximately 2,000 participants. In 2024, participation surpassed 3,000, and the Fest introduced the Texan’s Choice Awards. By 2025 it convened 3,500 Texans across 25 venues, featured nearly 100 panelists, and recognized the Awards at the Fest’s sister signature event, the Texas Venture Gala & Forum occurring six months later. This year in addition to creating the statewide innovation store, the Fest became part of a statewide innovation week, the Texas Startup & Tech Week.