On October 1, the Buda Economic Development Corporation will host Texas Venture Fest: Buda 2026 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Buda HIVE, 307 N. San Marcos St. The event, free with registration, celebrates entrepreneurship and innovation while spotlighting the fifth cohort of the Buda HIVE Incubator Program. It is one of more than 10 simultaneous Texas Venture Fest gatherings across the state, expected to draw over 3,500 Texans and serve as the anchor of Texas Startup & Tech Week from September 28 to October 2. For Buda, participation signals its emergence as a rising innovation hub just south of Austin, offering local founders access to a statewide network of investors, mentors, and resources.
Attendees can visit a Small Business Expo featuring Cohort 5 graduates, watch a live pitch competition, hear investor insights, and network with founders and community leaders. The evening includes drinks from Proof, music by DJ Steve, and coffee from Travelin' Tom's. Cohort 5 began in August and completed an eight-week program of weekly guidance, one-on-one coaching, and collaborative support. Texas Venture Fest: Buda is the cohort's public debut. "Bringing the Texas Venture Fest momentum to Buda allows us to give our local entrepreneurs the community support and network opportunities they deserve," said Jacquie Martinez, Assistant Director of Small Business Initiatives at the Buda EDC. "This year, we are proud to highlight the graduates of our Buda HIVE Cohort 5. With investor insights, a pitch competition, and a dynamic small business expo, 'Buda-ful Fest 2026' demonstrates that major innovation and talent thrive just south of Austin."
Texas Venture Fest began in 2022 as the Austin Venture Crawl with about 700 attendees and has grown to 3,500 participants across 25 venues in 2025. This year's theme, "Innovation is Statecraft," frames innovation as a strategic capability for the Texas economy. "We bring together as a statewide coalition this shared purpose: amplifying the ecosystem of entrepreneur support," said organizer CS Freeland. "When each cohost showcases their own regional perspective and expertise, together, our work connects local strengths into a statewide network." While Buda celebrates, other Texas cities will host simultaneous events, from Austin's Venture Crawl to workshops in Georgetown, Round Rock, and San Antonio, and student pitches in the Hill Country. The collective effort underscores a coordinated push to strengthen Texas's innovation landscape.
For Buda, the fest is more than a one-day event. The Buda HIVE serves as the EDC's incubator and accelerator, providing mentorship, funding connections, and training to help entrepreneurs launch and scale locally. It aligns with the EDC's Business Retention & Expansion strategy and complements The Depot on Main, a retail incubator scheduled to open in downtown Buda in early 2027. Participating in Texas Venture Fest places Buda's founders in the same statewide network as investors, accelerators, universities, and economic development organizations from El Paso to Dallas, giving the community a firsthand look at Buda's growing business ecosystem. "The Building Texas Show exists to put a microphone in front of the people doing the work in cities like Buda, not just the big metros," said host Justin McKenzie. "I have watched the Buda EDC back its entrepreneurs, from small business support to the HIVE, and Texas Venture Fest is that work on display."
Registration for the Buda event is available at luma.com/texas-venture-fest-buda-2026, and statewide information can be found at https://www.texasventurefest.com. As Buda's entrepreneurial community continues to grow, the fest offers a critical platform for visibility, connection, and investment, reinforcing the city's commitment to fostering a thriving innovation economy.
