Buda Hosts Texas Venture Fest 2026, Spotlighting Local Innovators

The Buda Economic Development Corporation is set to host Texas Venture Fest: Buda 2026 on Thursday, October 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Buda HIVE, 307 N. San Marcos St. The free event, requiring registration, celebrates entrepreneurship and innovation while spotlighting the newest graduates of the Buda HIVE Incubator Program, Cohort 5. Attendees can visit the Small Business Expo, watch a live Pitch Competition, gain Investor Insights from early-stage funders, and network with founders, business owners, investors, and community leaders. Drinks from Proof, music from DJ Steve, and coffee from Travelin' Tom's will add to the festive atmosphere. Cohort 5, which kicked off in August, completed an eight-week program of weekly guidance, one-on-one coaching, and collaborative networking, and Texas Venture Fest: Buda marks their public debut.

Buda is one of more than 10 Texas cities hosting the 4th Annual Texas Venture Fest on the same day, a statewide celebration powered by over 20 co-host organizations that is expected to convene more than 3,500 Texans. The event anchors Texas Startup & Tech Week, September 28 through October 2. This year's theme, "Innovation is Statecraft," frames innovation as a strategic capability for the Texas economy. Other simultaneous gatherings include the Austin Venture Crawl, Georgetown's "Thinking Like an Angel" workshop, Round Rock's fireside chat, Pflugerville's Venture Pfest, San Antonio's Emerge and Rise, North Texas's Founders Arena, Hill Country student pitches, and El Paso's Pioneers 21. "Bringing the Texas Venture Fest momentum to Buda allows us to give our local entrepreneurs the community support and network opportunities they deserve," says Jacquie Martinez, Assistant Director of Small Business Initiatives at the Buda EDC. "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."

The Buda HIVE is the Buda EDC's incubator and accelerator, offering mentorship, funding connections, training, and a peer network to help entrepreneurs launch, build, and scale in Buda. The program aligns with the EDC's Business Retention & Expansion strategy and complements The Depot on Main, a retail incubator and collective marketplace in a revitalized historic train depot scheduled to open in downtown Buda in early 2027. "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 Justin McKenzie, host of The Building Texas Show, a YouTube podcast. "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."