Buda Joins Statewide Texas Venture Fest on October 1 with HIVE Cohort 5 Graduate Showcase and Pitch Competition

The Buda Economic Development Corporation will 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 evening celebrates entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business in Buda and spotlights the newest graduates of the Buda HIVE Incubator Program, Cohort 5. Home for Innovators, Visionaries, & Entrepreneurs. Buda is one of more than 10 cities across Texas hosting the 4th Annual Texas Venture Fest on the same day. Powered by more than 20 co-host organizations, the statewide, simultaneous celebration is expected to convene more than 3,500 Texans and is the anchor of Texas Startup & Tech Week, September 28 through October 2, the state's flagship innovation week.

The Buda event is built around the entrepreneurs the HIVE has been working with all fall. Attendees can:

• Visit the Small Business Expo featuring Cohort 5 graduates at their booths

• Watch a live Pitch Competition

• Hear Investor Insights from the people who fund early-stage companies

• Network with founders, business owners, investors, and community leaders

• Enjoy drinks and cocktails from Proof, music from DJ Steve, and coffee from Travelin' Tom's

The event is free to attend with registration. Register at luma.com/texas-venture-fest-buda-2026.

Cohort 5 kicked off in August and completed an eight-week program of weekly guidance from incubator strategists and industry experts, one-on-one coaching, and a collaborative network of fellow founders. 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. This year, we are proud to highlight the graduates of our Buda HIVE (Home for Innovators, Visionaries, and Entrepreneurs) 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. We look forward to welcoming everyone to support our local founders and witness Buda’s economic drive firsthand." says Jacquie Martinez, Assistant Director of Small Business Initiatives at the Buda EDC.

Texas Venture Fest began in 2022 as the Austin Venture Crawl with about 700 attendees. It grew to 10 cities and roughly 2,000 participants in 2023, passed 3,000 in 2024, and reached 3,500 Texans across 25 venues in 2025. This year's theme, "Innovation is Statecraft," frames innovation as a strategic capability that strengthens the Texas economy.

"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. "The Fest puts that vision into practice through locally led gatherings across Texas. Not only is this a statewide celebration, it's an opportunity to craft what Texas builds next."

While Buda celebrates at the HIVE, fellow Texans will be gathering across the state on October 1:

• Austin: The Austin Venture Crawl runs across downtown venues. Silverton Partners hosts an Oktoberfest-themed Founders' Bags & Brews with live music from Yodel Blitz. S3 Ventures, LiveOak Ventures, 512 Financial, and KPMG host the Founders' Outpost at Star Bar from 5 to 8 p.m. The Federal Labs Consortium and USPTO present "Resources for Innovation" at 3 p.m., and the Space Workforce Incubator for Texas leads a "Jobs Behind the New Space Economy" roundtable.

• Georgetown: The City of Georgetown, co-sponsored by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, welcomes Gary Forni of Central Texas Angel Network for a hands-on "Thinking Like an Angel" pitch-preparation workshop, with door prizes of one-hour coaching sessions and the launch of a new digital resource platform for local startups.

• Round Rock: The Round Rock Chamber, in its fourth year of participation, hosts a fireside chat between Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Adriana Nunez-McDermott and founder Mathias Ihlenfeld on the good, the bad, and the ugly of building a company.

• Pflugerville: Venture Pfest connects kitchen-table founders with tools, guidance, and relationships, and features a Women's Summit.

• San Antonio: Emerge and Rise puts San Antonio's founders and its arts and culture scene in front of new audiences.

• North Texas: The Founders Arena hosts at Kiln, Dallas's new coworking space, and welcomes Michael Phillips, COO of T.D. Jakes Enterprises and a leader of the Good Soil Movement.

• Hill Country: Rural students from across the region pitch their ideas on the stage of Mason's historic Odeon Theater and receive feedback from business and community leaders.

• El Paso: Pioneers 21, in partnership with UTEP's Hunt G.O. Foundry, hosts the Borderland's celebration as part of El Paso Startup Week.

The Fest's sister signature event, the Texas Venture Gala & Forum, brought hundreds of Texans to the State Capitol earlier this year for the largest innovation convening at the statehouse and an awards dinner in downtown Austin.

The Buda HIVE is the Buda EDC's incubator and accelerator, created to give entrepreneurs mentorship, funding connections, training, and a peer network so they can 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.

Taking part in Texas Venture Fest puts Buda's founders on the same day and in the same statewide network as investors, accelerators, universities, chambers, and economic development organizations from El Paso to Dallas, and gives the community a chance to see what is next for 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 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. Collaboration and ambition are building this state, this is the story, and we are proud to tell it on The Building Texas Show."

• What: Texas Venture Fest: Buda 2026

• When: Thursday, October 1, 2026, 5 to 8 p.m.

• Where: Buda HIVE, 307 N. San Marcos St., Buda, TX 78610

• Register: luma.com/texas-venture-fest-buda-2026

• Statewide info: https://www.texasventurefest.com

The Buda Economic Development Corporation (Buda EDC) champions commerce and community by fostering a business-friendly culture that advances bold ideas, drives innovation, and honors Buda’s rich heritage. Dedicated to sustainable economic growth and enhanced quality of life, Buda EDC works through strategic partnerships, targeted industry development, and comprehensive business support services to attract new investment and retain and expand local businesses. With a focus on advanced manufacturing, knowledge-intensive business services, entrepreneurism, and arts and entertainment, the organization empowers businesses at every stage to thrive while preserving the character that makes Buda unique. With a commitment to collaboration, community engagement, and preserving Buda’s unique culture, Buda EDC serves as a catalyst for opportunity, ensuring a thriving economy for residents, businesses, and future generations. Learn more at www.budaedc.com.

Texas Venture Fest is a statewide, simultaneous celebration of the ecosystem of entrepreneur support, co-created with more than 100 partner organizations. It is the only organization spotlighted for innovation in Texas Governor Greg Abbott's five-year economic development plan, "Bigger. Better. Texas." Learn more at texasventurefest.com.

Media Contact

Buda Economic Development Corporation
Email Contact
512-295-2022

This contant was orignally distributed by Newsworthy.ai. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is Buda Joins Statewide Texas Venture Fest on October 1 with HIVE Cohort 5 Graduate Showcase and Pitch Competition.