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 event is part of the 4th Annual Texas Venture Fest, a statewide simultaneous celebration of entrepreneurship that will bring together more than 3,500 Texans across 10+ cities. Buda’s gathering will spotlight the newest graduates of the Buda HIVE Incubator Program, Cohort 5, marking their public debut after an eight-week program of mentorship, coaching, and network building.
Attendees can visit a Small Business Expo featuring Cohort 5 graduates at their booths, watch a live Pitch Competition, hear Investor Insights from early-stage funders, and network with founders, business owners, investors, and community leaders. The evening will also include drinks from Proof, music from DJ Steve, and coffee from Travelin’ Tom’s. The event is free with registration at luma.com/texas-venture-fest-buda-2026.
The Buda HIVE, the EDC’s incubator and accelerator, provides entrepreneurs with mentorship, funding connections, training, and a peer network to launch and scale in Buda. Cohort 5 kicked off in August and completed weekly guidance from incubator strategists and industry experts, one-on-one coaching, and collaborative founder sessions. Their showcase at Texas Venture Fest is a key milestone for the program and for Buda’s growing business ecosystem.
“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. “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. 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. The event is the anchor of Texas Startup & Tech Week, September 28 through October 2. Statewide information is available at https://www.texasventurefest.com.
Other Texas cities will host simultaneous gatherings on October 1, including Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, Pflugerville, San Antonio, Dallas, Mason, and El Paso. The collective effort connects local strengths into a statewide network. “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.
For Buda, participation in Texas Venture Fest aligns with the EDC’s Business Retention & Expansion strategy and complements The Depot on Main, a retail incubator and collective marketplace scheduled to open in downtown Buda in early 2027. The event gives Buda’s founders access to investors, accelerators, universities, chambers, and economic development organizations from across Texas, while giving the community a chance to see what is next for Buda’s business ecosystem.
Media contact for the Buda Economic Development Corporation is available via Email Contact.
