Texas Venture Fest Press Release 2024
Texas Venture Fest 2024: 12 Cities & 18 Venues Co-Create Statewide, Simultaneous Gathering for Investors & Startups
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Leaders in Texas’ ecosystem of startup support across the state have co-created the third Texas Venture Fest (formerly the Texas Venture Crawl), as a simultaneous networking and programming experience the evening of October 3rd, 2024. This collaboration with 20+ cohosts will have a Texas Venture Fest in 18+ venues in 12 cities— all in effort to amplify their region’s ecosystem of startup support, while also connecting their city into the statewide network.
The Texas Venture Fest has rapidly evolved every year, outgrowing it’s name since inception. Starting in 2022 as the “Austin Venture Crawl,” the event drew 1,300 attendees across multiple downtown Austin locations, supported by several Texas venture capital firms. Building on that success, the 2023 “Texas Venture Crawl” expanded 10X, adding 9 more cities with 15 venues, 40+ venture panelists, and nearly 3,000 participants. The 2024 edition, now named “Texas Venture Fest,” introduces the Texan’s Choice Awards—a “People’s Choice Awards”-type of initiative that allows attendees to vote for their favorite investor, startup, and community leader directly on their city’s event registration page. New additions to the Texas Venture Fest also include Starbase Brewery as the Official Beer of the Texas Venture Fest and Alvies Boots, the Official Boot of the Texas Venture Fest.
This experience showcases the entire startup support ecosystem acting as a cohesive unit to plan this simultaneously including: venture capitalists, emerging managers, accelerators, incubators, angel networks, universities, startup development organizations, chambers of commerce, economic development corporations, coworking spaces, and more. There is an open call to seek sponsorship from various sectors, such as banks, law firms, accounting firms, recruiters, and more, to meet the community’s diverse needs. For the latest updates on the Texas Venture Fest, cohosts, and participation details, visit our main website here.
The Texas Venture Fest is a sister signature event to the Texas Venture Gala & Forum, bringing the state together all under one roof to highlight Texas excellence during one big dinner. They are both supported by the Texas Venture Newsletter, a 2x a month list of events and resources featuring the Texas ecosystem of startup support. Visit the Texas Venture Alliance website for more information.
TEXAS VENTURE FEST CO-HOSTS
AUSTIN
-Silverton Partners: The Silverton team is excited to partner once again with the Texas Venture Alliance in support of the Texas Venture Fest. Come on by the backyard of our historic office on West 7th St for a lively time with our team and portfolio of local founders. We'll be in full swing with Chicken Sh*t Bingo, live honky-tonk music, yard games, and plenty of food & drinks. Austin has a special entrepreneurial environment wherein rising tides lift all boats. The Silverton team takes immense pride in supporting this vibrant community and can't wait to welcome you back for another fun time very soon!
-S3 Ventures: Tacos and Entrepreneurs? Yes, please! Join S3 Ventures to network, nosh on tacos, and celebrate the amazing entrepreneurs of Austin on October 3rd from 5 to 7pm at Lil’ Woodrow’s during Texas Venture Fest!
-LiveOak Ventures: LiveOak Ventures is excited to partake in the Texas Venture Fest for the third year in a row. Our commitment to Texas and its vibrant entrepreneurial spirit runs deep, and we're passionate about supporting local founders. This event enables us to connect further with the Austin startup ecosystem in a unique and lively way! Stop by Star Bar on October 3rd -- we can't wait to meet you!
-Moneta Ventures: We’re looking forward to this year’s 2024 Texas Venture Fest and invite you to come by Parlor & Yard to meet our Partners and Founders, socialize and have a drink or two! Supporting the venture capital community in Texas is one of our core values, and we’re excited to partner with the Texas Venture Alliance for this event. This will be a great night of supporting our VC community and building relationships. We look forward to seeing you there!
-The Red Fridge Society: The Society is honored to partner with the Texas Venture Alliance to host Austin's established and emerging VCs including Build Group, FirstMile Ventures, Ballistic Ventures, Restive Ventures, iFly VC, and MC3 Ventures. With easy parking, a shuttle stop, tacos from Fareground, and a (very) full bar, you'll at least want to start and end your fest at the Red Fridge Society.
-Dux Capital’s Jose Luis Silva, Palm Venture Studio’s Mariana Gonzalez, Kaul.ai’s Alonso Mujica: We are excited to partake and we are glad to invite our community of hispanic founders and investors and meet some potentially new members of our beloved community at our venue on the Texas Venture Fest.Join us, we'll feature amazing latino music, drinks adn activities, panels and have fun while making new and strong business connections and friendships! At Dux Capital and Palm Venture Studios we will continue to invest in the best founders, dreamers and trailblazers looking to build global companies and we're very glad to introduce our friends at Kuali.Ai launching their new talent acquisition and recruiting software. Join our La Familia newsletter to stay in touch of the many more networking opportunities we'll be hosting for hispanic founders and investors. ¡Te esperamos para celebrar juntos en Familia!
-Builders + Backers, Director of Global Brand Growth, Marisa Vickers: Builders + Backers is thrilled to return to the Texas Venture Fest this year. As we continue our mission to make it possible for all Americans with entrepreneurial dreams to bring them to life, we are looking to expand our reach in more Texas cities. Recently we announced the first-ever national open call for innovative ideas from Veterans and military spouses anywhere in the United States. Selected participants will receive up to $5,000 in funding to test their ideas and expert guidance from our Venture Studio team. Join me in Austin to learn more about our programs, funding opportunities, and how to bring Builders + Backers’ Universal Onramp to a city near you or contact marisa@buildersandbackers.com directly for more information.
NORTH TEXAS
-Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners, Founder & CEO, Rogers Healy: At Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners, a Dallas-based, CPG-focused venture studio, we believe Dallas is on its way to becoming the global hub for incredible founders. When the DFW economy is strong, we all win, which is why we're committed to bringing resources and energy to the region. We’re in the business of innovation and collaboration, and we're honored and excited to participate in and support the Texas Venture Fest: North Texas Edition on October 3rd!
-The Founders Arena, President, Pamela Cytron: In partnership with Morrison Seger Venture Capital, the Founders Arena is excited to host the North Texas Venture Fest, where innovation and collaboration will take center stage. At The Founders Arena, we are all about abundance, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with our sister cities to make North Texas the destination for fueling founders’ success. The evening will include a discussion on the new stock exchange and its potential impact on the future of business. We look forward to an inspiring night of connections and innovation!The evening will feature founders from both near and far, gathering in Arlington’s vibrant Entertainment District at Heresay, a fine dining experience in the heart of the district, for a night of networking. Mayor Jim Ross will kick off the event, sharing Arlington’s vision as the City of Dreams.
-Mayor of Arlington, Jim Ross: We’re thrilled to welcome the North Texas investment community to Arlington for an evening of connection and innovation. Our city is the perfect place to spark new opportunities and future successes.
EAST TEXAS: East Texas Technology and Innovation Coalition: We’re excited to join with the Texas Venture Alliance to bring Texas Venture Fest to Tyler and the PineyWoods. Our inaugural event will be held at True Vine Brewing, a home grown, entrepreneurial venture in the Tyler Mosaic District. It will bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, support ecosystem providers and funders from across the multi-county Northeast Texas Region for an evening of networking and collaboration. Event co-organizer, David Stewart, has hinted at some special guest panelists and VIPs. Alvie IV (who has East TX roots), the founder of Alvies Boots and Flip Flops (https://www.alvies.com/) has donated a pair of Signature Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ Top) “Have Mercy” boots for one lucky door prize drawing winner. Northeast Texas might just surprise you. Come see us!
HOUSTON: LatinX Startup Alliance, Founder & CEO, Jesse Martinez: Esperson Building is a great location for entrepreneurs, so we are excited to use the Texas Venture Fest to highlight the different floors and spaces featuring everything from a Cup of Joey coffee meetup kickoff, to a Bayou City Startups Happy Hour, with a variety of different programming in between! See y’all soon!
SAN ANTONIO: Tech Bloc, CEO, Ileana Gonzalez: San Antonio is thrilled to host the Texas Venture Fest at our brand-new 300 Main terrace in the heart of downtown, led by Tech Bloc and the soon-to-launch Founder Institute. After winning Texas Venture Fest of the Year last year, we're gearing up for an even bigger and better experience this time around. Join us for an unforgettable day of live music, engaging panels, and exciting opportunities to connect with top innovators. As we launch the Founder Institute in San Antonio, we're committed to nurturing the best startups in the region—stay tuned for more exciting developments!
ROUND ROCK: Round Rock Chamber, Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Adriana Nunez: We are thrilled to once again be a part of Texas Venture Fest, where innovation truly takes center stage. This year, the Round Rock Chamber is proud to host a dynamic pitch competition, bringing together some of the most visionary entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges. Stay connected by joining our newsletter to keep up with all the exciting developments at Texas Venture Fest – Round Rock and beyond!
BROWNSVILLE: Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Nathan Burkhart: We're thrilled to host Texas Venture Fest on the border by the sea in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, showcasing the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit that defines our region. The eBridge Center in downtown Brownsville is the perfect venue to bring together innovators, investors, and visionaries alike. We can't wait to welcome our local startups and meet new founders as we celebrate with live music, food and drink, our annual Frontera Founders panel, and so much more!
BUDA: Buda Economic Development Corporation: We are thrilled to announce the return of the Texas Venture Fest, building on the success of last year’s event in partnership with Hover City. Our upcoming entrepreneurship support programs promise to be even more dynamic and impactful. This year’s event will be held at Meridian, one of Buda’s premier live music venues, which also doubles as a vibrant coffee shop and bar. Attendees will enjoy an engaging lineup, including a keynote from Rhys Anderson of Method Manufacturing. We will showcase entrepreneurs from Texas Star Park, allowing them to demo their innovations. Our partners, Greater San Marcos Partnership and Texas State Star Park, will also be featured. The evening will culminate with a live music performance starting at 7:30 PM. Looking ahead, Buda remains committed to supporting its community and businesses. We are excited to announce an Entrepreneur Camp on November 7 and the launch of our incubator in the Spring. Stay tuned for more details! To sign up for the Entrepreneur Camp or to receive updates about our new incubator, please subscribe to our newsletter. For more information, visit our website.
EL PASO: Pioneers 21, Executive Director, Laura Butler: Pioneers 21, in collaboration with the Medical Center of the Americas and the Woody L. Hunt College of Business, proudly presents the Texas Venture Fest 2024. This exciting event will feature an engaging panel discussion on venture capital, spotlighting industry leaders Emma Wollschlager Schwartz and Alejandro Muñoz Mendieta, with additional speakers and special guests from the MIT Venture Mentoring Service to be announced soon. This year's Texas Venture Fest is a highlight of El Paso Startup Week. Throughout the week, enjoy a vibrant array of activities, including music, workshops, panels, pitches, and more! This event aims to welcome the startup and innovation community of the Borderplex region, and anyone interested in learning more about how to fund great ideas and turn them into successful businesses. Stay connected with Pioneers 21 and the Medical Center of the Americas by subscribing to our newsletters. Be sure to sign up for P21's Pitch Challenge 2025 and the MCA's Elevate Health Tech Challenge. Both organizations will be welcoming new mentors, many of whom will be at the Fest. For more information and updates visit our website.
PFLUGERVILLE: Pflugerville Community Development Corporation, Business Retention Workforce Director, Crystal Connally: We’re thrilled to be part of the Texas Venture Fest, showcasing the innovative spirit that thrives across our great state. Pflugerville is excited to host Venture Week this October, where we’ll bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders for a week of dynamic events, including panels, networking, and pitch sessions. We’re committed to supporting our startup community, and we invite all Texas Venture Fest participants to join us in Pflugerville for Venture Week. For a full list of events, visit our website .
KERRVILLE: Kerr Economic Development Corp, Deputy Director, Katie Milton Jordan: We are thrilled to be a part of the Texas Venture Fest and to welcome everyone to our wonderful city of Kerrville. Our venue will be buzzing with live music, engaging activities, insightful panels, and even special appearances by some of our elected officials! As we continue to invest in the best talent and innovation, we invite everyone to join our newsletter to stay updated on our upcoming events, including our Quarterly roundtables where we bring together the top leaders affecting change in our community. Let's make this festival a memorable experience and keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive!
MEXICO CITY: Texas Association of Business, (the Texas State Chamber of Commerce) President & CEO, Glenn Hamer: The Texas Scale-Up Coalition, a joint initiative between TAB and the Texas Venture Alliance, is thrilled to host the first international edition of the Texas Venture Fest in Mexico City. This event is a unique opportunity to showcase Texas' dynamic venture capital and startup ecosystem to a global audience, driving increased investment and fostering deeper collaboration between Texas and Mexico. As we say in Texas, economic development is a team sport, and the Texas Venture Fest is a testament to the strength of partnerships across local, state, federal, and now international levels. As TAB’s Chairman Massey Villarreal aptly says, Texas is the 'scale-up' state, and expanding the Texas Venture Fest to Mexico City provides the perfect opportunity to network with international stakeholders and invite them to come "scale up" in Texas. Join us for Texas Venture Fest: Mexico City Edition!
Texas Venture Fest Organizer & Texas Venture Newsletter Editor, CS Freeland: The folks hosting Texas Venture Fest’s in their city are co-creating a very unique type of phenomenon that only our state has. Not only are these Texas leaders gathering the innovation community in their region, they also provide a new and special experience connecting their city or regions into the statewide network. It’s a broad spectrum of professionals, industries, investment stages, experience, firms, and of course new geographic backgrounds— all working toward the same goal to level up their ecosystem of startup support. I hope each city checks out and connects with the other cities as well! It’s a proud, Texas-sized moment for our state!