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 free event, which requires registration, celebrates entrepreneurship and innovation while spotlighting the newest graduates of the Buda HIVE Incubator Program, Cohort 5.
Buda is one of more than 10 Texas cities hosting the 4th Annual Texas Venture Fest on the same day. Powered by over 20 co-host organizations, the statewide celebration is expected to convene more than 3,500 Texans and serves as the anchor of Texas Startup & Tech Week, running September 28 through October 2. The event's theme, "Innovation is Statecraft," frames innovation as a strategic capability that strengthens the Texas economy.
Attendees in Buda can visit a Small Business Expo featuring Cohort 5 graduates, 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. Registration is available at luma.com/texas-venture-fest-buda-2026.
Cohort 5 began in August and completed an eight-week program of weekly guidance from incubator strategists and industry experts, one-on-one coaching, and a collaborative founder network. 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. "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. Organizer CS Freeland said the Fest connects local strengths into a statewide network. "Not only is this a statewide celebration, it's an opportunity to craft what Texas builds next," Freeland said.
For Buda, the event underscores the role of the Buda HIVE, the EDC's incubator and accelerator that provides mentorship, funding connections, training, and a peer network. The program 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. Participation puts Buda's founders in the same statewide network as investors, accelerators, universities, chambers, and economic development organizations from El Paso to Dallas. Statewide information is available at https://www.texasventurefest.com.
