This year’s calendar is a strategic mix of high-stakes pitching, specialized AI tracks, and decentralized community "weeks" across the U.S.
We’ve vetted the top conferences for 2026, focusing on investor density and actionable growth sessions.
Silicon Slopes Summit
Silicon Slopes Summit is a four-day tech and startup conference in Salt Lake City that brings together more than 30,000 founders, executives, investors, and builders. The 2026 edition marks the event’s 10th anniversary.
The program combines talks, panels, and small-group gatherings focused on practical conversations and peer connections. Attendees can access networking cafés, curated lounges, and invite-only meetups designed to make it easier to connect with people working on similar problems.
Outside scheduled sessions, the event includes city-wide activities such as live music, performances, pickleball tournaments, and interactive installations, creating informal spaces for conversation and downtime.
- Perfect for: Startup founders, investors, and creative and enterprise leaders
- Date: February 4–7, 2026
- Location: Salt Lake City, UT
- Ticket prices: $349 (Locals) – $2400 (Founder Experience)
- Session topics include: AI-driven revenue and sales operations, vertical AI in regulated industries, investor-led debates on AI hype vs. long-term value, case studies from tech and healthcare leaders
TechCon Global
TechCon Global runs a series of conferences across the U.S. for post-seed startups or teams preparing for Series A.
Through the Startup Innovation Showcase, founders get a high-stakes platform to pitch live. Finalists receive a dedicated demo booth and direct access to over 100 investors and 50 strategic partners, designed to move startups straight into serious funding and partnership conversations. There’s also room for students and early-career builders to learn, connect, and get closer to the ecosystem.
- Perfect for: Post-seed founders, VCs, and C-level leaders.
- Agenda highlights: Fundraising & VC AMAs, scaling and growth, hands-on workshops, live pitch sessions with feedback, customer acquisition and product development
- Locations:
- Austin (SouthWest): February 12–13 | Bullock Museum | $140-$450
- San Francisco (Silicon Valley): April 6 | Moscone Center | $140-$450
- San Diego (SoCal): May 22–23 | SDSU | $140-$450
Transform 2026
Transform 2026 is the premier conference focused on the intersection of AI, technology, and the future of work, designed for leaders to build people-first organizations, drive, and actionable, measurable AI strategies.
With around 4,000 attendees and a community-driven format, the event looks for conversations and shared learning. Early-stage founders also have a place through Pitch the Future, a live startup pitch competition with a $50,000 prize.
- Perfect for: Early-stage founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and people leaders
- Date: March 23-25, 2026
- Location: Las Vegas, NV
- Ticket prices: $1995 (Standard Registration)
- Session highlights: AI and leadership, organizational performance, wellbeing at work, Pitch the Future startup competition, curated 1:1 meetings for executives
Startup Grind Conference
Startup Grind Conference is a three-day tech and startup event held in Silicon Valley, with more than 5,000 attendees. It’s one of the longest-running tech conferences in Silicon Valley.
The agenda includes hands-on sessions, pitch opportunities, and structured ways to meet the organizations that run startup programs, build partnerships, and support founders. Attendees can talk directly with these teams to understand what they offer and whether it’s relevant to their stage.
- Perfect for: Pre-seed and seed-stage founders, VCs, and ecosystem builders supporting early-stage startups.
- Date: April 27-29, 2026
- Location: Redwood City, CA
- Ticket prices: $299-$799
TechStars Startup Weekend Boston
Techstars Startup Weekend Boston is a three-day event designed to move an idea from concept to prototype. In just 54 hours, participants experience the full lifecycle of a startup: pitching, team formation, customer validation, and a final presentation to a panel of judges.
The Boston edition is back for its 4th year, specifically targeting the city's unique density of technical talent and academic innovators.
While the Boston flagship is a major highlight, Techstars Startup Weekend is a global phenomenon hosted in hundreds of cities worldwide each year. In 2026, the movement continues to scale, with upcoming editions in innovation hubs like Madrid, Riyadh, Hyderabad, and Zurich.
Notably, every March, Techstars mobilizes its community for the Startup Weekend Women initiative, with over 40 cities, from San Diego to Istanbul, hosting events simultaneously to empower female-led ventures and technologists.
- Perfect for: Early-stage founders, builders, designers, developers, and anyone looking to test an idea or find a co-founding team.
- Date: May 1-3, 2026
- Location: Boston, MA
- Ticket price: $50
- Format: Pitch Friday, Build Saturday, Present Sunday
New York Tech Week
Tech Week skips the traditional conference setup. It’s a decentralized series of events with no single stage or fixed agenda. Instead, the city becomes the venue, hosting hundreds of independently run events over the course of a week.
Topics range from AI and infrastructure to crypto, security, space, and capital strategy. It’s a good match for pre-seed and seed-stage startups looking to connect with investors and plug into the local tech ecosystem.
- Perfect for: Startup teams, founders, builders, investors, and anyone curious about tech
- Date: June 1-7, 2026
- Location: New York, NY
- Ticket price: Free
- Highlights: Fundraising, AI, Crypto and Web3
- Other locations:
- Boston: May 26-31, 2026
- San Francisco: October 5-11, 2026
- Los Angeles: October 12-18, 2026
TechCrunch Founder Summit
With more than 1,100 founders and investors attending, this is a perfect fit for founders who are just starting. At the TechCrunch Founder Summit you’ll hear stories from experienced startup leaders, their journeys, lessons learned, and what they wish they’d known earlier.
Sessions are practical and hands-on, covering topics like hiring your first employees, handling legal and financial decisions, and setting up your go-to-market as you start to scale.
- Perfect for: Early-stage startups, founders, and VCs
- Date: June 23, 2026
- Location: Boston, MA
- Ticket price: $99-$329
- Highlights: Fundraising, scaling startups, Q&A sessions led by top scaling and investment leaders, roundtables, and curated meetings
Startup Boston Week
Startup Boston Week is a five-day event that brings together the New England startup community. Founders, operators, investors, students, and ecosystem builders come together to learn from each other, share real experiences, and make meaningful connections.
Every September, thousands of people attend over 100 free sessions, panels, and networking events and 300 speakers. It’s an easy place to meet people, exchange perspectives, and spark partnerships without the usual conference barriers.
- Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, startup founders at every stage, and investors.
- Date: September 14-18, 2026
- Location: Boston, MA
- Ticket price: Free
- Highlights: Early-stage validation, growth and scaling stories, cross-functional panels, community-led networking events.
TechCrunch Disrupt
TechCrunch Disrupt is one of the biggest events of the year, with more than 10,000 founders and investors over three days. It’s built to be useful no matter what stage you’re at, from early ideas to companies preparing to scale.
Disrupt stands out for the Startup Battlefield 200. Thousands of startups apply, and only 200 make it to the stage. The winner takes home $100,000 in equity-free funding, along with global exposure and direct access to top-tier investors.
- Perfect for: Startups at every stage
- Dates: October 13–15, 2026
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Ticket prices: $129 (Early Bird) – $349
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