Last month at an ATC event, a founder who moved here from Denver in 2024 asked me where the Austin tech community actually “meets”? Not online. In person. They had been in the city for 18 months and found it hard to meet people. He said there seems to be a lot of private dinners, or clubs you have to join. But he wanted to see something that was like the grassroots tech council he had been part of in Colorado.
Here is the short answer I gave, and the one I would give anyone searching for the same thing. Austin in 2026 is one of the major technology centers in the world, and its tech community stopped looking like a startup town years ago. It runs from two-person AI companies to semiconductor fabs to global software firms, and the people building those companies need places to meet each other in person.
In cities where they are trying to grow their tech reputation, the grassroots shows up. In a more mature region there are more options, and people do not see the immediate need to convene and look at the future, as they assume tomorrow will be more like it is today. But I believe an ecosystem must convene and work on the shared visions for the future. But it is not always easy to have any one group once you are more established.
Full disclosure before I go further… I am the CEO of the Austin Technology Council, so I have a stake in this. I have also lived in Austin since 1991, which means I watched most of this happen from the cheap seats before I had a job that depended on it.
What does the Austin tech scene look like in 2026?
The Austin tech scene in 2026 is a mix of industries that used to sit in separate rooms. Software, semiconductors, defense, healthcare, financial services, advanced manufacturing, space and energy companies all operate here, and more of them now depend on the same technology (AI most of all).
That overlap changes who needs to know whom. A healthcare company hiring machine learning engineers is competing with a chip company down the road for the same people. A defense contractor and a fintech startup may be solving the same security problem without ever meeting.
The city changed too. I have lived here since 1991, long enough to remember when Austin was an emerging tech city trying to get noticed. That phase is over. We are on the map, and I think that hands a different job to the companies that call Austin home.
Where does the Austin Technology Council fit in the Austin tech ecosystem?
The Austin Technology Council is the membership organization for companies that create technology in Central Texas, and for the leaders building, scaling and running them. Austin has a lot of good organizations supporting startups, investors, economic development and education. ATC’s lane is the companies themselves, from early stage to the largest global corporations with offices here.
Membership is company-based, not individual. When a company joins, several people across that organization can take part in events, leadership programs, peer groups and introductions. (I bring this up because people regularly assume it is a one-executive pass. It is not.)
We do not take equity and we do not pick winners. Our job is to make the environment better for every tech company operating here, whether it has 12 employees or 12,000. Also, we are a community group first and a membership group second… this means that even if a company does not give us money, we still are working for them.
Why should tech companies in Austin join a business community at all?
Because the hardest questions facing Austin tech companies right now cannot be answered inside one company. How will AI change who you hire over the next five years? Nobody knows yet, and the same goes for where the next generation of engineering managers comes from, or whether the power grid and the roads keep up with the growth.
No CEO, university or city department can work those out alone. The people who can need to be in the same room, and they need to have met before the day they need each other.
There will always be networking at ATC events. I have spent most of my career writing and speaking about networking, and I still do not think networking alone is a good enough reason for an organization like ours to exist. What matters is what happens after people meet a few times. A CEO meets another CEO who already went through the layoff, the acquisition or the down round she is facing. A 40-person company finds a partner inside one of the big corporate campuses on the north side of town. Someone who moved here six months ago gets introduced to someone who has been here 30 years, and a door opens that neither of them could have opened alone.
All opportunities come from people. Business moves at the speed of trust, and trust rarely starts with a cold email. You cannot put that on a spreadsheet, but anyone who has built a company knows it is true.
How did the Austin tech community get here?
The Austin tech community was built on purpose. Leaders like George Kozmetsky spent decades deliberately laying the groundwork for a technology economy here, long before anyone called Austin a tech hub. ATC started in 1992 as the Austin Software Council, came out of that same era, and has changed its shape as the ecosystem grew past software.
None of it was an accident. Companies invested. Universities, investors, civic leaders and founders worked together when it was not obvious it would pay off. Today’s Austin tech leaders inherited the results of those decisions (whether they know the names involved or not).
Now it is our turn. The question I would ask any company here is less “what does my company get from ATC?” and more “what kind of Austin tech community do we want five years from now, and who is going to build it?”
How can a company get involved in the Austin tech community?
The fastest way into the Austin tech community is to send your people to the rooms where it meets, and keep sending them. Here is where ATC members show up:
- Events. Come to two or three before you judge whether it is worth it. The first one is always a little awkward (it is for me too, and I run the place).
- Leadership programs and peer groups. Small groups of executives at similar stages who meet regularly. This is where the CEO-to-CEO conversations happen.
- The Austin Tech Connect podcast. A place for your executives to tell the story of what your company is building.
- The Austin Tech Hall of Fame. Our annual recognition of the people who built Austin tech, and one of the best rooms of the year to be in.
- Membership. Company-based, so your whole team can participate.
One thing I have noticed over the years… the companies that get the most out of ATC have people who come back, introduce others, and offer ideas when nobody asked them to. A logo on a sponsor banner does very little by itself.
Earlier this year I wrote that Austin’s next stage would take intention, not momentum left over from the last generation. I still believe it. We cannot assume Austin will always be Austin. If your company makes money from being part of the Austin technology economy, some of your leaders should be helping build it.
What do you think Austin’s tech community needs most over the next five years? Email me. I read every reply.
Frequently asked questions about the Austin tech community
Is Austin still a major tech hub in 2026?
Yes. Austin is one of the major technology centers in the world, with companies ranging from early-stage AI startups to semiconductor makers and global software corporations. The bigger question now is whether the city’s infrastructure, workforce and affordability keep pace with that growth.
What industries make up the Austin tech scene?
The Austin tech scene includes software, semiconductors, defense, healthcare, financial services, defense tech, advanced manufacturing, space, energy, and others. These sectors increasingly overlap because they rely on the same technologies, especially AI, and compete for many of the same engineers and technical leaders.
What is the Austin Technology Council?
The Austin Technology Council (ATC) is a company-based membership organization for technology companies in Central Texas. It was founded in 1992 as the Austin Software Council and brings together the leaders who build, scale and run tech companies through events, leadership programs, peer groups, the Austin Tech Connect podcast and the Austin Tech Hall of Fame.
Who can join the Austin Technology Council?
Technology companies of any size in the Austin area can join ATC, from startups to large global corporations with Austin operations. Membership is held by the company, so multiple people across the organization can participate. If you work for a tech company, we need your support.
How is ATC different from startup accelerators and other Austin tech organizations?
ATC does not take equity in companies or select which ones to back. Accelerators and investor groups focus on early-stage founders. ATC focuses on technology companies at every stage, including the scaling and established companies that make up much of Austin’s tech workforce. We are a community group that looks to the future of educating, advocacy, and community building.
How do I meet other tech leaders in Austin?
Go to the same events repeatedly and join a peer group. One-time networking events rarely build lasting relationships. ATC events, leadership programs and peer groups are designed so executives see the same people over time, which is how trust and useful introductions develop. And ATC is not the only game in town. There are many groups and we support all the organizations who believe in collaboration.
Where can I find Austin tech events?
ATC publishes its events calendar. Events include executive gatherings, leadership programs, peer group meetings and the annual Austin Tech Hall of Fame. We also list the events of other local organizations who are willing to list our event, too.
Who leads the Austin Technology Council?
Thom Singer, CSP, is the CEO of the Austin Technology Council. He has lived in Austin since 1991, worked at the Austin Chamber of Commerce in the early 1990s, and has written several books on business relationships and networking, including Some Assembly Required. In addition to his role with ATC he is also a professional keynote speaker.
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This article was written by Thom Singer, CSP – CEO of the Austin Technology Council