There’s a lot of talk about the future of Austin’s tech community.
From the vantage point of the Austin Technology Council, it’s possible to meet people across every sector of the region and get a broad view of where things may be headed.
Austin has changed dramatically over the last few decades. The greater Austin area grew from roughly 700,000 people to about 2.5 million. With that growth comes pressure. Roads, housing, affordability, and transportation all matter, because infrastructure matters.
Even with those challenges, there are strong reasons to believe the best days of Austin’s tech community are still ahead. Here are four observations about what can keep Austin Tech thriving.
First, AI is going to change everything. Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are reshaping business and society. But Austin’s secret weapon, the thing that keeps the region resilient, is its connection to community. Austin is at its best when people embrace the community, set aside differences and egos, and work together to build the future.
Second, talent matters more than ever. Austin grew because the region had access to smart people working in technology, including the pipeline coming from UT and other universities. Recruiting helped fuel the boom. Today, retention is just as important. Companies need to retain great employees, and Central Texas needs to create opportunity for people at every phase of their career. Early career professionals, families, experienced leaders, and retirees all need reasons to stay and contribute. When people can build a full life here long term, the ecosystem gets stronger.
Third, Austin will remain great if it stays one ecosystem. Not a set of silos competing for attention, and not a handful of leaders trying to be “the” leader of Austin. No single person or organization can lead a community this size. Progress comes when business and civic groups across the region work together and support each other, including the Austin Technology Council, Opportunity Austin, the Chamber of Commerce, Austin Women in Technology, and many others. When fintech, AI, med tech, semiconductors, and everything else connect, ideas collide and converge, and that’s where new opportunities come from.
Alongside that, the community needs to celebrate the wins. In the 90s, the Austin American-Statesman had Tech Monday, a weekly reminder that Austin companies were building and thriving. That kind of visibility matters. Celebrating growth, innovation, and momentum helps reinforce confidence and keeps people engaged.
Finally, Austin needs to be a scale-up community, not just a startup city. Startups matter, and it’s great when large companies move here. But the future is also about helping homegrown companies that already have product and early traction grow and scale. The more companies that scale in Austin, the more the entire community benefits, locally and beyond.
The best days of Austin may be ahead, but it won’t happen by accident. The Austin Technology Council invites leaders and companies to get involved, and so do many other nonprofits working to uplift the region.
A simple question for every company and leader: where are time and resources being invested? Are executives serving on boards? Do employees see that the company supports the overall health of the Austin tech ecosystem? When people engage and support the groups doing the work, the entire community is positioned to thrive.
Looking ahead to 2036, there’s a strong case that Austin can be even more impressive than it is today.