An Open Letter to the Community
We possess world-class universities, a deep capital base, and industry leadership spanning MedTech, Clean Energy, Aesthetics, Gaming, and Defense Technology. Our region has every necessary ingredient to compete among the nation’s top ten startup and innovation hubs—except for one missing piece: a unified voice.
Following the natural tech circuit from Silicon Valley down through LA Tech Week, we are opening our doors and inviting the global tech community, founders, investors, and innovators from around the country and the world, to extend their stay in Southern California and experience “Innovation in Paradise.”
We want to show the world what makes Orange County’s innovation brand truly unique, uniting builders across all 34 cities, from our iconic coastline and university corridors to our industrial and creative epicenters of Irvine, Anaheim, and beyond.
OC Tech Week 2026 is that voice.
Hosted by Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN), Orange County’s longest-standing founder-first nonprofit, OC Tech Week 2026 is a six-day, radically inclusive, decentralized celebration of entrepreneurship and technology running October 19–24, 2026.
Executing the Vision
True ecosystem development doesn’t happen in isolation. OC Tech Week is structurally aligned with the strategic industry clusters outlined in the Irvine Innovation Blueprint, serving as a “Front Door” to Orange County’s innovation economy:
Pioneering advancements and expanding clinical impact.
Driving the future of gaming, AR/VR, and digital media.
Scaling Defense Tech, clean energy, and advanced R&D.
The strength of OC Tech Week lies in an ecosystem that shows up together. While partner-hosted events are being added daily, here is a preview of the week:
Hosted by Quantum eMotion bringing together women and men involved in various technology sectors.
The Cove at UCI
Crypto and Chill is a OC meet up group that has been on-going since 2024. We meet every other week at Fashion Island to discuss the latest technologies, happenings in financial markets, and political and economic philosophy. We are open to newbies and OGs alike, and very welcoming. Afterwards, we go out and enjoy some food and drinks at local restaurants.
EvoNexus joins Anthropic for a major hackathon.
Information Coming Soon.
Tech week isn’t just for grown-ups! Kids ages 4&10 and their grown-ups are invited to a special story and activity hour. Join founder of & children’s author, Neetal Parekh, for a story from the Pineapple Friends series.
Deal Flow Golf Series by Inov8 Capital, hosted by OG Arabian Prince.
Week-opening program featuring keynote speakers.
Hosted by International Impact Connections. Consul Generals and trade offices from 12+ countries discuss foreign direct investment and global opportunities.
The AI Lab launches TIP Protocol, an open, post-quantum trust layer that proves who made content, how it was made, and whether it changed.
At this event business owners and decision makers will learn about the latest threats to their technology environments, participate in a live workshop demonstrating how breaches can occur (and how to resolve them) and walk away with tangible actions they can take to protect their business.
Join us for an interactive workshop focused on what it really takes to move from experimenting with AI to putting it to work.
Most of the AI conversation right now is about software. Models, agents, apps. But all of that has to connect to the real world at some point, through a sensor, a chip, a medical device, or a machine on a factory floor. Software and hardware are shaping the AI industry together, and each one is changing what the other can do.
Orange County is one of the few places that does both. For more than 70 years, OC companies have built the aerospace parts, medical devices, semiconductors, and precision hardware that modern technology depends on. More recently, a real software and AI scene has grown up alongside them. The code and the hardware it runs on, made in the same county.
This panel brings together leaders from across OC’s tech economy to talk about how software and hardware are each driving the AI industry forward, where the two are starting to blur, and what that means for the people doing the work. Which roles are growing, which are changing, and what the next generation of engineers, technicians, and tech leaders in OC will need to know.
Hosted by TCA & Alliance for SoCal Innovation. SoCal’s premier startup pitch showcase.
Let’s have some fun!
Enterprises are rushing to hand the keys to autonomous AI agents. They are letting algorithms read emails, access databases, and execute workflows. But when an agent goes rogue whether it falls for a prompt injection attack or simply acts outside its intended boundaries the fallout hits the company deploying it, not the software vendor.
Hosted by WenInDoubt brings founders, executives, and operators for candid conversations on scaling, navigating, and building high-impact businesses.
This event is open to everyone in tech. Engineers, designers, managers, business owners, and all those involved in tech are welcome to come!
Tonight’s presentation with be by author Phillip Tophan. Please join us for a discussion about leadership and AI governance. Phillip has been involved with Tech Coast Angels and with UC Irvine (he is also a UCI alum). He is an AI Governance advisor and author of CRAFT Thinking™. He is also iCorps Instructor at UCI Beall Applied Innovation and an Entrepreneur in Residence at UC Riverside
Hosted by Peach Score.
Hosted by Microsoft Innovation Hub.
Hosted by Sustain SoCal.
Hosted by WenInDoubt, a small, invitation-only coffee for senior executives.
Decision-makers, and technical teams working in or evaluating GovCloud, this working session explores how regulated and public-sector teams can put generative AI to work within their compliance boundaries.
Join the OC Startup Council for fun f2f startup growth and fundraising Q&A, investor pitch practice, and friendly networking! Limited Seats.
Join us for an evening of networking and conversation during OC Tech Week! Jami Eidsvold, a media and marketing professional and owner of Smarty Social Space, will share insights on the growing importance of social media in healthcare and how effective digital communication can help healthcare professionals and organizations connect with their communities. Enjoy drinks, light refreshments, and the opportunity to meet professionals across healthcare, technology, media, and marketing.
Founder Beach Walk is a relaxed Friday morning for founders, builders, and creatives who want to meet good people and make real connections. No pitch decks. No name tags. Just movement, ocean air, and conversations worth having.
Hosted by COR AI, a focused round table for marketing agency leaders on how AI is reshaping strategy.
Hosted by The Finnish Line, an exclusive event for super car owners in OC.
Hosted by, Concordia University Irvine and Chapman University, Student innovation showcase.
Week-closing celebration to send off OC Tech Week.
Meet high school students turning real-world problems into technology and community impact. Experience live demonstrations, hands-on activities, student-led initiatives—and discover how Orange County’s community can help take their work further.
The strength of OC Tech Week lies in an ecosystem that shows up together. While partner-hosted events are being added daily, here is a preview of the week:
Mon · Oct
OC Tech Week is built by the community, for the community. Whether you are planning a founder breakfast, an investor panel, a rooftop mixer, or an intimate workshop, we invite you to bring your story to our official schedule.
Join us in building Orange County’s premier tech week. Click below to submit your event details, location, and preferred date. (Need a venue or have space to host? Let us know in the form so we can match event hosts with local venue partners.)
To maintain a high-value experience for all attendees, submitted events undergo a brief curation review by our steering committee before being published to the official schedule.
Participating Organizations & Partners
Passion & Purpose
OC Tech Week was created out of a deep passion for our community and a singular purpose: to finally unite Orange County’s most dynamic founders, investors, technologists, and civic leaders under one banner.
This is an open invitation to build the future right here at home. Thank you for your vision, your leadership, and your belief in Orange County’s potential.
Co-Chair, OC Tech Week 2026 Former Mayor, City of Irvine Board Member, TCVN
Co-Chair, OC Tech Week 2026 President, TCVN
Founder & CEO, CRISPx
