​Join us for Techstars Startup Weekend Boston 2026 — a 54-hour sprint where ideas become startups. Over one weekend, you’ll pitch, form a team, build a prototype, and showcase your progress to seasoned judges.

​Whether you’re a first-time founder, a technologist, a creative, or simply curious, Startup Weekend is where you’ll find your team, test your ideas, and experience the thrill of building in real time. With Boston’s vibrant startup community around you — and steady leadership from Steve Vilkas alongside Shweta, Marsh Sutherland, and Sergio Ferreira — Startup Weekend 2026 promises to be our most intentional, founder-first edition yet.

​54 hours. One team. One idea. One chance to launch your startup.

​No refunds and no ticket transfers. No exceptions, no stories.

No product or service solicitations at any point during the weekend itself, the only product and service demos will be provided by paid partners and sponsors.

​Getting There

​Tech Superpowers · 500 Harrison Ave, Suite 108 · Boston, MA 02118

​Heads up: SoWa Opening Weekend

​We're sharing the neighborhood with SoWa Art Walk (all weekend) and SoWa Open Market Opening Day (Sunday 11am–5pm) — the biggest SoWa Sunday of the year. Take the train if you can. If you drive Sunday, arrive early.

​🚆 By Train (recommended)

• ​Red Line → Broadway — 8–10 min walk. Best option.

• ​Orange Line Commuter Rail Amtrak → Back Bay — 12–15 min walk.

• ​Orange Line → Tufts Medical Center — ~10 min walk.

• ​Silver Line SL4/SL5 or Route 9 bus — get off at East Berkeley, walk two blocks east.

​🚗 By Car

• ​From the north: I-93 S → Exit 18 → Frontage Rd → right on East Berkeley → left on Harrison.

• ​From the south: I-93 N → Exit 16 → Frontage Rd → left on East Berkeley → left on Harrison.

• ​From the west: I-90 E → Exit 22 to I-93 S → Exit 18.

​🅿️ Parking

• ​474 Harrison Ave lot (next to venue) — $30/day max. Driving Sunday? Arrive by 7:30am — this fills up fast.

• ​Lots under I-93 on Albany St (insider tip) — ~$20/day, 3-min walk under the bridge.

• ​Street parking — free Sundays, but gone by 9am during the market.

​🚶 Finding the Door

• ​Driving: Park at 474 Harrison → sliding doors on the left → TSP at end of hallway.

• ​Walking / rideshare: Use 500 Harrison Ave → look for the painted "500" → walk down the ramp into the courtyard → sliding doors → TSP at end of hallway.

​Good to know

• ​Friday after 6:30pm the building locks for re-entry — head straight to the TSP door, we'll let you in.

• ​Sunday building stays open for the market. Stick around after pitches — Art Walk and Open Market run all day.

​See you May 1st. 🚀

​

​The Agenda:

​🔥 Ignition Night — Friday, May 1

​5:00–5:30 PM — Doors Open & Registration
Check in, grab your name tag, meet fellow participants, and settle in.

​5:30–5:40 PM — Welcome & Weekend Overview
We’ll walk through the Startup Weekend format, expectations, rules, and flow for the weekend.

​5:40–6:30 PM — Dinner & Networking
Food, conversation, and informal connection before the action begins.

​6:30–7:15 PM — Pitch Rally, Round 1
Participants will have 60 seconds to pitch startup ideas. No slides — just clear, fast, founder energy.

​7:15–7:45 PM — Pitch Rally, Round 2
A second round of 60-second pitches for additional ideas.

​7:45–8:00 PM — Idea Voting
The room votes on the strongest ideas to move forward.

​8:00–9:00 PM — Team Formation
Idea owners recruit teammates. Participants choose which ideas they want to build around.

​9:00 PM — Team Info Check
Teams submit their team name, idea, and primary contact before closing out the night.

​🛠️ Build Day — Saturday, May 2

​8:00 AM — Doors Open & Coffee
Arrive, caffeinate, and reconnect with your team.

​8:30–8:35 AM — Logistics Check-In
A quick overview of the day’s schedule, meals, mentors, and key reminders.

​8:35–9:35 AM — Customer Validation Workshop
Learn how to narrow your segment, define your hypotheses, avoid common validation traps, and conduct stronger customer discovery conversations.

​9:35–10:00 AM — Team Prep
Teams finalize interview targets, assumptions, and validation questions.

​10:00–10:50 AM — Legal Strategy Workshop
A practical session covering entity formation, IP considerations, early-stage legal risks, and common structural mistakes founders should avoid.

​11:00 AM–12:45 PM — Get Out of the Building
Teams leave the venue to conduct customer discovery and validation.

​12:45–1:45 PM — Product Workshop
Teams translate customer insights into sharper value propositions, user flows, MVP priorities, and prototype strategy.

​1:45 PM — Build Sprint Begins
The focused build period begins. Teams move into MVP development, testing, and pitch preparation.

​3:00–3:30 PM — Optional Mentor Speed Dating
Opt-in, timeboxed feedback sessions with mentors.

​3:30–6:00 PM — Build Sprint Continues
Teams continue building, validating, and refining.

​⚡ Showcase Sunday — Sunday, May 3

​8:00 AM — Doors Open
Final day. Time to finish strong.

​8:15 AM — Morning Announcements
We’ll review the day’s timeline, submission requirements, and presentation expectations.

​8:30 AM–12:00 PM — Final Sprint
Teams polish their MVPs, finalize demos, and prepare their final pitches.

​12:00 PM — Submissions Due
All pitch materials and demos must be submitted by the deadline.

​12:15–1:00 PM — Lunch & Setup
Teams eat, reset, and prepare for presentations.

​1:00–2:00 PM — Pitch Lab
Practice your pitch with mentors and get final feedback.

​2:00–2:30 PM — Final Pitch Prep
Final rehearsals, slide checks, and demo testing.

​2:30 PM — Judges & VIP Arrival
Judges, guests, and ecosystem leaders arrive for the final showcase.

​4:00–6:00 PM — Final Presentations
Each team presents for 3 minutes, followed by 2 minutes of Q&A with the judges.

​6:00 PM — Awards & Closing Celebration
Winners are announced, prizes are awarded, and we celebrate the teams, mentors, volunteers, and community that made the weekend possible.