2026 Buffalo Startup Week inspires founders and funders

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Buffalo Startup Week returns April 15-23 at multiple venues around the city to empower founders and forward-thinking investors that contribute significantly to the region’s economy, energy and renaissance.

Spanning twice as many days as last year’s event, the 2026 program opens pathways for every stage of entrepreneurship – from students and pre-founders to established startups and investors – thanks to an expanded roster of community partnerships.

Powered by the Western New York Incubator Network (WIN) and University at Buffalo Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships (UB BEP), Buffalo Startup Week is a robust series of half- and full-day sessions featuring panels, workshops, networking events and to connect startups with the capital, talent and resources needed to grow. The event is expected to draw hundreds of participants from a variety of disciplines. 

Wednesday, April 15

• 43North Compass Career Fair from 4-7 p.m. at Seneca One, 1 Seneca St., Buffalo. The only career fair in Buffalo dedicated to connecting talent with the city’s fastest-growing startups and tech companies.

Thursday, April 16

• Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition (Panasci TEC) finals from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at UB Center for the Arts Mainstage, UB North Campus. UB student startup teams take the stage to pitch their business ideas live. More than $75,000 in startup funding and business services will be awarded.

Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19

• Buffalo Startup Weekend WNY48 innovation sprint starts at 6 p.m. Friday, April 17 at UB CBLS, 701 Ellicott St., Buffalo. A 48-hour innovation event where creative thinkers, makers and entrepreneurs come together to pitch ideas, form teams and build real products or prototypes with expert mentorship and support.

Tuesday, April 21 - Ecosystem and Capital at Seneca One, 1 Seneca St., Buffalo.

• 9:15-10:15 a.m. - What’s New, What’s Next: Delivering Ecosystem-wide Clarity
• 10:15-11 a.m. - Contrarian Capital: A Playbook for Asymmetric Venture Outcomes 
• 11-11:45 a.m. - From “X” to What's Next: Operator Stories
• 11-11:45 a.m. - Deep Tech Panel
• 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Right to Invest Live Reverse Pitch Podcast

Wednesday, April 22 – Founder Day at UB CBLS, 701 Ellicott Street, Buffalo.

• 9:30-10:15 a.m. Scaling from Buffalo to the Cloud
• 10:15-11a.m. Fund Mechanics for Founders
• 10:15-11a.m. Inside Vibe Coding: Leveraging and Leveling Up
• 11-11:45 a.m. From Founder to Exit and Back Again
• 11am-11:45 a.m. Hate Your Deck
• 1-1:45 p.m. From 0 to Term Sheet: How Early-Stage Investors Decide
• 1:45-2:30 p.m. GTM, Brand & Demand: Hands-On Marketing

Thursday, April 23 –  Keynote and Celebration from 1-4 pm at Seneca One, 1 Seneca Street, Buffalo

• 1-1:45 p.m. Placemaking: How Innovation Districts Transform Cities
• 1:45-2:30 p.m. Designing the Next Decade of Buffalo's Anchor-Plus Hubs
• 2:30-3:15 p.m. Shelf-Made Success: Founders Going National                  
• 3:15-4:30 p.m. Keynote: “From the Field to the Cap Table”
• 4:30-5:30 p.m. After Party at Other Half - Startup Draft Hosted by Series B(uffalo)

Keynote speaker: Eric Wood, color commentator and former NFL Pro-Bowler for the Buffalo Bills, will provide his perspective as a startup investor. Following the keynote, which shares the day with the NFL draft, Wood will “draft” local startups to the Series B team to honor entrepreneurs accomplishing great things in Buffalo. 

Wraparound events hosted by sponsors and partners. Highlights include:

• Exchange at Beverly Gray BIPOC Founders Event Wednesday, April 22, 5-8:30 p.m. at Deco Buffalo
• Serendipity Labs Cereal Social Thursday, April 23, 8:30-10 a.m. at Seneca One

Additional details are available at the Buffalo Startup Week website.

For more information, contact Sophia Marshall, BEP senior program manager of startup ventures, at sm488@buffalo.edu or (914) 263-6636.

The University at Buffalo’s Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships (BEP) provides a suite of services and programs that connect entrepreneurs, startups and industry with UB’s resources—such as cutting-edge research, advanced technologies, expert faculty and a diverse talent pool—to drive innovation, facilitate technology transfer, foster industry collaborations and promote economic and workforce development.

WIN, supporting incubators across Western New York, is a New York State Innovation Hotspot funded by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) and chartered by the WNY Regional Economic Development Council (WNY REDC).