There’s a lot happening this week for entrepreneurs and startup founders. We’ve curated a short list below focused on startup-relevant events. For the full rundown, check out this week’s Startup Digest and consider subscribing to get it every Monday morning.
New! Sacramento Startup Events App Startup Digest volunteer curator Manoj Keechilot of Gilentic Technologies has created a free Android app to help entrepreneurs discover Sacramento startup events, accelerator opportunities, and application deadlines. Browse upcoming events, filter by date, add events to your calendar, and access registration links—all in one place. Download Sacramento Startup Events free on Google Play.
Featured
New! Legal Grounds: Practical Legal Conversations for Founders
Tue, Oct 6, 8 – 9:30 AM, Roseville Venture Lab in Roseville
Get practical answers to the legal questions that come up while starting and growing a company. This new monthly gathering from StartupSac and Witan Law begins with a brief discussion of a timely legal topic, followed by an informal founder-driven conversation with an experienced startup attorney. Read more.
Sac Tech Week 2026: Six Days of Tech, Startups and Innovation
Oct 19 – 24 | Events throughout the Sacramento region
Sac Tech Week is coming in October with more than 30 events bringing together founders, technologists, investors, makers, students and others from across the region. The week includes workshops, panels, startup showcases, pitch competitions, AI programs, networking events and more at venues throughout Greater Sacramento. Explore the schedule now and start planning which events you want to attend. Read more.
Startup World Cup Sacramento Regional
Tue, Oct 20, 5:30 – 8 PM, Carlsen Center at Sacramento State
Watch ten Greater Sacramento startups pitch live for $20,000 in local prizes and the chance to advance to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco, where they’ll compete for a $1 million investment prize. The Sacramento competition is free to attend and part of Sac Tech Week. Read more.
This Week
1 Million Cups Sacramento with Coastal Learning Collaborative and Delphi
Wed, Sep 30, 9 – 10 AM, Online
Hear from two early-stage organizations: Coastal Learning Collaborative, which is developing accessible and sensory-friendly marine science education programs, and Delphi, a mobile game designed to help young people build healthier financial habits. Each will give a six-minute presentation followed by questions, feedback and advice from the community. Read more.
What’s Next in AI & Beyond? How Shifting Capital Strategies Impact Early-Stage Builders
Thu, Oct 1, 11 AM – 12:15 PM, Online
Learn how shifts in AI investment toward robotics, hardware and infrastructure could affect what investors look for in early-stage startups. Panelists will discuss emerging competitive advantages, changing expectations around teams and traction, and what’s driving capital toward physical AI and other emerging sectors. Read more.
Tech Futures Early Stage Tech Series: Navigating SBIR/STTR Grants
Thu, Oct 1, 12 – 1 PM, Online
Session three of the Tech Futures Group’s five-part series on raising venture capital. It covers how to tap the SBIR and STTR programs for non-dilutive R&D funding, how to tell whether your innovation fits, and how to find opportunities across the eleven participating federal agencies. Read more.
Founder AMA with Cam and JDM
Fri, Oct 2, 12 – 1 PM, Online
Founders can bring their toughest startup questions and receive candid, experience-based feedback on what to prioritize and what may be wasting time. The open discussion is especially useful for those seeking their first customers, testing their value proposition, building meaningful traction, or preparing to raise capital with credible metrics. Read more.
Plan Ahead
CLTRE Coffee & Conversation
Wed, Oct 7, 9 – 11 AM, Aggie Square in Sacramento
Connect with entrepreneurs, investors, creatives and community partners at this monthly gathering focused on building relationships, sharing ideas and sparking new collaborations. Read more.
Using AI to Define Your Ideal Customer & Brand Voice
Wed, Oct 7, 5:30 – 7 PM, Sage & Silver Studios in Sacramento or Online
Learn how to use AI to better define your ideal customer and create marketing content that sounds like you. This hands-on workshop will help you build a personalized “Voice Card” using your own emails and posts so AI can produce more consistent, authentic marketing copy. Read more.
AI for Business: Who Owns What AI Creates?
Wed, Oct 7, 6 – 8 PM, Roseville Venture Lab in Roseville
Learn how to protect your intellectual property, confidential information and business when using generative AI tools. Attorney Anders Bostrom will discuss ownership and copyright of AI-generated content, risks involving company data and third-party intellectual property, and what founders should consider in contracts and policies governing AI use. Read more.
Tech Futures Early Stage Tech Series: From Product-Market Fit to Growth
Thu, Oct 8, 12 – 1 PM, Online
Build a go-to-market strategy that maximizes the impact of your market entry, and learn to align your GTM with your ideal customer profile and financial forecasts from launch through scaling sales. Session four of the Tech Futures Group’s five-part series on preparing to raise venture capital. Read more.
GrowTECH FEST 2026
Thu–Fri, Oct 8–9, Sierra Nevada Big Room in Chico
Connect with founders, investors, and innovators from across the North State during this two-day entrepreneurship conference featuring keynote speakers, workshops, networking, and the GrowTECH Startup Pitch Showcase. Read more.
Tandem: A Human-First Tech Summit
Sat, Oct 24, 9 AM – 5 PM, The Urban Hive in Sacramento
Explore how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping work, creativity, society and the physical world—and what should remain distinctly human. This one-day Sac Tech Week summit brings together founders, engineers, creators and other perspectives for discussions, demonstrations and interactive experiences focused on the future of technology and its impact. Read more.
Applications
NSF I-Corps Customer Discovery Program – Fall 2026 AgTech
Apply by Thu, Oct 15 | Online program
Early-stage teams developing STEM-based technologies can participate in this free UC Davis Venture Catalyst customer discovery program, with a fall theme of AgTech. Teams of 2–4 will conduct customer interviews, identify target customers, refine their value proposition, and evaluate product-market fit. University affiliation is not required. Orientation is Nov 3, with workshops Nov 10, 17 and 24. Read more.
Build Up Sacramento 2027 Applications Open
Rolling Admission Open Now through Nov 30
Established Sacramento businesses with at least one year of operating history are invited to apply for this no-cost accelerator designed to help companies scale sustainably. Over four months, participants receive expert advising, peer learning, office hours, and practical strategies for strengthening operations, expanding customers, and preparing for long-term growth. Only 20 businesses will be selected, with qualified applicants accepted on a rolling basis. Want to learn more before applying? Attend an online Info Session on Oct 8. Read more.
Traction Lab: Investment Readiness Engine
Applications Open
Apply for this 9-month go-to-market acceleration program supporting Sacramento-area founders with B2B sales development, enterprise pilot strategy, investor readiness, and traction-building support. Led by Traction Lab in partnership with Right Box and the Carlsen Center, the program includes a $20K non-dilutive experimentation pool shared across the cohort, and culminates in a $100K SPV Investment Showcase. Read more.
GFN Office Hours – Apply for 1:1 Mentorship
Applications Open | Roseville
Apply for a free one-on-one session with a GFN Entrepreneur-in-Residence and get personalized feedback on your startup idea or business challenges. Sessions are held at the Roseville Venture Lab. Read more
Connect
Looking to connect with others? Join the StartupSac Community Facebook Group! Startup founders and those who support the growth of our startup community connect and exchange ideas in this private moderated group.
Resources
Check out the StartupSac Website for information on resources available to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Also check out the NorCal Entrepreneur Hub. From capital to connections and training to talent, find the resources you need to build your business in NorCal.
