+ June 2026 Dates Now Confirmed: 20–27 June 2026
After the wave of global attention sparked by Marc Andreessen’s viral Instagram reel capturing the electric energy of the Valley, Smart Cities Council is proud to announce the next edition of Silicon Valley Startup & Investor Week, running 7–14 February 2026 across San Francisco and San Jose.
And with demand increasing quarter-on-quarter, SCC has already released the dates for the next mission: Silicon Valley Startup & Investor Week – June 2026
20–27 June 2026 | San Francisco, USA
These back-to-back missions solidify SCC’s quarterly commitment to providing founders with structured, high-value access into the world’s most competitive innovation ecosystem.
Why Founders Are Turning to Investor Week — And Why 2026 Will Be Our Most Selective Yet
Breaking into a VC’s inbox has become nearly impossible. Founders are flooding venture channels with emails, pitch decks, videos, warm asks, and introductions—yet almost none break through.
It’s not a lack of quality. It’s the reality of modern venture investing: VCs rely on trusted networks, verified intros, and curated referrals to filter who gets their attention.
Cold outreach is no longer a strategy. It’s noise.
This is precisely the gap Silicon Valley Startup & Investor Week fills.
Instead of fighting for visibility in a saturated inbox, founders step directly into warm, legitimised pathways—built through SCC’s credibility and long-standing Silicon Valley network.
This Is Not a Conference. This Is a High-Intensity Investor Mission for Companies Ready to Scale.
SCC’s February 2026 cohort will be small, curated, and impact-driven.
Only founders who stand to materially benefit will be selected.
Participants will gain high-trust access to:
·Venture capital funds
·Corporate innovation teams
·Strategic partners
·Government innovation agencies
·Founder-operator mentors
·Deep tech and AI advisory groups
This is the room founders fight to get into—and most never do without the right network.
A More Structured, High-Impact Format for 2026
Inspired by the momentum captured in Marc Andreessen’s reel—and informed by lessons from our 2025 program—we’ve deepened the structure and increased the rigor.
Before Silicon Valley: Intensive Preparation
Delegates complete a bespoke readiness sprint covering:
·Capital strategy & investment readiness
·Governance, valuation, quantum, and instruments
·Pitch narrative, messaging and deck optimisation
·Business model refinement
·Due-diligence readiness
·North American market entry pathways
Founders don’t show up “hoping” to be investor-ready — they arrive already sharpened, validated and positioned.
In Silicon Valley: Real Access, Real Meetings, Real Momentum
Across seven immersive days, participants engage in:
·1-on-1 meetings with VCs
·1-on-1 sessions with founder-operators
·Corporate venture & strategic partner engagements
·Innovation hub and accelerator deep dives
·Networking events with investors, technologists & founders
·T&I agency roundtables
·Optional Super Bowl LX–aligned innovation events
·High-trust introductions that bypass cold outreach entirely
Delegates work directly with leaders including:
·Andrew Côté — Founder & CEO, Deep Tech Week; Advisor, a16z American Dynamism
·Corey Gray — Chair & President, Smart Cities Council; UN-ITU CitiVerse Standards Committee
·SCC’s Silicon Valley Capital & Advisory Network — curated investors, operators, and ecosystem partners
Why Participate?
This mission is built for founders who want to:
·Raise capital
·Build deep investor relationships
·Enter or expand into North America
·Strengthen their governance, narrative & investment readiness
·Develop high-trust connections in the most competitive ecosystem on earth
Above all, Investor Week gives founders the two currencies the Valley values most: Time and trust.
Who Should Apply?
Ideal candidates include:
·Tech & deep-tech startups
·AI, robotics, IoT, mobility, climate, energy & infrastructure ventures
·City-tech, GovTech, and civic innovation companies
·Scaleups preparing for U.S. expansion
·Venture-backed companies raising Seed–Series B
Only six companies will be selected for the February 2026 cohort.
Applications Now Open — February & June 2026
With February now live and June 2026 (20–27 June) officially released, founders have two opportunities to secure a place in SCC’s quarterly Silicon Valley mission.
Spaces are extremely limited.
Apply Now . Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
For more information on Smart Cities Council programs:
