Smart Cities Council Thanks Sponsors and Ecosystem Partners for Enabling Landmark Pitch Event

The success of the Silicon Valley Start-up & Investor Week (SVS*IW) Edition III Pitch Event was made possible through the support, leadership, and contributions of an exceptional group of sponsors, ecosystem partners, and community leaders committed to advancing innovation and enabling the next generation of global founders.

The Smart Cities Council extends its sincere thanks to the organisations and individuals whose partnership helped create a meaningful platform connecting founders, investors, and industry leaders in the heart of San Francisco’s deep technology ecosystem.

Deep Tech Week and Andrew Cote: Creating a Platform for Global Innovation

A special thank you to Andrew Cote, Founder of Deep Tech Week, who served as Master of Ceremonies and played a pivotal role in shaping the Pitch Event experience.

Through Andrew’s leadership and the Deep Tech Week platform, founders were able to engage directly with one of the world’s most active and collaborative deep technology communities. Deep Tech Week continues to provide an open and accessible forum for founders, investors, and technologists to exchange ideas, test concepts, and accelerate breakthrough technologies.

Smart Cities Council values its continued partnership with Deep Tech Week and looks forward to further collaboration as part of Silicon Valley Start-up & Investor Week Edition IV in June 2026.

Frontier Tower: Hosting the Future of Technology

We extend our sincere appreciation to Frontier Tower for hosting the Pitch Event. As a vertical innovation village designed specifically for early-stage technologists, Frontier Tower provided an ideal environment for founders to present their technologies and engage with investors and ecosystem leaders.

The venue’s mission to foster collaboration, experimentation, and innovation aligns closely with the Smart Cities Council’s commitment to accelerating technologies that improve cities and communities worldwide.

Lightfield: Supporting Founders and the Ecosystem

Thank you to Lightfield, whose sponsorship of food and refreshments contributed significantly to creating a welcoming and engaging environment for founders, investors, and attendees.

Lightfield’s commitment to supporting founders and enabling innovation reflects the collaborative spirit of the Silicon Valley ecosystem and the shared mission of empowering companies building transformative technologies.

Microsoft for Startups: Enabling Technology Growth

We also acknowledge Microsoft for Startups for providing meaningful support to founders through access to critical technology resources, including compute credits that enable companies to scale and accelerate development.

This type of ecosystem support is essential in enabling early-stage companies to focus on innovation, development, and growth.

Riceberg Ventures and Pitch Event Judges: Enabling Founder Opportunity

The Smart Cities Council extends its sincere thanks to Riceberg Ventures for sponsoring the after-hours reception following the Pitch Event. Their support created an important environment for continued engagement, enabling founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders to deepen conversations, strengthen relationships, and explore pathways for collaboration beyond the formal program.

We also recognise and thank our distinguished panel of judges, whose time, expertise, and thoughtful feedback provided invaluable guidance to participating founders:

• Andrew Cote — Founder, Deep Tech Week
• Lucas Root— Investor and Deep Tech Ecosystem Leader
• Britton Winterrose — Microsoft for Startups
• Ragnar Jongen — Investor and Strategic Advisor
• Stephania Stavropoulos — Investor and Innovation Leader
• Hamid Sha — Technology Executive and Ecosystem Contributor

Their participation ensured founders received meaningful, constructive insights while reinforcing the Smart Cities Council’s commitment to supporting investment readiness and global scale.

The contribution of Riceberg Ventures and our judging panel reflects the strength of the collaborative ecosystem surrounding Silicon Valley Start-up & Investor Week, and the shared commitment to enabling founders building technologies that will shape the future of cities and communities worldwide.

Recognising the Broader Smart Cities Council Ecosystem

The Pitch Event was further strengthened by the participation and support of Smart Cities Council members, partners, investors, and ecosystem contributors who engaged with founders throughout the evening.

Their involvement provided:

• Valuable founder feedback and advisory support
• Investment insights and connections
• Strategic partnership opportunities
• Ongoing engagement beyond the event itself

This level of ecosystem participation reflects the strength and global reach of the Smart Cities Council network.

A Collective Effort Enabling Founder Success

Silicon Valley Start-up & Investor Week is built on collaboration, bringing together founders, investors, ecosystem leaders, and partners to enable meaningful connections and accelerate innovation adoption.

The Smart Cities Council extends its sincere appreciation to all sponsors, partners, contributors, and participants who helped make the Edition III Pitch Event a success.

Their support not only enabled a single event, but helped strengthen pathways for founders to scale technologies that will shape the future of cities and communities globally.

Smart Cities Council looks forward to continuing these partnerships and welcoming ecosystem leaders to future programs, including Silicon Valley Start-up & Investor Week Edition IV and Deep Tech Week in June 2026.