Startup Events in Boston

Join venˣ during The Engine's Tough Tech Week for an afternoon of deep tech insight and connection, featuring a fireside chat with Tomás Villalón Jr., PhD, CTO & Co-Founder of Phoenix Tailings. Before and after the program, explore a curated showcase of deep tech startups and network with venture investors, LPs, founders, and operators. About the Speaker Tomás co-founded Phoenix Tailings, which is building a domestic supply chain for the rare earth metals behind magnets used in defense, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Under his technical leadership, Phoenix Tailings became one of the only producers of these metals in the Western world, using a clean, zero-waste refining process. He holds a PhD in Materials Engineering from Boston University and a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT. Itinerary 1:30–2:00pm: Arrivals, networking, and startup showcase 2:00–3:00pm: Welcome remarks and fireside chat with Tomás Villalón 3:00–3:30pm: Networking and startup showcase

We're bringing together investors and founders across early stage biotech for an afternoon of innovation and connection. Please join us for drinks and rapid-fire speed pitches with commentary from three VC judges: Michelle Levine - Lilly Ventures Aniqa Tasnim - 5AM Ventures Devin Quinlan - Curie.Bio Breakout Fund Agenda: 3:00-3:30 — Check-in and networking 3:30-4:15 — Speed pitches 4:15-5:00 — Happy hour and networking About First Citizens Innovation Banking First Citizens Innovation Banking (formerly Silicon Valley Bank) is the bank of some of the world’s most innovative companies and investors. FCIB provides commercial banking to companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, and venture capital industries. FCIB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights, and connections. FCIB’s parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA ), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at https://innovation.firstcitizens.com/. About Fidelity Private Shares Fidelity Private Shares helps private companies manage equity with clarity and structure. Cap tables, 409a valuations, governance, and planning tools work together in one system so founders and operators can stay investor-ready and manage ownership as complexity grows. By clicking submit below, you agree to receive communications from FCIB about this event. You also agree to receive communications about products, services and insights provided by FCIB's and our partners and affiliates based on your subscription preferences. I agree to these Terms and Conditions.

Join us for the official kick off to Tough Tech Week, hosted by Wolf & Company and Foley Hoag! Enjoy drinks, light refreshments, and an evening of networking with founders, innovators, investors, and members of the greater Tough Tech community. Connect with others across the ecosystem, exchange ideas, and build new relationships as we raise a glass to an exciting week ahead.

Welcome to our October 2026 Boston Go meetup at Datadog's Boston Office! We are looking for speakers for the next few months! Please reach out to us on Gophers Slack in #boston or via bostongolang@gmail.com to sign up to speak. It can be short or long, and it can be beginner, intermediate, or advanced--all talks are welcome! Some talk ideas to get your creativity flowing: An optimization you did at work How to use an open-source Go library A Go utility package you built as a side project Something new you learned about Go itself And remember, the organizers are here to help you prepare. Whether that's idea formation, slide review, or rehearsing, we are here to help! Contact us at bostongolang@gmail.com if you need help with coming up with a talk idea or preparing or presenting your talk! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Talks begin at 6, but doors open at 5:30, so attendees can socialize beforehand and enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks! ➤➤ Important to Know ➤➤ Boston Golang officially adopts the Go Code of Conduct (https://golang.org/conduct). Harassment, bullying, and discrimination are unacceptable here, and if you witness or experience those or other harmful behaviors, please let the organizers know or email us at "bostongolang at gmail dot com"

Co-hosted by The Engine and the Tough Tech Summit Host Committee: Breakthrough Energy, DCVC, Engine Ventures, NFX, Obvious Ventures, RA Capital, and SOSV. Tough Tech Summit is the flagship event of Tough Tech Week and brings together Tough Tech startups presenting their work with the investors, government, academic, and ecosystem leaders funding what’s next. The day features pitches, panels, and high-impact networking designed to connect breakthrough science with the people and organizations helping it move forward. A cornerstone of Tough Tech Week (October 26–30), the Summit spotlights the next generation of Tough Tech pioneers while examining how the ecosystem can scale solutions and support those just beginning their journeys. Last year’s Summit welcomed 440+ attendees, 250+ startups, and 160+ investors. For more information, including the agenda, visit toughtechsummit.xyz. Tough Tech Week is a week-long celebration of transformational science and engineering, hosted by The Engine and more than 50 partner organizations across Greater Boston and beyond. The week convenes Tough Tech startups building breakthrough solutions alongside the investors, government leaders, academic institutions, and ecosystem organizations funding and supporting them. Last year’s Tough Tech Week featured 65+ ecosystem events. To learn more and register for the full calendar, visit luma.com/toughtechweek or engine.xyz/toughtechweek.

Most conversations about selling AI to the enterprise stop at the pilot. The harder part comes after, and founders mostly talk about it in private. That’s the elephant and we want to put it on stage. Landing a pilot is one thing. Getting the CIO, CISO, legal, compliance and procurement to sign off on a paid contract is another. Then the contract’s signed, and a lean team has to deliver for a customer that dwarfs it. Join Fidelity Private Shares and The Open Accelerator for a founders’ breakfast with early-stage AI founders who are tackling these challenges right now. Hear firsthand what’s working, what’s not, and lessons learned along the way: Build vs. buy: Why would an enterprise buy from a startup if it can build in-house? Beyond founder-led sales: When does it stop working and what comes next? Delivering at enterprise scale: How does a small team support a huge customer after the deal closes? You’ll also meet Boston’s B2B AI founders and hear how they’re using local accelerators and the wider ecosystem to move faster. Building B2B AI? This one’s for you. Space is limited and founders get priority. Agenda 9-9:30 Arrivals & Networking 9:30-10 PanelRichard Shaaya, Founder & CEO, Sigma Automate Nyari Nain, Cofounder, Whiteroom AI Logan Currie, Director of Residency Programs, The Open Accelerator Kristen Craft, Head of Partnerships, Fidelity Private Shares 10-10:30 Networking & Departures Fidelity Private Shares Fidelity Private Shares is committed to supporting the startup & venture capital community. Fidelity helps founders prepare for their next round of funding with our cap table management and data room platform, events that give you access to seed stage capital, equity scenario modeling, and premier support to generate, execute & store legal documents. No matter where you are in your journey - from inception to IPO - Fidelity has the expertise to support you. The Open Accelerator The Open Accelerator, led by Red Hat with IBM Ventures and the Massachusetts AI Hu

Get inside WHOOP, one of Boston's leading tech companies. Tour WHOOP HQ in Kenmore Square, meet the founders, operators, and recruiters building the future of AI and performance tech in Massachusetts, and see what it's really like to build at a fast-growing company. Come ready to ask questions directly to the people doing the work. Seats are limited. Please include your .edu email to sign up to confirm you are a student!

Grok for Business Hackathon and Happy Hour Build the ultimate chief of staff bot in one afternoon. Join ES Consulting and SpaceXSI at WeWork One Beacon in Boston on Wednesday, October 28 at 4:30 PM. Teams of builders and business leaders will use Grok Build and Grok Bot to turn a realistic corpus of emails, meetings, calls, and Slack messages into a working AI chief of staff. No coding experience required. Bots will be judged on creativity, helpfulness, stability, and token efficiency, so the smartest build wins, not the most expensive one. The prizes 1st place: Signed Larry Bird photo 2nd place: Signed Gronk football Prizes for best bots Demos at 7:30 PM

As AI takes over more of the technical work of building a company, the human skills become the real edge: listening, presence, reading a room, thinking on your feet, and recovering when things go sideways. In this experiential session, Improv Asylum founder Norm Laviolette leads the room through live improv and ties it directly to what AI can't fake: genuine human connection. Expect to be on your feet, not just in your seat. Part of FI Boston's AI-Native Series on building AI-native companies in Boston. ❯ Guest Speakers include: Norm Laviolette (Co-Owner/Founder, Improv Asylum / Laugh Boston) Ignacio Castro (Managing Partner, 128vc) ❯❯ This is an in-person event, so be sure to RSVP at https://fi.co/e/406815/meetup to secure your spot and receive further details.

Hey there! 👋 Enjoy Tough Tech Week at a different pace. Come hang at Moki Allston for an evening of snacks, drinks, sauna, and good company, co-hosted by Chris Tolles and Felicity Meyer (of BoxOne Ventures). What? 😮‍💨 A no-agenda evening sauna hang. We'll have multiple saunas and cold plunges available with non-sauna space for chatting as well. Snacks and (mostly NA) drinks provided. There are changing facilities, showers, and bathrooms at the venue. Towels and flip-flops are provided. Bring (or wear) your own bathing suit and bring a water bottle. Who? 👪 Moki has a capacity limit, so we're prioritizing tough tech founders and investors with a few special friends for good measure. When? 🗓️ Wednesday, October 28th at 7PM until who knows. Where? 🗺️ Moki Sauna Allston: 267 Western Ave, Boston, MA 02134

Come eat and talk the latest gossip with two game dev groups at once! Mightier and the Critical Mass community join forces to Boston's lively food scene. Details: The event is open to everyone involved in game development and Free to attend but you'll be buying your own food. We have a Capacity Limit. Please confirm your attendance on Meetup or Discord if you are planning to attend. Exception: Paying Coworking Members and those that co-worked the day of the event do not need to register and are guaranteed a spot to every event run by the space. Other Exception: Mightier Employees can also attend the event without registration. We'll be launching our way to a restaurant from the Critical Mass! Office Every Other Wednesday at 12:30 Afternoon. Meet us at the office before 12:30 else coordinate on Discord to meet us on location. We're on Floor 3, right in front of the elevator. Please add any food spot recommendations and vote for the ones you like within the Critical Mass! Discord. The Weekly destinations will be announced on Discord, the day of the event. Join the Critical Mass! Discord for any communication needs. Website: https://www.criticalmassgame.dev/ Discord Link available on website and on meetup for attendees.

AI coding has fundamentally changed how software is written and improvements are real. Tools like Claude Code and Cursor speed up developer velocity and change how we approach software engineering, leading to better designs. However, as AI is writing more code than ever, testing and verification is the new bottleneck. Join Antithesis and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for a curated evening with engineers, development and infrastructure leaders exploring how teams can build resilient distributed systems while adopting faster, more autonomous software development workflows. Agenda: 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Arrival, check-in, food and networking 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Opening talk from AWS on the AWS AI-platform, AI-DLC, and resilient architectures 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Antithesis talk on agentic development, correctness, and pre-production validation 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM: Drinks & food, and more As AI-assisted and agent-generated code accelerate the pace of change, correctness and resilience can no longer be left to conventional testing alone. This event will bring together practitioners to discuss how leading teams are approaching failure testing, distributed systems reliability, observability, and pre-production validation on AWS. Are you and your team stretched thin because you are dealing with more and larger PRs, and spend most of your time doing code reviews? Are your agents writing tests that mostly cover the obvious path, but fail to find the real bugs affecting your customers? Are you and your team still hunting for subtle, hard-to-find bugs despite the use of AI? In these sessions, we will show a fundamentally different approach to solving the verification gap. If you are looking to increase your productivity and want a more rigorous approach to finding, reproducing, and fixing bugs that slip past conventional testing, we would love to have you join us. Space is limited. Please register soon!

Come playtest your game, try others' games, or just hang out after work with the Boston Game Dev community! Details: The event is open to everyone involved in game development and Free to attend. We have a Capacity Limit. Please confirm your attendance on Meetup or Discord if you are planning to attend. Exception: Paying Coworking Members and those that co-worked the day of the event do not need to register and are guaranteed a spot to every event run by the space. This event is held at the Critical Mass! coworking office every other Thursday, starting at 5:30pm until 7/8pm, whenever people shuffle on out. We're on Floor 3, right in front of the elevator. Bring your own demo equipment. We may have devices you could borrow but there are now guarantees. Join the Critical Mass! Discord for any communication needs.

📅 October 29 · 5:30–8:30 PM 📍 867 Boylston Street 5th Floor, BOSTON, MA 02116 What’s next for AI for Science? Join researchers, founders, and builders to explore recent breakthroughs, predictions for the field, and our speakers’ perspectives on the opportunities and challenges ahead. Expect an open conversation, audience Q&A, and plenty of networking. Our Panelists Markus J. Buehler — MIT Professor; Co-Founder & CTO of Unreasonable Labs. Generative AI and scientific discovery. Keith A. Brown — BU Materials Science & Engineering Division Head; leads KABlab. Autonomous labs and materials discovery. Douglas Densmore — BU Professor; Co-Founder of Asimov and Lattice Automation. Synthetic biology and laboratory automation. George Barbastathis — MIT Professor; leads the 3D Optical Systems Group. AI-powered computational imaging and optics. Harry Glorikian (Moderator & Panelist) — General Partner at Scientia Ventures; author of four books and host of The Harry Glorikian Show. Bringing an investor’s perspective on AI, healthcare, and life sciences. Also joining: James, CEO of Zeteon.ai, a Singapore-based startup building autonomous research agents. Schedule 5:30–6:00 · Check-in & networking 6:00–6:10 · The Room & Zeteon.ai introductions 6:10–7:10 · Panel discussion 7:10–7:25 · Audience Q&A 7:25–8:30 · Networking Enjoy thoughtfully curated catering while connecting with fellow researchers, founders, and builders.

Event Overview: Massachusetts is a leader in defense innovation and dual-use technology. Mark your calendar for a high-impact, half-day conference celebrating a year of rapid growth, key milestones, and the future of defense tech across the Commonwealth. Hosted by MassTech’s Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD), the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC), and The Engine at BASE-X (60 State St, Boston), Tough Tech Dual-Use Day 2026 brings together defense primes, investors, academic leaders, and startups under one roof. This integrated session encompasses Advanced Materials, Autonomy, Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, and Microelectronics. Attendees will seamlessly engage with the topics most relevant to their interests, gaining direct insight into upcoming opportunities, prime contracting needs, and emerging pathways designed to fast-track technology-to-capability transition. Space is limited. Please request an invitation early to secure your spot! Agenda Overview: Welcome & Executive Remarks: Kick off the morning with state leadership, celebrating one year of momentum since the SHIELD Executive Order. NEMC Member Updates & Ecosystem Announcements: Hear the latest on regional defense-tech initiatives, including NEMC member updates, alongside exciting announcements for established key programs. Affinity Networking Sessions: Interactive breakout sessions utilizing BASE-X spaces for targeted, face-to-face networking with investors, primes, and peers across Advanced Materials, Autonomy, Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, and Microelectronics. Spotlight - Startup Lightning Pitches: Discover the next wave of defense tech. Leading startups will showcase breakthrough capabilities and readiness for transition directly to attending prime contractors (DIBs) and venture capitalists. Networking Luncheon: Connect informally over lunch with founders, investors, defense primes, and ecosystem leaders before afternoon travel.

Been curious about Boston's only living Game Dev Coworking/Community space? This is the perfect time to come check it out! Details: The event is open to everyone involved in game development and Free to attend. We have a Capacity Limit. Please confirm your attendance on Meetup or Discord if you are planning to attend. Exception: Paying Coworking Members are always welcome into the space and can attend as usual without any event registration. This event will occur on the first Monday of every month, show up anytime either in the coworking day (9am-5pm) or afterwards for the hangout starting at 5:30pm until 7/8pm when people shuffle out. Enjoy luxurious amenities such as cheap coffee and free water from our convenient downtown location! Stay on top of industry trends and grow your skills as a developer by working alongside other industry professionals Join the Critical Mass! Discord for any communication needs. We're on Floor 3, right in front of the elevator. Website Link: https://www.criticalmassgame.dev/

Priors is a new robotics research group in Boston. Everyone arrives with beliefs of where the field is going - their Priors. Our mission is to update those Priors through lectures, lightning talks, and paper discussions. -- For Priors #02, Seth Hutchinson joins us to talk about the robotics problems that resist data-driven methods, and what to do about them. Learned methods have pushed grasping, locomotion, and perception forward fast. But for some problems, data is expensive, slow, or dangerous to collect. Simulation struggles with nondeterminism and complex dynamics. Demonstrations break down out of distribution and offer no performance guarantees. Seth will walk through recent work where model-based approaches deliver instead: flapping flight on a bat-like robot, vision-based control of soft continuum robots, a cable-driven graffiti-painting robot, and safe mobile manipulation around people. He'll also show where learned tools can still make those methods better. Seth is a Professor at Northeastern, jointly in Khoury College of Computer Sciences and the College of Engineering, and works with the Institute for Experiential Robotics. His research spans motion planning, vision-based control, planning under uncertainty, physical HRI, locomotion, and bio-inspired robotics, with 300+ publications over three decades. Before Northeastern he spent 28 years at UIUC and seven at Georgia Tech, where he was executive director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines. He is a past president of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and former editor-in-chief of IEEE Transactions on Robotics. What to expect: Technical Lecture Format: First, our speaker will outline the details of their recent work and research (40min). After the structured talk, the floor will remain open for free-flowing Q&A (15min) and casual conversations/networking following. Logistics: Please arrive on time as the lecture will start promptly! -- If you spend your days building or researchin

Explore the food scene of Boston's South Station region while getting your healthy dose of industry networking in! Details: The event is open to everyone involved in game development and Free to attend but you'll be buying your own food. We have a Capacity Limit. Please confirm your attendance on Meetup or Discord if you are planning to attend. Exception: Paying Coworking Members and those that co-worked the day of the event do not need to register and are guaranteed a spot to every event run by the space. We'll be launching our way to a restaurant from the Critical Mass! Office Every Other Wednesday at 12:30 Afternoon. Meet us at the office before 12:30 else coordinate on Discord to meet us on location. We're on Floor 3, right in front of the elevator. Please add any food spot recommendations and vote for the ones you like within the Critical Mass! Discord. The Weekly destinations will be announced on Discord, the day of the event. Join the Critical Mass! Discord for any communication needs. Website: https://www.criticalmassgame.dev/ Discord Link available on website and on meetup for attendees.

AI is changing the workplace fast...and if you’re graduating in the next few years, the jobs you’re applying for may look very different from the entry-level jobs that existed even a few years ago. So…what should you actually be learning right now? As part of Startup Boston’s Cross University Innovators Mixer series, this panel brings together students from colleges and universities across the region alongside startup and tech leaders for a candid conversation about how AI is changing the skills employers look for, the work they expect early-career employees to do, and how you can prepare for a job market that’s still being rewritten. We’ll dig into: What AI is actually changing: Which entry-level tasks are disappearing, evolving, or becoming more valuable? The skills that matter now: What technical and human skills are employers looking for? Using AI vs. understanding AI: How proficient do you actually need to be with AI tools before entering the workforce? What employers are noticing: What makes a student or recent grad stand out in an AI-powered workplace? Preparing now: What should you be learning, building, experimenting with, or practicing before graduation? And it’s not just a panel. We’ll have food, time to network, and plenty of opportunities to meet students from colleges and universities beyond your own campus. At our last Cross University Innovators Mixer, students from 54 different schools registered - so come ready to make some new connections. BONUS: Want a behind-the-scenes look at a Boston tech company? We'll also have an optional tour of Klaviyo's office, giving you a chance to explore the workspace of a Boston-based tech company while you're here! You don’t need to be an AI expert or studying computer science to join us. Come hungry, bring your questions, meet students you probably wouldn’t cross paths with otherwise, and leave with a better idea of how to prepare for the workplace you’re graduating into. A huge thank you to Klaviyo for hosting u

Overwrite jam is a bit different from your typical game jam. Along with making a game in 48 hours, you'll be given a piece of hardware to integrate into the game! Think hack-a-thon meets game jam, instead of using an xbox controller to control the game you'll have something new to interface with. All are welcome, regardless of experience level, to come make a game over a weekend! We've designed this game jam as beginner friendly way to jump into creating new ways to interface with a game. Come on out and expand your game making skills, pick up a new tool, or experiment with a new idea! Registering is totally free, and each team will get 1 piece of hardware (as long as supplies lasts). What the hardware is will be announced at the start of the jam! Thank you so much to our Sponsor Unity! https://unity.com/ This jam has been designed and developed in partnership with fellow community member Michael Berthaud!! If you experience any harassment or other disrespectful behavior, please report it to the organizer of this event (either in person at the event, on the Boston Game Dev slack channel, or via the messaging feature on Meetup), MIT staff, or email us at contact@bostongamedev.org.

Tour Lovable HQ. Get free credits. Hack with the team.Step inside Lovable’s office, meet the operators building the future of AI-powered product creation, grab exclusive credits, and team up on-site to ship something real together.

Come playtest your game, try others' games, or just hang out after work with the Boston Game Dev community! Details: The event is open to everyone involved in game development and Free to attend. We have a Capacity Limit. Please confirm your attendance on Meetup or Discord if you are planning to attend. Exception: Paying Coworking Members and those that co-worked the day of the event do not need to register and are guaranteed a spot to every event run by the space. This event is held at the Critical Mass! coworking office every other Thursday, starting at 5:30pm until 7/8pm, whenever people shuffle on out. We're on Floor 3, right in front of the elevator. Bring your own demo equipment. We may have devices you could borrow but there are now guarantees. Join the Critical Mass! Discord for any communication needs.

The Confidence by Spotify crew is in Boston to attend the CODE at MIT conference. The Thursday before the event, we want to invite conference participants and friends to a pre-drinks in our Boston Spotify office. To make things more interesting our friend Hannes Lagerroth from Lovable will give a short talk on experimentation at Lovable. Hannes has been one of the drivers of the quick experimentation adoption at Lovable, and will share how they combine their own Lovable insights apps and Confidence to do experimentation across their stack! Beyond that it's drinks and pizza for all!

Come show off the game you're working on, or just come kick it and see what folks in the community are up to! Hang out and support your fellow game makers with some feedback, informal play testing, and encouragement. No sign-up required, space is first-come first-serve; if you have something to show, just bring a laptop/tablet to play on! The venue has power and WiFi, but the WiFi can be spotty. Come prepared! After party TBD Transportation/parking info: COMING SOON If you experience any harassment or other disrespectful behavior, please report it to the organizer of this event (either in person at the event, on the Boston Game Dev slack channel, or via the messaging feature on Meetup), email us at admin@bostonindies, or speak with any MIT staff at the event.