San Francisco Tech Week 2025: Founder Field Guide

San Francisco Tech Week (October 6–12, 2025) is the Bay Area's annual gravity well for founders, engineers, operators, and venture scouts. Hosted by Andreessen Horowitz and powered by a mosaic of partner venues across SoMa, the Mission, and Embarcadero, this decentralized festival is more than a stack of panels—it's a seven-day sprint for serendipity. With 400+ micro-events spanning AI innovation, fintech disruption, quantum computing, and community-driven programming, Tech Week 2025 represents the most comprehensive gathering of Silicon Valley's ecosystem since the pandemic. Use this guide to map your run of show, stack your meetings, and squeeze every insight from a16z's flagship gathering.

Why Tech Week Matters in 2025

• AI inflection point: Post-Sora 2 launches accelerated expectations for adaptive media, agentic workflows, and streaming inference. Expect a deluge of model architecture breakdowns, policy debates, and live demos on the Expo floors.
• Capital reset: Seed valuations cooled through Q2, but late-stage capital is resurfacing for mission-critical AI and fintech stacks. Investor office hours throughout the week are calibrated to find disciplined builders.
• Security as differentiator: Startup security incidents in 2024 reshaped diligence checklists. Panels from Ramp, Carta, and Coalition cover API attack readiness, SOC 2 automation, and red-team rehearsal loops.
• Community density: 400+ micro-events mean that niche communities—climate tech, neurotech, horror gaming collectives—can run breakouts without competing for the main stage.

Festival Topography

Pro tip: Block 20 minutes between sessions to traverse neighborhoods; Muni and BART remain the fastest connectors during peak hours, while the Tech Week shuttle loop runs mornings and evenings.

Day-by-Day Playbook

Day 1 – Monday (Oct 6): Kickoff Momentum

• Opening Keynote at a16z HQ: Marc Andreessen, Connie Chan, and Martin Casado outline a playbook for "ambient AI" startups. Reserve arrival by 8:00 AM for badge pickup.
• Founder Operator Sync: Roundtable at Pier 70 focuses on post-product-market-fit hiring and profit discipline.
• Evening Social: Hotel Julian's lobby bar hosts a "Runway to Series A" mixer. Book direct for early check-in to claim workspace nooks.
• Public Sector Bridge: San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) kicks off its free Tech Week workshop series with an "AI literacy for families" primer—ideal if you're traveling with teammates who want community touchpoints.

Day 2 – Tuesday: Data Pipelines and Defensibility

• Infra Morning Sessions: Snowflake, Databricks, and AWS teams dissect cost-optimized training clusters and governance in hybrid clouds.
• Security Unpacked: Ramp and Coalition run a tabletop exercise on API breach containment. Bring your on-call scenarios for real-time critique.
• Late Night Build: Indie Studios offers a midnight "Ship or Sleep" hack, with product mentors rotating every 45 minutes.
• Civic Tech Track: SFPL's main branch hosts "Smartphone Essentials for Seniors," a reminder that Tech Week pairs high-growth ambition with inclusive digital literacy.

Day 3 – Wednesday: AI Agents & Customer Activation

• Agent Ops Forum: IBM's Innovation Studio hosts panels on autonomous agents for finance, sports analytics, and call-center orchestration—complete with live case studies from MLB partners.
• Creator Stack Demo Day: Mission-based creator labs spotlight AI-driven video workflows, including Sora 2 production pipelines and prompt libraries.
• Private Dinners: Cal.com founders curate topic-specific dinners—apply early with a crisp thesis and ask for the Shadow Table if you're hunting stealth collabs.
• IBM Spotlight: Catch "Is AI the New Referee?" where IBM researchers dissect real-time officiating tech with sports leagues, plus a live recording of the "Smart Talks" podcast featuring Malcolm Gladwell and Jay Gambetta on quantum leaps.

Day 4 – Thursday: Fintech Futures

• Payments Deep Dive: Venmo alumni and Stripe PMs compare network effects in consumer wallets versus B2B embedded finance.
• AML & Compliance Labs: Policy experts run scenario planning on synthetic identities and LLM-powered fraud detection.
• Investor Panels: Thrive Capital and Sequoia debate the "AI-first bank" thesis; prep your diligence one-pagers for hallway follow-ups.
• Community Finance Forum: SFPL's Bayview branch gathers local founders to explore equitable fintech access—drop in if you're scouting inclusive banking partnerships.

Day 5 – Friday: Hardware Fusion and Quantum Leaps

• Quantum Morning: IBM showcases hybrid quantum-classical workflows for AI model acceleration; RSVP includes lab tours.
• Robotics & Edge Demo Hall: Stanford spinouts and YC hardware teams display sensor-heavy prototypes—expect RSVPs to cap early.
• Pitch Gauntlet: a16z Speed Pitch returns with six-minute slots. Practice your "why now" narrative and flag the infra cost line item.
• Smart Talks Encore: Malcolm Gladwell moderates founder hot-seats on storytelling for technical products—seats go fast; request standby if you miss the first wave.

Weekend Intensives – Saturday & Sunday

• Sunday Service for Builders: Morning mindfulness + deep-work sprints at Founders’ Hub for shipping post-conference follow-ups.
• Community Activations: Neighbourhood walks highlight civic tech initiatives; RSVP if you’re exploring public-private pilots.
• Nightfall Story Salon: After-hours sessions explore immersive storytelling tech, indie horror screenings, and crossovers with XR studios.

Meeting Strategy in a Decentralized Week

• Stack Micro-Meetings: Set 15-minute slots clustered by venue; use Cal.com or Linear-style scheduling links to reduce back-and-forth.
• Leverage Hotel Julian: The lobby’s acoustic panels make it ideal for quick investor syncs between SoMa sessions and downtown dinners.
• Deploy Asynchronous Handshakes: Record a two-minute Loom recapping your product updates; QR codes on printed cards remain surprisingly effective.
• Tap Parallel Tracks: With 300+ events, you can split cofounder coverage. Capture session takeaways in shared Notion templates before they fade.

• Notebook Stack: One analog notebook for hallway intel; one digital space (Notion or Height) for actionables.
• Recording Setup: A lightweight lav mic + smartphone rig keeps you ready for impromptu podcast guest spots.
• Daily Debrief: Run a 30-minute nightly sync to log warm intros, investor signals, and follow-up commitments.

Spotlight: IBM's Tech Week Series

IBM's presence stretches across AI in sports, virtual compute, and quantum exploration. Highlights include:

• "Is AI the New Referee?" Featuring Aly Wagner and Bill Schlough discussing AI's impact on sports officiating and analytics.
• "Unlocking Our Quantum Future" Live podcast recording with Malcolm Gladwell and Jay Gambetta exploring quantum computing's transformative potential.
• "Scaling Over Cocktails" Networking event co-hosted with a16z bringing together founders, investors, and innovators.
• Quantum Sprint Labs: Hands-on sessions to prototype hybrid workloads.
• AI in Sports Podcast Live: Featuring analytics leads from the NBA and Formula E.
• Virtual Compute Roundtable: Deep dive into cloud-native virtualization for AI deployment at scale.

Seats are limited; expect application questions on your current AI stack and customers served.

Registration Strategy & Ticket Tiers

Base Pass (Free)

• Access to all public sessions and community programming
• SFPL workshop series (40+ free sessions)
• Networking lounges and coffee chats
• Evening social mixers at Hotel Julian

Premium Track ($299)

• Investor breakfast roundtables
• Hardware lab tours (IBM quantum, Stanford robotics)
• Curated founder dinners with Cal.com alumni
• Priority seating for flagship keynotes
• Private workspace access at Hotel Julian

VIP Experience ($999)

• One-on-one investor office hours
• Behind-the-scenes a16z portfolio company visits
• Malcolm Gladwell storytelling masterclass
• Exclusive rooftop dinners with tech luminaries
• Complimentary Hotel Julian suite upgrade

Pro tip: Many partner events require separate RSVPs. Bookmark the official registration portal and set calendar reminders for high-demand sessions.

Transportation & Logistics

Getting Around SF During Tech Week

• Tech Week Shuttle: Free loop connecting major venues (runs 7 AM–11 PM)
• Muni/BART: Fastest for cross-neighborhood travel during peak hours
• Rideshare: Surge pricing expected during key session transitions
• Walking: Most venues within 15-minute radius of SoMa core

Accommodation Strategy

• Hotel Julian: Central location, acoustic lobby for impromptu meetings, workspace-ready rooms
• Airbnb: Mission District offers proximity to creator economy events
• Corporate housing: Longer stays can leverage furnished apartments in Financial District

Networking Playbook

Pre-Event Preparation

• LinkedIn optimization: Update headline with "SF Tech Week 2025" and key focus areas
• Business cards: Include QR code linking to your two-minute Loom intro
• Elevator pitch: Practice 30-second, 2-minute, and 5-minute versions
• Meeting scheduler: Set up Cal.com or Linear-style booking links

During the Week

• Morning rituals: Arrive 30 minutes early for coffee chats and serendipitous encounters
• Session strategy: Balance main stage content with intimate breakout discussions
• Evening networking: Hotel Julian's lobby bar becomes the unofficial after-hours hub
• Digital capture: Use voice memos to capture insights before they fade

Post-Event Follow-up

• 24-hour rule: Send personalized follow-ups referencing specific conversation points
• Value-add approach: Share relevant resources, introductions, or insights
• Calendar invites: Schedule 15-minute follow-up calls within 48 hours
• Social proof: Tag connections in LinkedIn posts about Tech Week takeaways

Investor Meeting Framework

Preparation Checklist

• One-pager: Single page covering problem, solution, traction, team, ask
• Demo deck: 10 slides maximum, heavy on visuals and metrics
• Financial model: 18-month runway projection with key assumptions
• Competitive analysis: Direct competitors and differentiation factors
• Team bios: Relevant experience and complementary skill sets

Meeting Structure

1. Opening (2 minutes): Personal connection and company overview
2. Problem/Solution (5 minutes): Market opportunity and product-market fit
3. Traction (5 minutes): Metrics, customer testimonials, growth trajectory
4. Team (3 minutes): Founder backgrounds and advisory board
5. Ask (5 minutes): Funding needs, use of proceeds, timeline

Common Investor Questions

• "What's your customer acquisition cost and lifetime value?"
• "How do you plan to scale beyond your current market?"
• "What's your biggest competitive risk?"
• "Tell me about your team's relevant experience."
• "What would you do with $2M in funding?"

SFPL Partnership Highlights

• Digital Literacy: Smartphone fundamentals for seniors, AI education for families
• Youth Programming: Coding bootcamps, robotics workshops, career exploration
• Accessibility: Assistive technology demos, inclusive design principles
• Local Economy: Small business tech adoption, neighborhood connectivity

Public-Private Collaborations

• Climate Tech: Carbon tracking, renewable energy optimization, sustainable transportation
• Healthcare Innovation: Telemedicine platforms, diagnostic AI, patient data privacy
• Education Technology: Personalized learning, teacher tools, student assessment
• Civic Engagement: Voting technology, community organizing, government transparency

Closing Advice

• Protect recovery time: The most strategic conversations happen after day three fatigue hits. Hydrate, plan 1:1 outdoor walks, and respect energy budgets.
• Curate your narrative: Every interaction should ladder up to a single mission statement. Keep it memorable.
• Follow through fast: Send recaps within 24 hours. Reference session takeaways to demonstrate active listening.
• Document everything: Capture insights, contacts, and action items in real-time to avoid post-event amnesia.
• Stay curious: Some of the best opportunities come from unexpected conversations in coffee lines or elevator rides.