Questions

Start with the people. Come to an AVA event, browse the Investor Gallery to find the funds backing companies like yours, and apply for membership. The Paasport gets you introductions to investors, founders and operators, plus the member directory and event lists, so you know who to meet and where they’ll be.

The Austin Venture Association (AVA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit association founded in Austin in 2021. It brings together Austin’s investors, founders and the firms that serve early-stage companies, with three focus areas: the local venture community, education and professional development, and emerging business support. Membership is a Paasport to Austin’s venture scene: introductions, events and access in one place.

The Paasport is AVA membership, built like platform as a service (PaaS): one membership that plugs you into Austin’s venture scene. It covers introductions to investors, founders and operators, member events, the member directory and event lists, partner perks and member-only content. It is the easiest way to get plugged in.

The record is strong. The Austin metro grew 14.8% from 2020 to 2025, the fastest of the 50 largest U.S. metros (U.S. Census Bureau). Austin startups raised a record $7.19 billion in 2025 (Crunchbase News). And UT Austin spent $1.37 billion on research in fiscal 2025, ranking first in the nation for NSF-funded research.

Venture capitalists, founders, entrepreneurs and organizations serving early stage and emerging startups in Austin can apply for membership. Firms can also join as sponsors or business members and meet the community at AVA events. Everyone starts with the same short application.

Members get into the rooms: AVA events, industry news, member-only content and preferred pricing from our partners. Members also get a membership directory and event lists, to meet and stay connected with the people most relevant to their interests and business growth.

AVA organizes in-person gatherings where members socialize, share perspectives and build connections. Past events include investor receptions, a VC, PE and tech happy hour, a female founder wine tasting and the Validation Workshop. Upcoming events and RSVP links are listed on the Events page.

Email umar@austinventureassociation.com with questions about membership, events or partnerships. AVA posts updates on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. For membership, the application is the fastest way in.

In the 2026 Austin Deep Tech 50, ranked by eight Austin venture firms, the top five are Base Power, Saronic, Neuralink, The Boring Company and Aalo. Fluidstack, Apptronik, ICON, Allen Control Systems and TerraFirma complete the top ten. Overmatch Ventures published the list; AVA shows all 50 with links to each company’s own site.