About this Event
Techstars Startup Weekend is like a hackathon for people excited about tech! Over a fun-filled 54 hours, participants pitch ideas, team up, and bring a startup idea to life. It’s all about creativity, teamwork, and turning ideas into action! You’ll make new connections, find mentors, or maybe even meet your future business partner. It’s like a crash course where you learn by doing, with seasoned pros showing you the ropes.
Techstars Startup Weekend is a creative and collaborative three-day educational event where anyone can develop and pitch new startup ideas. It's about pitching, business model creation, prototyping, designing, and market validation, in a friendly and supportive team environment. All in just 54 hours.
This year’s theme: Feeding Innovation
This Startup Weekend isn’t about building just any product — it’s about tackling challenges that truly matter. In partnership with the Calgary Food Bank, participants will apply startup thinking to real issues like donation logistics, inventory, and volunteer coordination.
Over one weekend, you’ll team up, test ideas, and build solutions that could directly strengthen one of Calgary’s most vital organizations. By Sunday night, you won’t just have practiced starting a company, you’ll have explored how innovation can feed a city, support a community, and create impact that lasts far beyond the weekend.
Join the Ultimate Startup Experience! 🚀
✨ What: Techstars Startup Weekend with the Calgary Food Bank
📅 When: Oct 17-19th, 2025
📍 Where: Platform Calgary
Why Join?
💡 Learn by doing with mentorship from industry experts.
🤝 Make lasting connections with fellow creators and future collaborators.
🎉 Enjoy meals, workshops, and an unforgettable weekend of innovation.
The Calgary Food Bank is truly by community, for community.
In partnership with the food industry and people like you, for every $1 received, we can distribute $3.50 worth of food. We invite you to help by contributing online, by phone, mail, or in person.
All donations over $25 made online, phone, mail, or in person will receive a tax receipt.
Ready to bring a startup idea to life in just 54 hours? Whether you’re a coder, creative, business pro, or total beginner, Startup Weekend is for YOU!
Terms of Participation Agreement
It is our job to provide you with an incredible networking and learning experience. Our intention is that you meet some amazing people that you might start a company with, learn from mentors and learn from your peers. The event is intended to be a collaborative forum for sharing, learning, building, and having fun. As such, by registering as a participant, you acknowledge that any ideas shared by you or anyone else over the course of the event are contributions to the overall experience and community. If you’re very concerned, you can limit your pitch to the rough outline of the idea without giving away key information.
As a member of your startup community, you agree to be inclusive of any and all people and their ideas. You agree to act professionally, treat everyone with respect, and treat the event facilities with proper care. You agree that you are responsible in the event of any accidents or damages that you cause. You also agree to not hold Techstars Startup Weekend, Platform Calgary, Calgary Food Bank, or any of the event supporters liable for any loss, damage, injury, or any other unforeseeable incident.
By participating in the event, you grant Platform Calgary permission to capture photos/videos of the event and use them for marketing purposes, so we can continue to offer amazing Techstars Startup Weekends to the Calgary ecosystem.
By purchasing a ticket to a Techstars Startup Weekend event, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
If you have questions please reach out to [email protected]
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Day 1: Friday | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Info: Doors open at 5:00 pm. We kick off with dinner and networking to break the ice and build community. A high-energy keynote will get you inspired before you pitch your ideas (60 seconds or less!). Then, we vote on ideas, form teams, and claim workstations to start building! Remember: this is about FUN, creativity, and collaboration—everyone’s an equal partner.
Day 2: Saturday | 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Info: Time to build! Start the day with light bites and a pep-talk to set the tone for your day, then dive into customer discovery—talking to real potential customers is key. Coaching sessions will take place throughout the day to guide your team as you develop your idea. Dinner and snacks are provided to keep you fuelled for success!
Day 3: Sunday | 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Info: Polish your idea and perfect your pitch! After a full day of building and refining, you’ll have five minutes to showcase your startup to a panel of judges. Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to celebrate your hard work, connect with your new network of innovators, and cheer on the winning teams—prizes to be announced!
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Platform Innovation Centre (East Annex), 407 9 Avenue Southeast, Calgary, Canada
CAD 49.26 to CAD 70.56
