Casa TechMex 2026 · Pitch Competition
Mexican-led and Mexico-rooted startups pitch to investors, buyers, and technology leaders in Austin. The prize that matters most: the right next conversation.
Two ways onto the stage
Competitive
startups on stage
For startups with a working product and real evidence: customers, revenue, pilots, or serious letters of intent.
Non-competitive
Build a working startup demo. Present it at Casa TechMex.
demos on stage
For idea-stage and pre-seed builders who will arrive with a functional demo or navigable prototype.
Who can apply
Path A
At least one Mexican or Mexican-American founder with equity and an active role on the founding team.
Path B
Founders of any nationality, with a real connection to Mexico through operations, team, customers, production, technology, or market.
Pitch Finals applicants also need
Hard limits
Under $5M
in annual revenue
Under $10M
in capital raised
No legal entity required to apply. We’ll just ask about your status.
Vibe Coding Demo Showcase applicants need the same connection to Mexico, a working demo or navigable prototype by October 29, and to be in Austin in person.
What we’re looking for
“Uses AI” isn’t the bar. We’re looking for companies that solve a real problem, ship product, and can defend their economics. Mexico brings deep operating know-how in manufacturing, logistics, energy, and health. Austin can turn that depth into growth.
01
Data, cybersecurity, fintech
02
Advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, logistics, mobility
03
Including assistive tech
04
Water, agtech, food systems
05
Scalable products and technology IP in media and consumer
All industries compete together. These are where we look, not separate categories.
How we select
Every eligible application is scored independently by two reviewers. We judge evidence relative to your stage, so an early company with a strong pilot can beat a bigger one with weak signals.
Pass or fail on the requirements above.
Each reviewer scores on their own. We look at the average and where they disagree.
The strongest applications get a closer look at evidence and conflicts of interest.
Industry or stage diversity only breaks near ties. It never replaces a clearly stronger company.
The Vibe Coding Demo Showcase is selected on problem, user, learning, business model, and execution. The tool you used doesn’t matter.
The judges
Judges are investors, operators, corporate buyers, and technical experts active in Austin and Texas. Judges don’t score startups they have a relationship with.
“Would this earn a second meeting?”
“Can this team actually execute?”
“Would we pilot or buy this?”
“Does this business cross the border well?”
“Does the technology hold up?”
Judges will be announced soon.
The morning of October 29
The Pitch Competition opens Casa TechMex in the Black Box at ESB-MACC.
01
The Mexico→Texas thesis, the rules, and the panel.
02
Three working demos, each followed by a short conversation.
03
Six startups. Five minutes to pitch, five minutes of questions.
04
A reset for the room and the stage.
05
The judges take the questions: what turns interest into a second meeting, and what blocks entry to Texas.
06
The jury deliberates while the audience votes by QR code.
07
Three lessons for every founder in the room. No public scores.
08
Next steps. Winners are presented at Closing & Awards.
What you get
No cash prize. Something more useful: introductions, visibility, and follow-through.
Chosen by the judges
Chosen by the audience
Everyone on stage
A feature in the TechMex newsletter and on TechMex LinkedIn and Instagram.
More prizes to be announced soon.
Both awards are presented at Casa TechMex Closing & Awards. The audience vote never changes the judges’ score.
Key dates
Sep 23
Applications open
Oct 14
Applications close
11:59 PM CT
Oct 19
Selected startups notified
Oct 22
Finalists announced
Oct 26
Final decks and demos due
Oct 27
Technical rehearsal
Oct 29
On stage in Austin
No. The prize is the next conversation: curated introductions, visibility, and follow-up. More prizes will be announced soon.
No. We’ll ask about your legal and tax status, but you don’t need a company registered to apply.
Both paths are built around the bridge between Mexico and Texas, so they require a Mexican or Mexican-American founder or a real connection to Mexico. Casa TechMex has other ways to take part, including the Innovation Expo.
Yes. Everyone on stage presents in person on October 29 at ESB-MACC.
Your application, deck, and pitch are in English. You can answer the judges’ questions in English or Spanish.
Pick the one that fits your stage today. If we think the other path is a better fit, we’ll tell you.
Only the reviewers and the selection committee. We never share your application with sponsors without your explicit consent.
No. Judges are chosen for expertise, they don’t score startups they have a relationship with, and sponsorship never buys a score.
Any: Claude, Lovable, Replit, Cursor, Bolt, or code written by hand. We select on the problem, the user, and what you learned, not the tool.
Applications close October 14 at 11:59 PM CT.