Hard Tech Venture Summit Returns Silicon Valley to Its Engineering Roots

Silicon Valley is going back to its Hard Tech roots.

Join us on April 16–17, 2026.

IEEE, through IEEE Entrepreneurship and the IEEE Systems Council, brings the Hard Tech Venture Summit to SRI International in Menlo Park—the birthplace of the computer mouse, Arpanet, and Siri—uniting investors and founders driving the next generation of physical innovation. As capital shifts back toward semiconductors, robotics, advanced sensors, AI hardware, power systems, and other foundational technologies, this IEEE-led summit highlights a renewed focus on innovations that are designed, manufactured, and scaled in the real world.

The summit is designed for pre-seed through Series A Hard Tech startups, offering curated investor meetings, focused pitch sessions, and hands-on workshops that tackle the unique challenges of building physical technologies. All participants are carefully vetted by Hard Tech investors to ensure a high-quality, focused community drawn from the Hard Tech innovation ecosystem. Startups and investors working in AI hardware, semiconductors, sensors, power, and other Hard Tech areas are encouraged to apply to join this two-day event and connect directly in the historic heart of Silicon Valley.

Come network with a roster of investors at this high-value event!

Learn more and register: https://sv.vsummit.ieeesystemscouncil.org