Howdy, Austin.
Welcome to Austin Founders Feed, your weekly cheat-sheet for the fastest growing entrepreneurship scene in the country.
Here’s everything that’s happening this week:
Top Story - Austin’s $60M Bet to Triple Broker Capacity
Local News - Apptronik Adds $520M in Series A Extension
Economic Outlook - Austin Ranked #1 College Town in America
AFF Business Directory - Add your business to our database for free exposure!
From City Hall - Base Power’s $265M Buildout at Met Center
Did you know? - Austin Founders Feed’s FREE Resource Guide
Social Calendar - 47 founder events (links)
Top 4 Featured Events - Special events and discounts for our community
Wishbone Advisory’s no pitch eCom event (Feb. 26th) - Ken & I will be there, come say hi (Free)!
Coffee with Austin Founders Feed (Mar. 4th) - Come join Ken and I at our first micro event! From 8-10 am at the new Teal House Location on I-35 (Free).
Conscious Builders ATX (Mar. 5th) - Sign up now for the early bird discount. Get an additional 10% off with our code “CB10”.
SideHustle Live (Mar. 18th) - $5 off with our exclusive code “AFF5”.
Let’s get to it.
— Warren
This week’s letter is sponsored by Wishbone Advisory.
Interested in sponsoring Austin Founders Feed? Take 30 seconds to fill out this form and tell us about your business.
Local News
📰 Austin’s $60M Bet to Triple Broker Capacity
In U.S. health insurance, brokers—not carriers—do most of the selling and servicing. They’re the ones helping employers pick plans, enroll members, and troubleshoot when things break.
But most of that work still runs on outdated tools, spreadsheets, post-it notes, and very manual processes. Brokers are the "entry point to care" yet they operate without the infrastructure needed to scale.
In fact, 80% of a typical brokerage agency’s time is consumed by administrative burden, servicing renewals and back office work. It typically takes 2 people to maintain about 1k policies.
That’s why the independent brokerage market is so highly fragmented with thousands of agencies sitting at $1M - $10M revenue.
Austin-based Gyde just raised $60M to attack that problem head-on. CEO and co-founder Will Johnson spent a decade at Oscar Health watching brokers struggle without the infrastructure they needed. Gyde’s vision is to build a scaled brokerage platform that’s significantly more profitable than a typical agency.
Their playbook combines disciplined acquisitions with proprietary AI tools that rewire how these agencies operate: acquiring independent agencies, deploying AI driven operational improvements, expanding broker capacity, and reinvesting in growth.
As Johnson puts it, "We're not going to go buy 500 businesses. We're going to be exceptionally intentional about finding the best owners and invest a truckload of resources into them."
Under the hood, their integrated AI infrastructure targets three core constraints:
Administrative burden - Automated renewals and client service workflows
Scale requirements - Agencies must be large enough to partner meaningfully with carriers
Multi-line expansion - Infrastructure to become true insurance, wealth, and health brokers
Gyde is a clear example of the next wave of “AI companies”, not pure SaaS, not pure roll-up. It’s AI + acquisition. For Austin founders, it’s a playbook worth studying, especially if you’re building in legacy industries where the “entry point to care” (or value) is still running on spreadsheets.
This Week’s Sponsor
Wishbone Advisory’s No-Pitch eCom Meetup (Feb. 26)
🎟️ FREE (RSVP Required)
📍 February 26th - 5-7 PM @ Central Machine Works
👉️ Reserve your spot here
ATX Marketing Innovators Series is a casual, in-person networking event for Austin founders, operators, investors, and marketers.
No stage. No pitches. No presentations.
Just real people working in eCommerce, marketplaces, and growth, swapping notes on what’s actually working (and what isn’t): paid, creative, retention, funnels, CRO.
P.S. Wishbone Advisory is also offering a free 15-minute eCommerce strategy consultation for founders who want expert feedback — leave with clarity and next steps. 📆 Grab your slot —> here |
Local News
📰 Apptronik Adds $520M to Scale Humanoid Workforce
Austin’s Apptronik is betting that Apollo, it’s flagship humanoid robot, can become the next “hire” for warehouses and factories.
Apollo is built to slot into existing workflows as a general-purpose worker:
Stands 6ft tall.
Can lift up to 55lbs.
Works 22 hours/day, 7 days/week.
Recently they added $520M to their Series A funding round, bringing their total Series A to $935M.
Their goal?
Commercialize Apollo and get it into the market before competitors, turning humanoid robots from R&D experiments into everyday line items on operations budgets.
Apollo is expected to cost roughly the price of a luxury car. When you compare that to the true cost of human labor—salaries, benefits, and the impossibility of running 3–4 shifts per day through weekends and holidays, that price starts to look more like an efficiency play than a moonshot. Apptronik is projecting $1B in revenue by 2027 if they can prove the unit economics at scale.
Apptronik is a glimpse of where AI + robotics is going next: not just software margins, but full-stack, capital-intensive bets that rewrite the cost structure of physical work.
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Announcement
Businesses in the Austin Business Directory Report Increased Traffic!
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to grow your business! Join 30+ Austin businesses that are already listed.
The Austin Business Directory (link) is a database of some of the finest local businesses in Austin.
Apply to become part of the Austin Founders Feed network by filling out THIS FORM.
Economic Outlook
Austin Ranked #1 College Town in America
Wallethub just ranked Austin the #1 college town in the U.S. That’s strong signal for founders that the talent pipeline is deep and getting even deeper in the Bat City.
Austin ranked:
#10 for economic & academic opportunities
#14 for social environment
#186 for wallet friendliness
Why it matters: Great companies are built where ambitious people cluster. Austin keeps attracting high-caliber students and early-career talent, which makes it easier to hire, test ideas quickly, and scale faster.
Founder takeaway: If you’re hiring, Austin is a talent-rich market, but you’ll need to compete on more than salary. Sell the mission, offer growth, and use internships/apprenticeships to build your bench early.
From City Hall
Base Power’s $265M Buildout at Met Center
Austin-based energy startup Base Power is proposing a 486,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility at 8001 Metropolis Drive (Met Center Business Park), backed by a $265M capital investment.
The City is considering a performance-based incentive under its Business Expansion Program tied to job creation: 500 new full-time roles (plus 100 retained) for ~600 total jobs, with an average annual salary of $50,000.
On the public side, the agreement contemplates an award up to 52% of City property taxes paid (max $4,847,950 over 10 years), plus an estimated $932,298 transfer to the Childcare Reserve Fund.
Using the City’s fiscal model, Austin projects $9.8M in total benefits and $4.9M net benefit over the 10-year term.
Did You Know??
Austin Founders Feed Free Resource Guide
🎁 Free Gift!!! (Click here) - This is Austin Founders Feed’s comprehensive guide for all the most valuable free resources for Austin businesses:
20+ pages of info on grants, educational resources, funding sources, and much more to help you take your Austin local business to the next level.
Whether you’re new to Austin or already scaling here, this compilation of resources will be useful for you.
Get the free guide here.
Networking / Events
Join Ken & I at Wishbone Advisory’s No-Pitch eCom Meetup this Thursday, Feb. 26th @5PM CT. |
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Monday, Feb. 23:
🚀 ACM/IEEE Austin February Tech Talks Are Here - ACM Austin - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - 1218 West Ave Bldg #3000, Austin - Join for an exciting evening of cutting-edge discussions on AI, Cloud-Native Systems, and Resilient Data Engineering with industry leaders and innovators (Free).
IP 101 for Startups What to Protect, When to Protect It, and What to Ignore - Actional Counsel - 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM - Online - In this practical, founder-focused webinar, you’ll learn how intellectual property actually works in startups — and how to avoid the most common (and expensive) mistakes (Paid).
Startup Consulting Practicum Info Session - UT Austin - 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM - 301 E Dean Keeton St, Room 2.518, Austin - If you’re a UT grad student and want real startup experience on your resume, this info session shows how the for-credit practicum works and what you’ll actually do (Free).
Momentum Monday - Momentum Coworking - 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Lazarus on Airport - Quiet, focused productivity sprints broken up by 5 minute breaks for connection (Free).
Central Austin Toastmasters - Toastmasters - 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM - Parish Hall, 2008 Justin Lane, Austin - Join in person or via Zoom to improve your public speaking and leadership skills (Free).
Tuesday, Feb. 24:
AITX Monthly Meetup - AITX - 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM - Antler VC, 800 Brazos St #340, Austin - Demos + high-signal networking for AI builders, founders, and engineers. Great place to meet the people actively shipping in Austin’s AI scene (Free).
Austin Conscious Connection for founders, leaders, and creatives - Authentic Austin Community Calendar - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Austin - This unique gathering brings together founders, leaders, and curious people in Austin for an evening of Conscious Connection. This isn't a traditional "networking" event. A² is all about the authenticity that comes from depth (Free).
How to make money with newsletters - Ethan Brooks / The Austin Business Review - 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM - Austin - A practical breakdown of what actually works for newsletter monetization—leave with clear models, pricing ideas, and next steps to turn writing into income (Free).
Building a Successful online Art Business - Austin Art Lovers - 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - 1110 Barton Springs Rd, Austin - Topics include: niche development, customer demand, sustainable production methods & hiring assistants on a per task basis. Attendees will leave with practical strategies they can apply right away; no matter where they are in their online journey (Free).
Networking Mixer Event - Networking Austin - 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM - 601 E. Whitestone Blvd. Ste 500, Cedar Park - Don’t miss this chance to mingle with top Austin professionals and build lasting relationships in a lively atmosphere (Paid).
Austin Professional Creatives Mixer - Austin Professional Creatives - 6:00 PM to 11:30 PM - 114 Linden Street, Austin - Austin Professional Creatives (APC) is a warm and welcoming group of folks who work in creative industries such as film, tv, game development, VR/AR/XR, traditional or CGI artistry and animation, stop motion, VFX, motion graphics, photography, videography, editing, writing, acting, 3D printing, industrial design, medical visualization, music, sound design, costuming, culinary arts, and more (Free).
Master the Art of Buying, Selling & Scaling Startups - Quantumgine - 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM - Austin - This intensive workshop is designed for entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and operators who want to build real wealth by owning, scaling, and exiting startups—not just starting them (Paid).
Wednesday, Feb. 25:
Meet Your Co-Founder - Reuneo Match Networking - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - 701 Brazos St, Austin - A structured speed networking event to find your startup's missing person. This is not a random social mixer (Free).
Gather & Grow: Networking With a Purpose - Shift/Co - 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Online - Join other inspirational Founders and walk away with new ideas to accelerate business success (Free).
AI & Tech Startup Pitch & Investor Networking Night - Nomad Global H. - 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Brazos Street, Austin - Join for an exciting evening where founders, investors, and innovators in Tech fields come together to connect, collaborate, and create opportunities (Paid).
Austin Healthcare Practice Leaders: Meet & Greet - Strategic Partners in Healthcare - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - 1211 E 5th St. Ste 150, Austin - Casual meet & greet for healthcare practice owners, administrators, and revenue cycle leaders from new or growing practices who want to connect with peers facing similar growth challenges (Free).
The Data Portability Hackathon: Building Human-Centered AI - The AI Collective - 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM - Austin - Build tools for user-controlled data + “memory” AI with mentors and curated datasets—perfect if you want to prototype something meaningful at the intersection of AI, product, and policy (Free).
Investor Connect: Pitch & Networking - Investor Connect - 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Higbie's, 720 Brazos St #B-710, Austin - Pitch or just show up to meet founders and investors in one room—good for fast reps and a bunch of new conversations in a single night (Free).
ScaleUp Bootcamp - FIESTA - 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM - Morrison Foerster, 300 Colorado St Suite 1800, Austin - A founder-friendly “legal + scaling” bootcamp (IP, fundraising, avoiding common mistakes) plus dinner and networking—high leverage if you’re serious about leveling up your ops (Free).
Dinner with Entrepreneurs | Austin (Gold Tier Edition) - Ermantourage - 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - East 6th Street, Austin - A cozy dinner with entrepreneurs to network + share experiences! This is for more established entrepreneurs (Paid).
Founder's Circle 2026 - Lupita McGregor & Shelley Dahlman - 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM - 701 Brazos Street, Austin - Connect with fellow Founders, share the highs / lows and walk away with a new supportive network (Free).
Thursday, Feb. 26:
ATX Marketing Innovators Happy Hour - Wishbone Advisory - 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM - Austin - Join Austin Founders Feed’s team at Wishbone Advisory’s Marketing Innovators Happy Hour, an energizing meetup designed for marketers, founders, ecommerce leaders, and operators who are ready to turn AI buzz into real business impact (Free).
Austin RAW Conversations: Conviction in Early-Stage Investing & Building - Arturo P. - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - 701 Brazos Street, Austin - This February session centers on Conviction; how belief forms, strengthens, and breaks in early-stage investing and company building. Look at real startup examples and use the room to think through what created conviction, what sustained it, and where it eventually gave way (Free).
Wake Up! CPG Austin - Marc N. - 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM - 121 Pickle Rd, Austin - Austin-area CPG brands, retailers, service providers, and local enthusiasts are welcome to join for a lively discussion about the CPG scene (Free).
Austin Tech Mixer 2026 - connectintech - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM - 720 Brazos St, Ste B-710, Austin - Forge strong, lasting relationships within the community – combining Fortune 500/1000s with Entrepreneurs and Startups (Free).
The Founder’s Financial Playbook: Accounting, Tax, Finance and Funding - Gearhart Law - 10:15 AM to 12:15 PM - Online - We’ll walk through the core financial issues startups face from day one through growth and fundraising, including how to set up proper accounting systems, avoid common tax traps, manage cash flow, and prepare financially for investors (Free).
AI Strategies for Real Estate - Williamson Group Real E. - 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM - 710 W. 1st, Austin - This session is all about sharing best practices, brainstorming innovative ideas, and discussing practical strategies for leveraging AI to attract and convert more leads (Free).
February's North Austin Influencers Mixer - AUSTIN INFLUENCERS - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - TBD - Meet business professionals and executives, business owners and entrepreneurs from a diverse group of industries (Paid).
ATX Startup Happy Hour - Aiven - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Austin - Meet founders/CTOs and early technical teams building AI, data, dev tools, and SaaS—easy way to find collaborators and other builders (Free).
Applied AI Live #2: Agentic GTM Masterclass and OpenClaw Guardrails Mastermind - AITX - 5:30 PM - Grain and Berry (Downtown), 1213 W 5th St A, Austin - Learn how applied-AI teams actually monetize (agentic GTM case study) and get into the real discussion around governance/guardrails (Free).
Women in Tech Austin - Women in Tech Austin - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Higbie's, 720 Brazos St #B-710, Austin - Straightforward, high-energy networking for women in tech—good for meeting peers fast and expanding your Austin circle (Free).
BNI Synergy Springs Happy Hour! - Lizz P. - 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM - 3508 South Lamar Boulevard, Austin - Connect, share ideas, and grow your circle. Come unwind, chat business, and spark new opportunities (Free).
Austin International Founders Meetup - IFN - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - 701 Brazos St, Austin - Brings together founders and globally-minded operators to share the unwritten rules of the Austin startup ecosystem and help each other move from introductions to real momentum (Free).
From Idea to Launch: How Builders Actually Ship on Avalanche - de_CENTRALIZED - 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM - 2410 San Antonio St, Austin - A tactical session on what it takes to ship in Web3—from concept to launch—especially valuable if you’re building and want concrete execution lessons (Free).
Buda Networking and Coffee Hour - BXN - 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM - 306 S Main St, Buda - Connect with other professionals and grow your business. The group is fun, interactive, passes referrals, and gives back to local charities (Free).
BXN Round Rock Networking Luncheon - BXN - 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM - 119 E Main St, Round Rock - Connect with fellow professionals, foster business growth, and enjoy the interactive and referral-driven atmosphere of the group (Free).
ABLE MONTHLY Meetings - ABLE - 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - 10515 N Mopac Expy NB, Austin - A place for professionals across any and all industries to network in a way where they think of others first (Free).
Friday, Feb. 27:
National Cigar Day Bash - Red’s Smoke Shop - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM - 13010 W Parmer Ln #800, Cedar Park - Join fellow cigar enthusiasts and high profile founders to celebrate National Cigar Day (Paid).
Cup of Capital - Capital Factory - 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM - 701 Brazos St, Austin - You never know who you might meet! Bring your energy, your asks, your ideas...share what you’re working on and help each other out (Free).
In-Person Power Networking Event - Health Partner Coaching - 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM - 3804 Woodbury Drive #Suite A, Austin - Join us for a relaxed, relationship-driven networking experience designed for local small business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals who want to grow through real connection not awkward pitches or forced sales (Free).
Startups Fund Raising Program - Lakshman Singh - 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Online - Learn How To Raise Funds For Your Startup Business (Paid).
Saturday, Feb. 28:
Founders Running Club Austin - Founders Running Club - 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM - Estacionamiento Edward Rendon Park, 1601-1999 Nash Hernandez Senior Road, Austin - Join founders, investors, tech, creative people and startup enthusiasts together for weekly easy runs and networking (Free).
Dinner with Entrepreneurs | Austin (Gold Tier Edition) - Ermantourage - 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - East 6th Street, Austin - A cozy dinner with entrepreneurs to network + share experiences! This is for more established entrepreneurs (Paid).
Big Ballers: Dinner with Entrepreneurs | Austin (Giving Back Edition) - BarCada - 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - Congress Avenue, Austin - Join for a cozy dinner with local entrepreneurs to network, share experiences, & make new connections while giving back to those in need (Paid)!
Sunday, Mar. 1:
Meetup at Buzzmill Coffee E. Riverside - Tech and Trends - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - 1505 Town Creek Dr, Austin - Talk about tech, like cryptocurrencies and AI, but also topics adjacent, such as politics, economics, and foreign affairs. No topic is really off the table at all, as long as it leads to an interesting and stimulating conversation (Free).
Small Business 101 - Graffiti Events - 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM - Hank’s Austin, 5811 Berkman Dr, Austin - New to entrepreneurship? This is a “no fluff” starter session with tips, tools (including AI), and real talk to help you take the next step with confidence (Free).
Meet other Algorithmic Traders, Day Traders, Option Traders and Investors - 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM - 11920 Domain Dr, Austin - Meet people who are interested in trading or building a career around it, especially algorithmically (Free).
P.S. Both Ken and I will be at the New Media Summit Feb 26-27. We managed to snag a promo code: “KEN20” for 20% off.
If you can make it, be sure to come say hi!
Last Week’s Poll Results
Which day are you MOST likely to attend a founder event?
Which event are you going to this week? Hit reply and let us know.
Until next week,
Austin Founders Feed
