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Howdy, Austin.
Austin Founders Feed is your weekly cheat sheet for what’s actually happening behind the scenes in the city’s founder community.
If you’re building in Austin and want this year to be the one where you finally feel plugged in, you’re in the right place.
This week:
33 founder events
How two software engineers raised $26.7M in fintech with zero finance background
Austin’s new surf park
3 keys to Cabo Bob’s success
Let’s get to it.
— Warren
Networking / Events
Monday, Jan. 5:
Central Austin Toastmasters - Toastmasters International - 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM - 2008 Justin Lane - Improve your public speaking and leadership skills (Free).
Momentum Monday Coworking - Momentum Coworking - 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Lazarus Brewing Co. 1902 East 6th Street - Get stuff done and connect with your newfound coworkers (Free).
ATX Ecosystem Resources, Updates, Networking, Lightning Pitches, Raffle & More - Austin Startup Meetup - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM - 701 Brazos St - Come, be part of the community of 7500+ members from the Austin and Texas startup community, and talk about your startups, ideas, challenges, experiences, etc. Get support, feedback and advice from experienced entrepreneurs, mentors, advisors and investors (Free).
I.M.P.A.C.T. Innovation in Medtech, Pharma, AI, Clinical Trials - I.M.P.A.C.T. - 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM - 701 Brazos St. - A safe space where stakeholders from every corner of the healthcare ecosystem — including researchers, clinicians, startups, vendors, sponsors, CROs, and innovators — can connect, collaborate, and support each other (Free).
Tuesday, Jan. 6:
Tech Trends for 2026 (and Beyond!) - The Austin Forum on Technology & Society - 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM - 1218 West Avenue - Join for a curated, high-level perspective on the innovations that will shape our world. The conversation is always fantastic, and the networking afterward is stimulating and goes into the night (Free).
Open Coworking - Capital Factory - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM - 701 Brazos St - Stop by and get a feel for their community, work from one of their hot desks, network with the community and stay for a tour (Free).
SCORE In Person Workshop: AI Strategy for Your business. How to Start - The AI Advantage for Business - 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM - 710 W Cesar Chavez St - Attend for unbiased, expert guidance on navigating the world of AI (Free).
Austin Product Techies - Book Club - Austin Product & Strategy - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - 4300 Speedway Unit 104 - This group is a sounding board and networking channel for those interested in product, strategy, entrepreneurship, and everything in and/or around (Free).
Founder-Led Sales for Startups - Founder-Led Sales Class for Startups - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - 701 Brazos St, 16th Floor - In this class, you’ll learn strategies and techniques that you can start applying today to develop and strengthen your talk track, generate leads and win new clients (Free).
The Health Hustlers: An Exclusive Networking Event for Health/Wellness Professionals - Health Hustlers ATX - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - RSVP to see address - Whether you’re part of a wellness-focused business, contribute to a health-oriented team, or simply play an active role in helping others improve their well-being, this event is for you. Health Hustlers ATX is a space to build real relationships with people who understand your passion for helping others live better, healthier lives (Free).
FoundHERs GatHERing! 🎉 - 6:15 PM to 8:45 PM - 1204 San Antonio St - Join a vibrant community of women founders and entrepreneurs for an evening of meaningful connection, fresh inspiration, and genuine support (Paid).
Wednesday, Jan. 7:
Tommy Landry: AI-Driven Discoverability—How to get seen by AI, AEO/AIO, GEO - AI Automation and Marketing (AIAM) - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - 701 Brazos St - Attendees will learn how AI reshapes early-stage buying behavior, what LLMs look for when selecting sources, and how to position their content, websites, and LinkedIn profiles to be chosen by AI—not buried in search results (Free).
BXN North - Weekly Networking Luncheon - Business eXchange Network - 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM - 10515 N Mopac Expy NB - Join for their weekly Business Networking luncheon. Connect with fellow professionals, foster business growth, and enjoy the interactive and referral-driven atmosphere of their group (Free).
NIAX RevShare Referrals South - Reinventing Networking - NetworkingATX - 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM - 7313 South Interstate 35 Frontage Road NB - Whether you’re a business owner, freelancer, salesperson, or side-hustler, NIAX gives you the flexibility to grow your income and your network without the pressure of exclusivity requirements (Free).
Rise & Thrive: Connecting Business Owners at Live Oak BNI - Business Networking International - 7:45 AM to 9:15 AM - 9600 Escarpment Blvd - Surround yourself with driven, like-minded professionals who are passionate about business growth and building lasting connections. Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or just starting your journey, you’ll find inspiration and opportunity here (Free).
Cedar Park / Leander / Liberty Hill "Coffee Hour" - Networking Local™ - 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM - 1615 Scottsdale Dr Building 1 Suite 110 - Join for a mingle-style networking event over coffee (Free).
Women Founders & Builders Happy Hour - Mētan Meetups International - 1 PM to 3 PM - 701 Congress Ave - Connect with women entrepreneurs across industries who are building, launching, and scaling. Talk funding, co-founders, pivots, burnout, and everything in between. The kind of conversations that feel more like therapy than networking (Free).
Small Business Office Hours - Austin Small and Minority Business Resources - 12 PM to 2 PM - 1161 Angelina Street - Join us at City of Austin Small Business Office Hours to connect with resources, programs, and services. Participating departments include Economic Development, Financial Services, Austin Public Library, Austin Energy, and Small and Minority Business Resources (Free).
Dinner with Entrepreneurs | Austin (Gold Tier Edition) - Ermantourage - 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM - East 6th Street - A cozy dinner with entrepreneurs to network + share experiences! This is for more established entrepreneurs (Paid).
Thursday, Jan. 8:
NIA South Austin Mastermind Networking Event - NetworkingATX - 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM - 126 E Ralph Ablanedo Dr - This group brings together local business owners and professionals who are serious about building genuine relationships sharing referrals and growing together. Enjoy great food great people and meaningful connections in a fun relaxed environment — no awkward pitches just real conversations that lead to real business (Paid).
📣 Austin Tech Meetup @ Central Machine Works - Techfluence Austin - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - 4824 East Cesar Chavez St. - Whether you’re in engineering, product, design, data, AI, startups, cybersecurity, cloud, or just tech-curious—this meetup is the perfect place to connect with sharp, motivated people in the industry (Free).
ABLE BI-MONTHLY Meeting - Austin Business Leads Exchange - 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - 10515 N Mopac Expy NB - Expect a fabulous speaker, a raffle with some items you won't want to miss, delicious food, the best restaurant staff you can find, and your regular high quality networking (Free)!
Product Happy Hour: South (Opa) - ATX Product Happy Hour - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - 2050 South Lamar - Product Management enthusiasts come together over drinks to discuss all things product! Join for stimulating conversations and refreshing beverages (Free)!
Hack AI - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - 701 Brazos St - A monthly session for builders all over the Austin area to learn about and build the latest AI technology (Free).
AI & Tech Builders Drinks - Mētan Meetups International - 1 PM to 3 PM - 701 Congress Ave - Meet people building products, exploring the latest tools, or just tech-curious. Developers, founders, and early adopters swapping notes on what works, what's hype, and what's next. Technical enough to be interesting, casual enough to be fun. Grab a drink, share what you're working on and meet your next collaborator (Free).
Coffee & Connections: Neighborhood Networking with Felicia Reed - Felicia Reed Photography - 11 AM to 1 PM - 2200 North A.W. Grimes Boulevard Suite 300 Round Rock - Come and connect with neighbors and businesses in the community for a 1 hour coffee and connections (Free).
Friday, Jan. 9:
January Roundtable Breakfast - Austin Technology Council - 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM - 9225 Bee Caves Rd - Kick off the year with this "Economic Outlook" presented by Mark Wynne, Vice President & Associate Director of Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (Paid).
Bouldering Night at Mesa Rim - League of Climbers and Outdoor Enthusiasts (LOCOE) - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - 1205 Sheldon Cove Building 3 - Meet up, boulder upstairs, help and cheer each other on, and then head get tacos and drinks (Free).
Saturday, Jan. 10:
Founders Running Club :: Austin - Founders Running Club - 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM - 1601-1999 Nash Hernandez Senior Road - Brings 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 - 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 - Join for a cozy dinner with local entrepreneurs to network, share experiences, & make new connections while giving back to those in need (Paid)!
Sunday, Jan. 11:
Meet other Algorithmic Traders, Quants and Long Term Investors - Algorithmic Trading and Investing - 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM - 11920 Domain Dr. - Discuss trading and investing strategies, as well as the skills needed to start (Free).
HIIT FIT SUNDAY FUNDAY - The Rise: Free Outdoor Fitness in ATX - 8:00 AM to 9:15 AM - 1510 Toomey Road - Expect to run, jump, burpee, push up, sit up, pull up, squat, lunge, swang (not a typo! come find out), and more. It's a full body workout (Free).
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Local News
📰 Austin Fintech Startup Routefusion Raises $26.7M
Two Austin tech bros obsessed with volleyball just raised $26.7M in Series A funding for their fintech startup.
Here’s the kicker: they have zero banking experience.
So How Did They Do It?
The turning point for Routefusion was when a high profile banking conference came to town, but they couldn’t afford a ticket.
Colton Seal, co-founder, had to get scrappy. He walked up to the entrance and told the staff he’d already registered, had “lost his name badge,” and just needed a new one printed. It worked.
And that event changed everything.
He met every bank and payments company there, peppering them with questions about how the financial system actually works.
Routefusion started as a neobank, but customers kept asking for one thing: cross-border payments. Invoicing platforms, payroll providers, shipping and logistics companies all wanted to let their users send international payments inside their own apps.
So they pivoted.
Today, Routefusion enables companies to send and receive money instantly in 140+ currencies through a single API—all around the world:
24/7 funding of transaction
365 days a year
real-time, instant
Biggest use case?
Normal payroll.
Think: a developer in Argentina who wants to be paid in USDT or USDC so they can control the exchange rate, skip a U.S. bank account, and cash out locally on an Argentinian exchange.
What does this mean for Austin founders?
Finance moves slow, but money never sleeps. Austin is quietly turning into one of the best cities in the world to build what comes next in fintech.
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Economic Outlook
Austin Surf Club Opening Soon
Partnered with legendary surfer, Kelly Slater, Austin Surf Club aims to redefine residential living by offering:
a 2,200 ft long surf basin
high tech high volume wave technology
farm-to-table dining
state-of-the-art spa
Fostering an innovative community that celebrates the essence of adventure and connection, this project is aiming to open to the public in 2027.
Did You Know?
Austin Public Library Edition
The Austin Public Library has a number of free resources in place to help startups.
Free 3D printing:
With an APL card, you can submit a design and get it 3D printed for free (1x/month) through the library.
Digital makerspace:
Central Library has a state of the art digital makerspace (APL innovate). Get access to computers with creative software, as well as gear for recording podcasts, videos, and more.
Market research:
In Business & Nonprofits, APL gives you free access to business databases and planning tools such as sample business plans, industry reports, and demographic data.
If you’re bootstrapping in Austin it’s an absolute must to squeeze all the value out of your library card, otherwise you’re leaving money on the table.
The Feed
The Secret Behind Cabo Bob’s Success
Cabo Bob’s Burritos is an Austin staple because it delivers two things locals care deeply about: great value and reliable quality.
In a city where restaurants chase hype, rebrand every few years, or expand too fast… Cabo Bob’s built trust by doing the opposite: 15+ years of reliability.
How Cabo Bob’s Got it’s Start
Founded in 2008 by Don and Terri Brinkman alongside chef John Stepan, they were inspired by time spent surfing in Baja California. The founders wanted to recreate the laid-back, no-nonsense culture.
The name came from a beach bum they met. Someone who despite their carefree presentation, embodied the idea of quality over flash.
The first location opened in South Austin with a disciplined approach. Everything was made fresh, ingredients were high quality, and shortcuts were off the table. Stepan brought fine-dining standards into a fast-casual format, positioning Cabo Bob’s as a place locals could eat often and trust.
3 Reasons Cabo Bob’s Works in Austin
Built for locals, not hype:
Cabo Bob’s focused on repeat Austin customers, not tourists or trend cycles. Early locations were placed where people eat weekly, not once. That local-first mindset created habit and loyalty before expansion was ever considered.
One obvious quality signal:
Fresh tortillas pressed and cooked to order became the brand’s signature. In Austin, visible authenticity matters. This simple but obsessive focus made Cabo Bob’s feel meaningfully different from national chains without needing heavy marketing.
Slow growth with strong culture:
Instead of chasing hyper-growth, Cabo Bob’s expanded slowly and intentionally. Over 15 years, it grew from a single South Austin shop to nine locations across Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.
During COVID, the company protected its people and stayed true to its values, strengthening customer loyalty along the way. That discipline has earned long-term trust and statewide recognition for having one of Texas’s best burritos.
Austin rewards businesses that stay local in spirit, obsess over quality, and grow at the pace of trust. Cabo Bob’s proves you do not need to move fast to build something that lasts.
— Ken
Which founder event are you looking forward to most this week?
Leave a reply and let us know.
Until next week,
Austin Founders Feed
