Howdy Austin.
Welcome to Austin Founders Feed, your weekly look at what’s happening behind the scenes in the city’s founder community.
If you’re a founder building in Austin and want to start the year off right, you’re in the right place.
This week:
14 founder events to plug into **less this week due to holiday dip
How Austin’s Saronic is swarming the Pentagon
Did You Know?? (brand-new section)
Austin’s top 5 all-you-can-eat spots
Let’s get to it.
— Warren
Networking / Events
Monday, Dec. 29:
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).
Tuesday, Dec. 30:
Bitcoin & Coffee - Bitcoin Park Austin - 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM - 2110 S Congress Ave - Join for coffee, breakfast tacos, and Bitcoin conversation (Free).
Wealth of Nations Book Club (Adam Smith Robotics Society) - How to Build the Future - 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - 1101 E 11th St. - Explore classical economics to understand how robotics might create a better and more productive future for humanity (Free).
Build Your First Successful AI SaaS Startup Today! - Workshop - Blueqix - 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM - TBD - Walk away with a clear blueprint for building, validating, and launching your first AI SaaS product, plus the confidence to attract your first paying customers (Paid).
Wednesday, Dec. 31:
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).
Kyle, Buda, San Marcos - Real Estate Investor Group - 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM - 370 Old San Antonio Rd · Buda, TX - Join to connect individuals and business together through the common interest of Real Estate (Free).
Cedar Park / Leander / Liberty Hill "Coffee Hour" by Networking Local™ - 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM - 1615 Scottsdale Dr Building 1 Suite 110 · Leander, TX - Mingle-style networking event over coffee (Free).
Friday, Jan. 2:
Momentum Fridays: Coworking in ATX! - 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)
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 get tacos and drinks (Free).
Austin Speed Networking | NetworkNite | Business Professionals Event - 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM - 720 Brazos St Ste B-710 - A structured opportunity to meet accomplished professionals, face to face, one business professional at time (Paid).
Saturday, Jan. 3:
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).
Sunday, Jan. 4:
HIIT FIT SUNDAY FUNDAY - The Rise: Free Outdoor Fitness in ATX - 8:00 AM to 9:15 AM - 1510 Toomey Road - 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).
The Landing Club: Zilker Meetup - 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Zilker Metropolitan Park - A monthly gathering for anyone who’s new to Austin or simply wants to make high-quality friends in a warm, easy, human way! For entrepreneurs, creatives, wellness people, and kind humans (Free).
Local News
📰 Austin Looks to Win Back Shipbuilding Dominance for the U.S.
China dominates shipbuilding today: outbuilding the U.S. roughly 250 to 1.
Austin wants to help change that. And it’s not just a nice-sounding aspiration.
It’s a matter of national security.
President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” allocated $29B in funding for naval ship building. And Austin-based startup, Saronic, is positioning itself to capture a large chunk of that. They’re pitching the pentagon on mass producing small, cheap, autonomous vessels that can operate in swarms—patrolling, resupplying, and engaging without risking human lives.
And it’s working.
Saronic recently raised $600M in their series C funding round, on the back of their fully autonomous:
6 ft vessels
14 ft vessels
25 ft vessels
Next, they’re aiming higher: 40 ft and 60 ft ships capable of carrying up to 10,000 pounds over 3,000 nautical miles.
To pull this off, Saronic is designing Port Alpha. A “port of the future” optimized for the mass production of these autonomous ships.
What does this mean for Austin founders?
Saronic is signal that the biggest upside isn’t in yet another SaaS startup, but in hard-tech companies solving national-security problems and pulling billions of federal dollars, top talent, and second-order startup opportunities into the city.
Local News
📰 Black Pearl Books: Right Place, Right Time?
Black Pearl Books started out small—selling in the community at fairs, to friends, and to family.
When Covid hit, they pivoted to selling books online.
In 2020, they went from about 5 orders a week to 10,000 orders in the month of June. Overnight, a family operated side hustle became a viral sensation.
They scrambled to build the infrastructure to keep up, and opened a storefront. They’ve been at 7112 Burnet Rd. ever since.
The mission has remained the same: support diversity, inclusion, and representation through literature.
Small businesses like Black Pearl Books are at the heart of what makes Austin’s founder ecosystem so special: mission-driven, scrappy, and deeply rooted in the community.
Economic Outlook / From City Hall
Silicon Hills vs Silicon Valley
Silicon Hills
Housing: 3% above avg.
Utilities: 4% below avg.
Groceries: 2% below avg.
Transportation: 9% below avg.
Median Household Income: 37% above avg.
Startup Density: 146% above avg.
Silicon Valley
Housing: 80% above avg.
Utilities: 60% above avg.
Groceries: 23% above avg.
Transportation: 40% above avg.
Median Household Income: 95% above avg.
Startup Density: 900% above avg.
From City Hall
12/11/2025 (What Actually Matters for Founders)
Council signaled support for negotiating a business expansion agreement with Southwest Airlines that could bring ~2,000 new jobs and almost $12M per year in city tax revenues, plus internships and an “infrastructure academy” pipeline for local talent. It’s being framed as a proof point that Austin still wants to compete for big, transformational employers.
Multiple speakers pushed council not to rush a proposed $15M deposit on new gas peaker plants, arguing it conflicts with Austin Energy’s 100% carbon-free by 2035 plan and that battery storage and other clean options should be fully analyzed first. They framed it as a question of long-term energy costs, grid reliability, health impacts, and Austin’s climate credibility—all of which matter for founders running energy-hungry, AI/data-center-adjacent businesses.
The city is backing an expansion of the Esperanza Community operated by The Other Ones Foundation: 100 existing shelter units stay open, 100 new units come online in 2026. Over 60% of residents are already in onsite workforce development, with a focus on getting people out of survival mode and into stable jobs and housing. It’s being sold as infrastructure that reduces unsheltered homelessness and builds a more stable workforce.
Did You Know?
Big Tech Companies Have Special Incentives for Startups!
Nearly all the big tech companies have special incentives for startups—AWS, Google, and Microsoft have startup programs anyone can apply to.
They’re offering up to $100,000 of free compute credits.
This can go a long way in saving on startup costs. For the most part, they’re very straightforward to apply to.
Here’s the programs:
The Feed
Ken’s Top 5 AYCE spots in Austin
Yes, you probably made a New Year’s resolution to get in shape. I’m here to ruin that for you. I think it’s actually #bulking season. Besides, there’s no team bonding quite like completely stuffing yourself and talking shop.
Here’s my top 5 favorite all-you-can-eat (AYCE) spots in Austin.
Soup Leaf Hot Pot – This family-owned hot pot place serves top-quality meats and has an incredible selection of broths and veggies. You could even make this healthy if you wanted to.
Casa do Brasil – My favorite Brazilian steakhouse in town. Tons of cuts of meat. I highly recommend the Brazilian lemonade.
Sushi Warriors – Pretty new to town. Very high-quality sushi at a solid price. They also have options for premium sushi cuts that are delicious.
Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet – Great value here. Changing menu of classic Mediterranean dishes. $18.99 for lunch during the week is a steal.
Dwaraka’s Bawarchi Indian Kitchen – A bit out of the way (Round Rock), but their weekend buffet is unreal. By far the widest selection of Indian food I’ve ever tried.
I promise I’ll do a health foods deep dive next for those looking to take their fitness to the next level in 2026.
— Ken
Until next year,
Austin Founders Feed
