TechBloc

Join us on Wednesday, May 20 for the third event in the Emerging Industries Series: Manufacturing the Future.

Hear from leaders shaping the future of Advanced Manufacturing in San Antonio, including Valerie Martinez of Toyota Motor Corporation, Romanita Matta-Barrera of greater:SATX, Adam Moore of Wells Fargo, Shaun Edwards of Plus One Robotics, and Ryan Saavedra of Alt-Bionics.

From cutting-edge technologies to the innovators and talent powering the sector, this conversation will explore one of the region’s fastest-growing industries and what it means for the future of San Antonio’s economy.

📍 San Antonio Technology Center
🕟 Doors open at 4:30 PM

Link in bio!! Come connect, learn, and be part of the conversation.

San Antonio’s innovation community came together yesterday for Tech Day in San Antonio. Rain or shine, San Antonio showed up in full force!

Our theme, “Made in San Antonio / Hecho en San Antonio,” was about more than innovation. It was about recognizing the founders, builders, intrapreneurs, investors, students, professors, and leaders helping shape the future of our city.

We had a packed room, meaningful conversations, and strong energy throughout the day. Across startups, capital, aerospace, bioscience, big enterprise, and AI, one thing was clear: San Antonio’s momentum is real.

It was also exciting to see organizations like , , , , and the come together to help push the momentum forward and continue building a stronger innovation ecosystem, one that breaks down silos and builds bridges.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, volunteered, supported the event, and helped make Tech Day such a success. Big shoutout to 434 Media for producing this event! The future of San Antonio’s innovation economy is not something we wait for, it’s something we build together.

Last night was a big win for startups, founders, innovators, and our small business community.

Tech Fuel is back and stronger than ever. We packed the house at UTSA’s San Pedro I in downtown San Antonio. Out of more than 80 applicants and 25 semifinalists, five outstanding startups took the stage to compete and help build a stronger future for Bexar County.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

Grand Prize ($50,000): Freyya 🥇
2nd Place ($25,000): RentBamboo 🥈
Honorable Mention ($7,500): Openlane
Audience Vote ($10,000): RentBamboo
Participation ($2,500): All finalists, including Bytewhisper Security and Comeback Mobility

Bexar County is no longer just participating in innovation. We are shaping it. Building companies. Building careers. And building the future of San Antonio.

We’re getting close. ⏰

Tech Fuel and Tech Day are almost here, and we can’t wait to welcome founders, investors, operators, and the broader community for two days focused on innovation, connection, and what’s being built in San Antonio | Hecho en SA! 🚀

Register now (link in bio): sanantoniotechday.com

From nearly 80 companies to 5 finalists. This is where it gets real. 🚀

Tech Fuel is days away. Founders take the stage Monday, April 20, to compete at the highest level for a share of the $100K prize pool, courtesy of Bexar County Economic & Community Development.

Congrats to: ComeBack Mobility Freyya Openlane Poliseer by Bytewhisper Security RentBamboo for making it this far!!

Built here. Ready to scale. Don’t miss it. 🤠

🗓️ April 20 | UTSA SP1 | Weston Center

Register: sanantoniotechday.com

The future of flight won’t be piloted. It will be integrated.

Meet Sandro Salgueiro.

At SkyGrid, a Boeing company, Sandro leads the development of advanced airspace integration systems—building the infrastructure needed to safely bring autonomous aircraft into everyday operations.

DYK: SkyGrid is helping enable the next generation of autonomous air mobility. Working alongside Wisk Aero, the company is developing systems to integrate pilotless aircraft into global airspace—supporting everything from route optimization to real-time traffic management for autonomous flight.

With a PhD from MIT and over 15 years of flight experience as an FAA-certified pilot, Sandro brings both technical depth and real-world aviation expertise to one of the most complex challenges in aerospace.

At Tech Day 2026, Sandro brings a perspective on what it takes to move autonomous aviation from concept to reality—at scale. Register now: sanantoniotechday.com (link in bio) ✈️ 🎟️

Technology only matters if it drives outcomes.

Meet Robert Tietzsch, MBA.

An enterprise technology leader with nearly two decades of experience, Robert has led transformation initiatives across infrastructure, cloud, and generative AI—helping organizations move from strategy to measurable business impact.

DYK: Robert has guided financial services, public sector, and retail organizations through hybrid cloud and emerging AI adoption. Known for his “customer fanatical” approach, his work centers on driving real usage, expanding value, and building the relationships that make transformation stick.

At Tech Day 2026, Robert brings a practical perspective on what it takes to turn innovation into results—where technology meets ex*****on. Register now: sanantoniotechday.com (link in bio) 💻 🎟️

Ex*****on is what turns strategy into capability.

Meet Mike Smith

As Chief of Staff at Darkhive, Michael drives alignment across operations, technology, manufacturing, and product—translating enterprise strategy into disciplined ex*****on as the company scales as a leading defense integrator.

DYK: Michael spent 27 years in the U.S. Air Force and Joint Special Operations community. His leadership spans special warfare, global operations, and force development—including command of the 320th Special Tactics Squadron in Okinawa, leading missions across the Indo-Pacific.

At Tech Day 2026, Michael brings a perspective shaped by high-consequence environments—where ex*****on, alignment, and speed define outcomes. Register now: sanantoniotechday.com (link in bio) 💻 🎟️

Creativity isn’t separate from technology. It’s what drives it forward.

Meet Alex Porter

Founder of Mod Tech Labs, Alex is building at the intersection of design and technology, bringing creative thinking into how products are imagined, built, and experienced.

With a designer’s mindset and a technologist’s approach, she represents a new generation of builders redefining how innovation looks and feels.

Hear her perspective at Tech Day 2026. Learn more and register at sanantoniotechday.com (link in bio) 💻 🎟️

Innovation in healthcare is measured in outcomes.

Meet Rafael J. Veraza, PhD, MPH.

As CEO and President of Vascular Perfusion Solutions, Inc., Rafael is leading the advancement of a breakthrough medical device—guiding it from early-stage prototype to FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and toward commercialization in 2026.

Did you know Rafael has led multiple inflection points across biotech and medtech startups? His work combines scientific rigor with operational discipline—driving translational medicine, investor alignment, and milestone-based ex*****on to move innovation from lab to patient.

At Tech Day 2026, Rafael brings a perspective grounded in building, scaling, and delivering life-saving technologies—where ex*****on matters as much as discovery. Register now: sanantoniotechday.com (link in bio)🧬 🎟️

We are proud to welcome Geekdom as a sponsor of Tech Day 2026.

As San Antonio’s startup hub, Geekdom has built a platform where founders, technologists, and operators come together to build, test, and scale companies—strengthening the foundation of the city’s innovation economy.

This year, Geekdom’s support for Tech Fuel goes beyond the stage as they are helping to create an immersive experience for founders—opening their network, hosting programming, and connecting finalists directly with the people and resources needed to scale in San Antonio.

Discover how Geekdom continues to power the next generation of founders—secure your spot at Tech Day 2026: sanantoniotechday.com (link in bio) 🚀 🎟️

Tech Fuel
📅 April 20th, 2026 | UTSA SP1 Graham Weston Center

Tech Day
📅 April 21st, 2026 | Boeing Center at Port SA