The Must-Attend Tech and Entrepreneurship Events in Boston 2026

If you’re building in tech, your calendar matters. Boston has a way of pulling the right people into the same rooms, founders, engineers, operators, researchers, and investors who are actively shipping and scaling. The result is a year-round circuit of events where the conversations are current, the networking is real, and you leave with new context for what’s happening in software, AI, security, and startups.

This guide rounds up the tech and entrepreneurship events in Boston for 2026 that are worth planning around, from major conferences to the week-long events that bring the ecosystem together.

#1 EmTech AI 2026 

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Date: April 21–23, 2026

Location: MIT campus (Kendall Square), Cambridge, MA. 

Format: Hybrid (in-person on campus + online livestream)

What can you expect? 3 days of conversations focused on what happens after the AI hype and how teams actually move from pilots to real deployment. The program is curated by MIT Technology Review and mixes mainstage talks with interactive sessions and Q&A, focused on how leaders are making AI work in the real world (strategy, operating models, and measurable impact). Because it’s hosted on MIT’s campus in Kendall Square, it also tends to draw a strong mix of researchers, builders, and executives, which makes the networking feel practical (you’re likely to meet people who are either shipping systems or funding them).

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#2 SecureWorld Boston

Date: April 8–9, 2026

Location: Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA

Format: In-person

What can you expect? A two-day cybersecurity conference built for practitioners and security leaders who want practical takeaways and real conversations. Expect a full agenda of sessions across current threats, security operations, risk, and governance, plus an expo floor where you can compare tools and talk directly with vendors. It’s also a strong networking room for the Northeast, with plenty of time between sessions to meet peers and local CISOs.

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#3 New England Software Symposium 2026 

‍Date: April 30 to May 1, 2026

Location: Boston, MA.

Format: Hybrid (in-person + online via Zoom)

What can you expect? A practical, engineer-first conference designed to help teams update how they build software as the landscape keeps changing. The agenda spans software architecture and modern delivery (DevOps, microservices, Spring 6, modern Java), plus AI and machine learning, big data, and the tools and practices that improve code quality and maintainability. A big differentiator is the built-in training value: your ticket includes 2.5 days of virtual training and 5 workshop credits you can redeem for live, instructor-led NFJS virtual workshops (or on-demand sessions), so the learning continues beyond the conference itself.

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#4 Techstars Startup Weekend Boston

Date: May 1–3, 2026

Location: Boston, MA 

Format: In-person

What can you expect? In 54 thrilling hours, Techstars Startup Weekend Boston pulls you into the startup process from the inside. You’ll pitch, team up, and start shaping an idea into something real, with mentors and builders from the local ecosystem pushing you to validate assumptions, tighten the business model, and focus on the audience you’re actually serving. You’ll wrap by presenting what you built, with an MVP you can demo and a clearer sense of what to do next.

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‍#5 IBM Think 2026

Date: May 4–7, 2026

Location: Boston, MA.

Format: In-person

What can you expect? Think 2026 is IBM’s conference for leaders who want to understand what agentic AI looks like in practice, and how to redesign a business around it. The program is built around moving from experimentation to ROI: how AI agents can accelerate decisions and coordinate work across teams, how trusted data becomes the foundation, and how automation and hybrid cloud make large-scale adoption possible without losing control. With keynotes and a heavy lineup of speakers, it’s a high-density week for enterprise-grade AI strategy, real use cases, and global networking with thousands of attendees from dozens of countries.

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‍#6 TECHSPO Boston 2026

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Date: May 12–13, 2026

Location: Hyatt Regency Boston Hotel, Boston, MA

Format: In-person

What can you expect? A two-day tech expo focused on the tools and platforms shaping Internet, mobile, AdTech, MarTech, and SaaS. Expect an exhibitor-heavy experience where you can see product demos, compare solutions, and talk directly with the teams building them, plus plenty of hallway networking with developers, marketers, founders, and business leaders. A nice bonus is that DigiMarCon New England runs alongside it, so you get a mix of strategy-focused sessions and a more hands-on expo floor in the same trip.

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#7 Robotics Summit & Expo 2026

Date: May 27–28, 2026.

Location: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, MA.

Format: In-person 

What can you expect? A two-day event for engineers, developers, and tech leaders building commercial robotics and intelligent systems. You’ll get a mix of conference sessions and a large expo floor, so you can learn from real-world builds and then walk straight into conversations with the teams behind components, platforms, and tools. It’s also a strong networking room if you’re interested in robotics applications across industries like manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and more.

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#8 TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026

Date: June 23, 2026

Location: Boston, MA

Format: In-person

What can you expect? A full-day, founder-first conference designed to get practical about the parts of building a company that usually decide the outcome. You’ll get guidance on pitching and raising capital, hiring the early team, building sales, managing finances, and making smart calls on legal, marketing, and PR. The agenda mixes main-stage sessions with deeper, more interactive conversations, so you’re not just listening, you’re comparing notes with other founders and pressure-testing your approach. With more than 1,100 founders in the room, it’s also one of the better places in Boston to meet peers and connect with VCs and operators in a single day.

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#9 Startup Boston Week 2026

Date: September 14–18, 2026

Location: Boston, MA

Format: In-person (hybrid to be confirmed)

What can you expect? Startup Boston Week is the 10th annual edition of the largest gathering for New England’s startup community. Across five days, it brings together founders, operators, investors, students, and ecosystem builders for 100+ free sessions, panels, and networking events spanning every stage from idea to IPO. The format makes it easy to meet people, compare notes, and test ideas in real conversations. With 300 speakers and thousands of attendees, it’s one of the best moments in the year to plug into the Boston startup scene.

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#10 CDAO Fall 2026

Date: October 26–27, 2026

Location: Renaissance Boston Seaport District, 606 Congress Street, Boston

Format: In-person

What can you expect? A senior-leader conference designed for people running data, analytics, and AI at an enterprise level. With over 100 speakers and 250 attendees, expect sessions on data-driven decision-making, scaling AI and automation, strengthening governance and compliance, and building responsible AI practices. It’s a strong place to hear how other organizations are approaching these priorities, and to connect with peers who are shaping data strategy at the leadership level.

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A Strong Year to Show Up

Boston in 2026 is going to be busy in the best way. Between AI, security, data, and the startup ecosystem, these events are a good snapshot of what the city is paying attention to, and where real work is happening. 

Pick the ones that match what you’re working on, and you’ll leave with new context, stronger connections, and a clearer sense of direction.