IEEE Entrepreneurship Hard Tech Venture Summit | Silicon Valley, California, USA

MENLO PARK, California, USA – Silicon Valley is returning to its roots. After a decade in which software dominated investment, on 16 – 17 April, the IEEE Entrepreneurship Hard Tech Venture Summit, brought to you by IEEE Entrepreneurship in partnership with the IEEE Systems Council, will bring together investors and founders ready to bet on hardware at SRI International—where the computer mouse and Arpanet were born. Now in its second year following its 2025 debut in San Francisco, the event expands into a North American circuit with additional stops in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and Toronto, Canada.

The signal is clear: capital is seeking tangible infrastructure. And recent industry studies confirm it. The semiconductor market—according to 2025 estimates from the Global Semiconductor Industry Outlook—is headed toward $1 trillion USD; Hardware-as-a-Service, as reported by the Global Strategic Business Report, is projected to reach $357 billion USD by 2030. From recent Euro NCAP regulations mandating physical controls in vehicles, to the race for NPU processors, innovation once again needs matter.

Back to the Future at SRI

The choice of location is deliberate. SRI International is the laboratory where the impossible has become reality for over 80 years: this is where the computer mouse was born, where the first public demonstration of videoconferencing and hypertext took place (1968), where the ERMA automated banking system was created, and where Arpanet—the precursor to the Internet—was developed. SRI also gave birth to the spin-off that would become Siri.

“We are witnessing a Hard Tech renaissance driven by AI, robotics, and climate challenges,” said Bruno Iafelice, Event Chair and Silicon Valley Lead. “We chose SRI because this is where it all began: we want investors and founders to build the relationships for the next great physical innovations in this historic place.”

Real Business, Not Just Networking

In a landscape saturated with “showcase” conferences, the IEEE Entrepreneurship Hard Tech Venture Summit stands out for its pragmatic, deal-making and relationship-building approach. The event is designed specifically for Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A startups facing the unique challenges of hardware: long development cycles and intensive capital requirements.

The summit abandons the academic conference format in favor of direct engagement. With a format that prioritizes targeted meetings between founders and investors, the event attracts specialized capital capable of understanding the risk and potential of Hard Tech, including names like i3-Ventures, Monozukuri Ventures, TSV Capital, Departure Ventures, REDDS Capital, and California-based angel investors. Hundred of participants are expected, including investors, founders, and specialized service providers.

A Global Ecosystem in Evolution

The Silicon Valley summit is not a standalone event, but a crucial stop on a North American circuit that also includes strategic hubs like Boston and Toronto.

“This summit is part of IEEE’s strategic initiative to provide concrete support for science-based entrepreneurs,” notes Joanne Wong, Chair of the IEEE Entrepreneurship Venture Summits Program. “We’re not just facilitating pitches—we’re building an ecosystem where IEEE’s technical expertise meets venture capital to accelerate real solutions to global problems.”

Event Details

The two-day program includes pitch sessions, operational roundtables, and hands-on workshops (“Engineering Design to Manufacturing”) to guide startups from prototype to mass production.

Dates: 16 – 17 April 2026

Location: SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, CA

Registration and Info: https://entrepreneurship.ieee.org/venturesummitsiliconvalley

About IEEE Entrepreneurship

IEEE Entrepreneurship is a global program that empowers entrepreneurs by cultivating innovation ecosystems and delivering essential opportunities for networking, skill-building, resource access, and visibility. Through our dynamic programs, strategic partnerships, and curated resources, we achieve our mission: to deliver value at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey to accelerate the commercialization of technologies that improve lives and advance entrepreneurship-led global development.

Contact:

Caitlin Zubrowski

entrepreneurship@ieee.org