Austin Founder Stories
Economic Outlook
Data and analysis on the Austin and Texas economy, from small business growth to the state's place in the national picture.
Austin's AI Scene Is Moving From Theory to Real World Implementation
An analysis of Austin's founder social calendar found 89 AI-related events tracked since late March, with 64% hands-on or build-oriented. May's share reached 74%, signaling AI is moving from panels to workshops, labs, and hackathons.
Austin Is Now a Top-6 Global Tech Ecosystem
Dealroom's Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2026 ranks Austin #6 in the world on its Global Champions lens, ahead of Tel Aviv, Paris, Beijing, and Seoul. Austin has 53 unicorns and $1B+ exits and ~$2.0T in combined ecosystem value.
Solar Will Out-Generate Coal in Texas for the First Time This Year
For the first time, Texas is expected to generate more electricity from solar than coal in 2026, with the EIA forecasting 78 billion kWh of utility-scale solar across ERCOT versus 60 billion from coal, widening to 99 billion versus 66 billion by 2027.
Austin Is Growing Again But Without the 2021 Housing Frenzy
New Opportunity Austin indicators show the metro pulling ahead: record $7.24B in 2025 VC funding (up 80.4%, 5th nationally), 13,700 jobs added, 3.7% unemployment, and record AUS airport traffic, all while average home prices held roughly flat at $572,908.
Austin's Office Market Just Posted Its Best Quarter in Years
Austin's office market recorded 1.1 million sq ft of positive net absorption in Q1 2026, but one deal did the work: SB Energy's purchase of the 1.2M sq ft former 3M campus. Move-ins from IBM, NVIDIA, and NXP Semiconductors followed the same AI and chip pattern.
Austin Starts FY2027 Budget Talks With a $26M Gap
Austin kicked off its FY2027 budget process with a projected $26.4M deficit as revenue grows only ~3% and new construction runs about 10% below forecast at $2.8B. City officials cited slowing tech-sector growth and office and multifamily occupancy challenges.
Austin Ranked #1 Among the Top 50 U.S. Metros for Job Growth
Per Opportunity Austin's April 15 update using new BLS benchmark revisions, Austin ranked #1 among the Top 50 U.S. metros for 2025 job growth, with Professional & Business Services revised from -0.4% to +2.3%.
Austin Powered Texas Past Boston in Q1 Venture Funding
Per PitchBook and the NVCA, Texas startups raised $5.8B in Q1 2026, edging past Massachusetts's $5.3B. Four Austin companies (Saronic, Apptronik, CesiumAstro, inKind) drove $3.6B, roughly 64% of the state's haul.
Austin Looks to Add 12 New Nonstop International Flights
Austin Looks to Add 12 New Nonstop International Flights
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials are reviewing a list of 12 new nonstop international flights, including Paris, Tokyo, Dubai, and Seoul. Roughly 2.2 million passengers travel in and out of Austin per year, a 46% increase from 2019.
