Everyone is invited to experience Rhode Island’s innovation and entrepreneurial community
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — September 2026 — Rhode Island Startup Week returns September 18–25, 2026, with more than 60 events showcasing the people, companies, universities and ideas driving innovation and entrepreneurship across the state.
Organized by RIHub, Rhode Island’s Innovation Hub, Startup Week brings together entrepreneurs, investors, universities, corporations, students and community organizations from across Rhode Island for a statewide celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship. RIHub launched Rhode Island Startup Week in 2020 as a way to connect the many people and organizations building Rhode Island’s innovation economy and make that community more visible and accessible to everyone.
“Rhode Island Startup Week is not simply a series of connected events — it is a statewide celebration of ideas,” said Annette Tonti, Managing Director of RIHub. “Everyone is invited. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur or investor to participate. Come meet the people creating new companies and technologies, learn something new, make connections and experience the incredible innovation happening right here in Rhode Island.”
A central part of RIHub’s mission is connecting the many organizations and institutions that contribute to Rhode Island’s innovation ecosystem. Startup Week puts that collaboration on display, with universities, startup organizations, entrepreneurs, investors and community partners hosting events throughout the week.
Rhode Island’s universities play a particularly important role.
“Hosting the URI Tech Showcase during Rhode Island Startup Week is important because innovation doesn’t happen in isolation,” said Pete Rumsey, Associate Vice President for Economic Development, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of Rhode Island. “The Tech Showcase gives us an opportunity to open URI’s doors and show people the extraordinary research, technologies and new ventures being developed here — and, just as importantly, to create the connections that can help move those innovations from the university into the marketplace.”
Startup Week 2026 offers an unusually diverse mix of networking, educational programs, startup competitions, technology demonstrations, university showcases, hackathons and social events. Most events are independently produced by organizations across the state, with RIHub providing the umbrella that brings them together into one coordinated week and makes it easier for the public to discover and participate in Rhode Island’s innovation community.
Featured events include the Innovation Crawl, URI Tech Showcase, Brown University Startup Challenge, The Calamari Tank, Brown Invents, Yconic Hackathon, Brown B-Lab Expo, Embracing the Pirate Side, Attract Your Ideal Clients, and Made in the USA!
On Wednesday, September 23, Health & Life Sciences Day will feature a collection of events highlighting one of Rhode Island’s growing innovation sectors. On Thursday, September 24, Ocean Innovation Day celebrates the state’s growing ocean innovation community at Innovate Newport.
The week culminates on Friday, September 25, with RIHub’s Newport Investor Summit, bringing together early-stage companies and investors for a day of curated startup pitches and connections in Newport.
“Startup Week gives people so many different ways to participate,” said Tonti. “You can attend a workshop, watch entrepreneurs pitch, experience new technology, meet university innovators, join a hackathon or simply come to a social event and meet interesting people. For RIHub, this week is about connecting the dots — bringing together the people, ideas, capital and institutions that can help build the next generation of companies right here in Rhode Island.”
Rhode Island Startup Week runs September 18–25, 2026. Most events are free, although advance registration is encouraged for individual events and select events require a separate ticket.
For the full calendar and registration information, visit RIStartupWeek.com.
About RIHub
RIHub is Rhode Island’s Innovation Hub, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship. RIHub supports high-potential startups through education, mentoring, investor connections, incubation, programming and access to Rhode Island’s broader innovation ecosystem. Through programs including Rhode Island Startup Week, the Newport Investor Summit and RIHub’s Venture Mentoring Service, RIHub works to connect entrepreneurs with the people, knowledge, resources and capital they need to grow and scale.
Media Contact:
RIHub
Michelle Henning
michelle@rihub.org
StartupWeek@RIHUB.org
RIStartupWeek.com