SXSW 2026

DataFeel at SXSW 2026

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Reserve sessions at schedule.sxsw.com — The official SXSW schedule requires a free account to view session details and make reservations. Download the SXSW GO app before you arrive to browse sessions, check room assignments, and reserve your spots (Innovation Badge: 2 reservations per day). Popular sessions fill fast.

Conference Session

SXSW Pitch

Exhibition

Side Event

Thursday

March 12

Opening Day

This WeekFeatured Session

Amy Webb Launches 2026 Emerging Tech Trend Report

Conference

Webb's annual SXSW forecast is among the most-attended sessions every year — empirical, specific, and data-driven. Her 2026 report covers the forces reshaping business, culture, and society, decoding emerging technologies across AI, spatial computing, biotech, and wearables.

Downtown Austin hotel venues (check SXSW GO app for exact room)

Amy Webb, CEO, Future Today Strategy Group

2:00–6:30pm

Physical AI Builders Showcase: Robots, Agents & Manufacturing

Side Event

Curated showcase of hardware-forward founders and physical AI builders — high concentration of potential technology partners and integrators working in tactile and physical computing.

America House, Austin

RSVP

6:30–8:30pm

Camp Outlander HardTech Meet Up

Side Event

Opening-night gathering purpose-built for hardware and deep tech founders, investors, and operators. One of the highest-signal evening events of the week for the physical technology community.

Austin (see luma for confirmed location)

RSVP

6:00–9:00pm

Capital Factory Startup Crawl

Side Event

The annual opening-night startup crawl across multiple downtown Austin venues, organized by Capital Factory — the leading Texas tech accelerator. The broadest gathering of founders and investors on night one.

Multiple downtown venues

Details

Friday

March 13

SXSW Pitch — Day 1

All Day25 companies

SXSW Pitch — Day 1: Intelligent Systems, Robotics & Multisensory Technology

SXSW Pitch

25 companies pitch live on Day 1 across five categories. The Intelligent Systems, Robotics & Multisensory Technology category features finalists CubeVi, Endox AI, Inductive Robotics, Pike Robotics, and Socialtrait — companies working in wearables, multi-sensory incorporation, AR/VR, and autonomous systems. Since 2009, SXSW Pitch's 732 alumni companies have collectively raised over $23.2 billion; more than 80% secured funding.

JW Marriott Austin · 110 E. 2nd St.

sxsw.com/pitch

Mar 13Conference

AI That Can Read Your Mind: Neurotechnology & Brain-Computer Interfaces

Conference

Explores how AI is turning raw brain signals into actionable insights — covering neural interfaces, extended reality, and the new frontier of human-AI interaction. Features three of the world's leading voices on neurotechnology and brain-computer interfaces.

Downtown Austin hotel venues (check SXSW GO app for exact room)

Nita Farahany (Duke University), Matt Angle (Paradromics), Joseph Artuso (OpenBCI)

Noon–3:00pm

Frontier House × LaFamilia VC Mixer

Side Event

Hosted by Eleven Wall Ventures, Camelback Ventures, OneSixOne Ventures, Build in Tulsa, and the Ohio Startup Network. One of the most substantive investor mixer formats of the week.

Match House, Austin

RSVP

6:00–8:30pm

Pitch Roast Live SXSW

Side Event

Live format where founders' pitches are roasted in real time by investors. More candid and educational than most official panel sessions — and a sharp read on how the investor community currently evaluates early-stage hardware and sensory tech.

Austin (see luma for confirmed location)

RSVP

Saturday

March 14

Pitch Day 2 + Awards

All DayAwards 6:30pm

SXSW Pitch — Day 2: Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech + Award Ceremony

SXSW Pitch

Day 2 features 20 companies across four categories including Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech — covering therapeutic wearables, digital health, and biotech. The Award Ceremony follows at 6:30pm CT, co-emceed by Garry Tan (President & CEO, Y Combinator) and Josephine Chen (Sequoia Capital). Judges include Vincent Diallo (Interlace Ventures), Artur Gushiken (SoftBank), Mary McKenna (Awaken Angels), and others.

JW Marriott Austin · 110 E. 2nd St.

sxsw.com/pitch

11:00am–5:00pm

Founder Fest Austin

Side Event

Full-day founder gathering drawing early-stage companies across hardware, AR/VR, wearables, gaming, and health tech. A high-volume opportunity to meet potential collaborators and partners in adjacent verticals.

Austin (see luma for confirmed location)

RSVP

Mar 14–17Daily

UK House: Emerging Tech & Immersive Entertainment

Exhibition

UK House returns with a curated four-day program of emerging technology companies in virtual production and immersive entertainment. The UK has a significant haptics and XR research ecosystem — a strong venue for international research and licensing conversations.

Congress Ave, Austin · Mar 14–17

Sunday

March 15

XR Experience Opens

Mar 15–17Daily

SXSW XR Experience — 10th Anniversary Edition

Exhibition

The 10th anniversary edition of SXSW's flagship XR showcase, with 17 projects in competition spanning entertainment, healthcare, education, and retail — including the world premiere of Layers of Place: Austin, an MIT Open Documentary Lab location-based AR project. The XR Experience is the highest-concentration venue at SXSW for companies building immersive experiences.

Congressional Ballroom, Fairmont Austin · 101 Red River St · Mar 15–17

Mar 15

Reality Hacked: Tech, Story, and the Future of Experience

Conference

Explores how emerging technologies are reshaping immersive storytelling and physical experience design — from XR environments to multisensory installations. Directly relevant to DataFeel's entertainment and communications applications.

Downtown Austin hotel venues (check SXSW GO app for exact room)

4:00–6:00pm

From Raise to Reality: Lessons from Recent Series A Founders

Side Event

Founders who closed Series A in the current market — not decade-old wisdom. A direct look at what investors actually require right now from hardware and deep tech companies at the A stage.

Austin (see luma for confirmed location)

RSVP

6:00–9:00pm

Emerging Managers + Founding GPs Omakase

Side Event

A curated evening with next-generation venture fund managers and founding GPs. Emerging managers often move faster and take more concentrated positions in early-stage hardware companies than established funds.

Austin (see luma for confirmed location)

RSVP

Monday

March 16

Health + Design Tracks Open

Mar 16

Sensory Storytelling: Using XR to Connect to the Body

Conference

Explores how extended reality is being used to engage the body — not just the eyes — through multisensory design. A session at the exact intersection of haptic technology and the XR industry's next frontier.

Downtown Austin hotel venues (check SXSW GO app for exact room)

Mar 16

Perceptual Diversity: Art & Neuroscience in Design

Conference

Examines how neuroscience is informing the design of sensory experiences — covering perceptual variation, multimodal input, and how different nervous systems respond to stimuli. Key context for therapeutic and accessibility applications in haptic technology.

Downtown Austin hotel venues (check SXSW GO app for exact room)

Mar 16Live Demo

The Creator's Brain: Neuroscience Tools for Content Ideas (Live Brainwave Demo)

Conference

A neuroscience-backed session featuring live brainwave demonstrations on stage, exploring how creators can tap into the brain's natural creativity systems. One of the few sessions at SXSW 2026 with a live neurotech demo.

Downtown Austin hotel venues (check SXSW GO app for exact room)

11:00am+

Humble Ventures: The Future of Health

Side Event

Venture-focused health tech event bringing together investors and founders in therapeutic wearables, digital health, and longevity tech. Features health system leaders and clinical partners alongside early-stage companies.

Austin (see luma for confirmed location)

RSVP

Tuesday

March 17

XR Final Day

Final DayMar 15–17

SXSW XR Experience — Final Day

Exhibition

Final day of the XR Experience exhibition at the Fairmont. Companion session "A Guide to the SXSW 2026 XR Experience" offers a curator-led deep dive into this year's 17 competing projects — the best single-session briefing on where spatial computing is heading in 2026.

Congressional Ballroom, Fairmont Austin · 101 Red River St

Noon–9:00pm

Asia × Austin Summit

Side Event

Asia-Pacific tech meets Texas. APAC leads global consumer wearables and haptic hardware manufacturing — a focused opportunity to explore manufacturing partnerships, international distribution, and licensing discussions.

Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, Austin

Details

Wednesday

March 18

Closing Day

Mar 16–18Design Track

Design Track: Everything Is a Touchpoint — Designing Cohesive Brand Moments

Conference

The Design Track (running Mar 16–18) closes with sessions on physical-digital brand experience design and the future of multisensory interaction. A natural bookend to the week — connecting the XR, health, and haptics conversations into a product design context.

Downtown Austin hotel venues (check SXSW GO app for exact room)

📱 Plan Your Week

SXSW GO App — Download before you arrive. Required for managing session reservations (2 per day for Innovation Badge holders) and checking exact room assignments, which are released closer to the event. Popular sessions fill fast.

Innovation Clubhouse — Brazos Hall, 204 E 4th St. Open noon–10pm daily. The home base for Innovation attendees throughout the week — good for impromptu networking between sessions.

Venues — Innovation Conference sessions are spread across the Hilton Austin, JW Marriott, Marriott Downtown, Fairmont, Courtyard Marriott, Thompson, The Line, and Omni. Shuttle access is available between venues.

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