Tech Bloc Bi-Weekly Newsletter🚀
📰 In this Issue:
1️⃣ Tech Bloc Announcements
2️⃣ San Antonio Tech News
3️⃣ DevSA Corner
4️⃣ Events
5️⃣ Stay Engaged
We’re heading to CDMX for Mexico Tech Week!
We are heading to Mexico City for Mexico Tech Week (October 21-27) to showcase San Antonio as the ideal destination for tech startups and businesses looking to relocate or open headquarters. Our delegation of about 12 will engage with founders, investors, and industry leaders to promote cross-border collaboration and highlight San Antonio’s vibrant tech ecosystem.
We still have a few spots open—if you'd like to join us on this exciting trip, please fill out this form:
Don't miss our signature event, the biggest Happy Hour of the week, on Thursday, October 24th at 7pm! Thank you to Padilla Law and Myers Immigration for sponsoring.
TECH DAY is NOVEMBER 15TH, 2024!
Join us for San Antonio Tech Day on November 15th at the Boeing Center at Port San Antonio! This full-day event will feature coworking spaces, networking opportunities, and expert-led sessions, bringing together the tech community to connect, collaborate, and hear from leading tech professionals from across the country.
Explore three exciting tracks:
VC Track
10:00 AM – State of the VC Industry and Outlook (US/Texas/LATAM)11:20 AM – The Venture Mindset: Achieving Extraordinary Growth
12:30 PM - Fundraising Decoded: Preparing for Success
1:40 PM - Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing Generative AI
2:50 PM - Distribution: Building the Optimal Startup Stack
4:00 PM - Cybersecurity: Protecting Your BusinessTech Startups/Companies Track
10:00 AM – Leveraging Funding and Support from Hyperscalers
11:20 AM – Security Best Practices in the Cloud
12:30 PM - Balancing Simplicity and Complexity in Cloud Architecture
1:40 PM - Building Scalable Architectures to Support Business Growth
2:50 PM - Avoiding and Managing Technical Debt in the Cloud
4:00 PM - Forks in the Road: Navigating the Best Funding Paths for Your Technology CompanyTech Community Track
10:00 AM – Navigating the Cloud-Native Landscape
11:20 AM – Building a Data Science Toolchain with R and Python
12:30 PM - Team Comms That Don’t Suck: Just Lego
1:40 PM - Test Driven Development From Database to UI
2:50 PM - Implementing Guardrails: Teaching Your LLMs how to Drive
4:00 PM - The Power of Multi-Modal AI in Our Daily Lives
RSVP today and secure your spot at San Antonio Tech Day to be a part of this incredible opportunity to connect with the tech ecosystem!
The day will culminate with Tech Fuel, San Antonio’s $100K Pitch Competition at 6PM brought to you by Bexar County Innovation Fund, where top startups will compete for the grand prize.
Stay tuned: Finalists will be announced TOMORROW 👀
San Antonio Tech and Business News
From groundbreaking innovations to exciting developments, stay tuned for a tech-filled journey that promises to shape the future.
Texas-built instruments begin 6-year space journey in hunt for life
A NASA spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a quest to explore Jupiter’s tantalizing moon Europa and reveal whether its vast hidden ocean might hold the keys to life. Its cargo includes a pair of San Antonio-developed instruments that will study the icy planet’s atmosphere.
It will take Europa Clipper 5½ years to reach Jupiter, where it will slip into orbit around the giant gas planet and sneak close to Europa during dozens of radiation-drenched flybys.
Scientists are almost certain a deep, global ocean exists beneath Europa’s icy crust. And where there is water there could be life, making the moon one of the most promising places out there to hunt for it.
Source: San Antonio Express News
This is the most interesting technology startup company in San Antonio
A frequently cited version of wisdom about the folly of strategies — applied both to startup companies and warfare — is attributed to heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. He’s reputed to have said: “Everybody’s got a strategy until I hit ‘em in the mouth.” (I like to say this out loud in Tyson’s unusually high-pitched voice because it’s funnier that way.)
Was it folly to start a drone company from scratch in 2021 given that there were already hundreds of competitors in the United States? Darkhive co-founders John Goodson and Steve Turner say yes, possibly. But they had a strategy.
Source: San Antonio Express News
‘Pending regulatory approval’: SpaceX and FAA in standoff over Texas Starship launch
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration are in a standoff over when the space company’s next Starship mega-rocket will blast off from South Texas.
SpaceX says it could launch as soon as Sunday, but the FAA, the federal regulator in charge of approving the flight, is sticking with its previously stated timeline of late November to complete its safety and environmental analysis of the proposed flight.
Chatter of a mid-October launch began last week when a Coast Guard Notice to Mariners about the launch appeared online. The FAA quickly shot down the notion, saying, “We are not issuing launch authorization for a launch to occur in the next two weeks — it’s not happening.”
Source: San Antonio Express News
Degree in applied cyber analytics is helping UTSA build a cyber workforce
During an internship with the San Antonio Police Department, UTSA senior Katie Thomas helped a crime analyst find productive ways to gather and filter crime report data. She also assisted with efforts to predict and prevent crimes based on pattern recognition.
Following the internship, she was one of four UTSA students to participate in the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Women Immersed in NSA Cybersecurity event. The professional development opportunity brought together juniors and seniors from renowned cyber and STEM colleges to spend a week at the agency’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center.
Source: UTSA Today
Small-business owners are divided in their use of generative AI tools
Entrepreneurs are approaching artificial-intelligence capabilities in a variety of ways.
Source: San Antonio Business Journal
Yet another cybersecurity firm expands into Port San Antonio as industry, talent pipeline grow
A Maryland-based cybersecurity firm whose clients include the U.S. Department of Defense and the Air Force is expanding its presence in San Antonio.
X8 becomes the latest company to locate at Capital Factory, which operates out of the Boeing Center at Tech Port on the Port San Antonio campus.
The company joins IntelliGenesis, another Maryland-based cybersecurity firm; Leidos, the global technology company that makes airport body scanning machines; GDIT, a subsidiary of General Dynamics; and Peraton, a national security defense contractor.
Source: San Antonio Report
DEVSA:Your hub for San Antonio's techie community
Join the DEVSA community for events focused on networking opportunities, and valuable learning experiences. Let's build a stronger tech community together.
The next event from DEVSA is this Saturday inside the new DEVSA Co-Working Space inside Geekdom - Intro to Blockchain: Learn Solidity, build your first smart contract on Ethereum, and discover the potential of blockchain in today's digital landscape. This event is perfect for developers of all levels.
Join OWASP San Antonio for their Quarterly Meeting and dive into the world of application security. Learn about containers, cloud-native security, and building effective security programs. Network with industry experts and get insights from leading organizations. You do not have to be an OWASP member to attend this event.
Unleash your creativity and build something spooky with ACM-SA: Calling all San Antonio coders! ACM-SA is currently running a month-long Halloween Dev Challenge. Join the conversation on the DEVSA Discord to see what the community is brewing Halloween Dev Challenge.
San Antonio World Usability Day is coming: Mark your calendars for World Usability Day! This one-day conference in San Antonio will explore the latest trends and best practices in user-centered design. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with experts and elevate your skills.
Let's build a stronger tech community together!
CityFest2024
Join us for CityFest 2024—four days of dynamic live journalism from Monday, October 28 through Thursday, October 31. San Antonio Report’s seventh annual urban ideas festival will be staged in the urban core. We’ll kick off the week in partnership with bigcitysmalltown podcast and Texas Public Radio on October 28 with an in-depth look at the hottest topic in the city these days — the future of downtown San Antonio.
The main event will feature former San Antonio mayors Phil Hardberger, Ivy Taylor, Henry Cisneros and Nelson Wolff at the Witte Museum’s Mays Family Center. Wednesday brings a fun arts and culture oriented happy hour at Elsewhere, and we’ll dive into the upcoming November ballot on Thursday in collaboration with KLRN.
📆 Dates:
Monday, October 28th thorugh Thursday, October 31st
CNTR/CTY Cocktails🥂 & Conversations🗣️
You don’t want to miss this engaging conversation exploring the intricacies of San Antonio's international business landscape. Discover how local businesses are navigating global markets, fostering cross-cultural partnerships, and seizing opportunities in the international arena.
📍 Location:
InterContinental Hotel (111 E. Pecan St. SATX, 78205)
📆 Date:
Tuesday, October 22
⏰ Time:
4:30 - 6:30 PM
Discussion Topics:
The Economic Impact of International Business on San Antonio
Navigating Global Markets: Challenges and Opportunities
The Role of Technology in Facilitating International Business
Government Initiatives and Support for International Business
Become a Tech Bloc Member
Become a part of San Antonio’s thriving tech community with a Tech Bloc membership! Join us to access exclusive events, resources, and networking opportunities that will help you grow and succeed.
Individual Membership
Access to the Community Platform
Dedicated Tech Newsletter
Networking Events
Curated Members-only Workshops
Exclusive Content
Tech Bloc T-Shirt
Curated Resources
Access to the Tech Conclaves
Be a part of the Community Pulse
First Drink for Free at Events
Startup Membership
All of the benefits above PLUS:
Over $350K in credits across essential platforms including AWS and Google Cloud Credits
CEO to CEO Peer Groups
CTO to CTO Peer Groups
All About Fundraising Resources
Investor Lists
Access to Investors
Want to publish something in this newsletter?
👉🏼 Now you can sponsor this newsletter now and reach 10,000 people connected to the San Antonio ecosystem. We have builders, founders, entrepreneurs, investors, marketers, no-code founders reading this newsletter that’s the best ecosystem for San Antonio.
Want to sponsor this newsletter? 👇🏼👇🏼
Follow Tech Bloc ✔️
Make sure to follow us to stay up-to-date on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook!