Dallas Startup Community
Founders Network connects tech founders in Dallas with a global peer mentorship community. Members get a cohort of founders a stage ahead of them, monthly peer mentoring, and a member directory that reaches well beyond DFW. Membership is by invitation; request one below.
Nominee Preview Q&A
A live Zoom for nominated founders: how Founders Network works, what happens next, and open Q&A.
Upcoming Dallas events
No Dallas events open to guests are on the calendar right now. The Nominee Preview Q&A above is the best way to meet us, or browse every upcoming Founders Network event.
Our Local Leadership Team
I enjoy helping other motivated and talented founders see their vision become a reality while avoiding many of the mistakes I've made in my own journey
I'm a life sciences vet. Majority of my career has been on the commercial side of the business at Alcon in eye care. I was at 2 commercial stage startups (1 IPOed in '21) and have now started my own venture with former R&D colleagues from Alcon.
Healthcare IT executive known for strategic and digital transformation planning and securing stakeholder buy-in for execution. Significant experience in building global IT operations, secure enterprise apps and platforms for commercial products.
Khiry co-founded Oppti, a software platform with the largest database of internships and volunteer opportunities for high school students. He's also the co-author of Starting Your Own Microbusiness, a book that helps young people explore, initiate, and execute business ideas. He also founded a nonprofit, Building BLOC, that provides youth mentorship services for college and career development.
The Dallas startup scene
Dallas–Fort Worth has become one of the largest startup markets in the country, and it got there a different way than the coasts. The region’s corporate headquarters — AT&T, Texas Instruments, Southwest, Toyota North America, American Airlines — give early-stage companies enterprise customers close to home, and a growing bench of local funds now backs them. Companies like o9 Solutions, Alkami and Island grew up here. Dallas Startup Week and the DEC Network tie the community together across a metro that is spread wide.
Founders Network in Dallas
Our Dallas chapter brings local founders together in person and plugs them into the wider Founders Network: chapters in 20+ cities, peer mentoring groups matched by stage, and a global directory of founders who have raised, scaled, and exited. Chapter events are listed below, and the leaders who host them are members running companies in Dallas themselves.
Dallas resources and communities
Venture capital: Perot Jain, Goldcrest Capital, Interlock Partners and Green Park & Golf Ventures invest in Dallas-based companies from seed onward.
Accelerators and campuses: Capital Factory’s Dallas campus, Health Wildcatters for healthcare startups, and Pegasus Park for life sciences each run programs and host a steady calendar of founder events.
Community: The DEC Network runs programming for founders across the metro, and Dallas Startup Week is the annual gathering point for the whole ecosystem.
Co-working: Common Desk started in Dallas and has locations across Deep Ellum, Uptown and Plano; Capital Factory and the DEC also offer founder-focused workspace.
Frequently asked questions
How much venture funding do Dallas startups raise?
Dallas–Fort Worth companies raised a little over $1.9 billion in the first nine months of 2025 and nearly $1.73 billion in the first nine months of 2026, per PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor data reported by Dallas Innovates. Q3 2026 alone was $962.5 million across 52 deals.
Is Dallas a good place to start a startup?
Dallas–Fort Worth pairs a deep bench of corporate headquarters, including AT&T, Texas Instruments, Southwest and Toyota North America, with a growing set of local funds. Early-stage companies can find enterprise customers close to home.
How do I meet other founders in Dallas?
Founders Network runs chapter events for Dallas founders, led by volunteer members. Upcoming events are listed on this page.
What startup events are in Dallas?
Upcoming Dallas chapter events are listed on this page, including a Nominee Preview where you can meet current members and ask questions.
How do I join Founders Network in Dallas?
Membership is selective and by invitation. You can request an invitation and we'll follow up.
Get an invitation to the community.
Founders Network is an invite-only peer mentorship community for tech startup founders. Drop your email — we'll take it from there.
No spam. We review every request individually.