Pasadena is carving out its own slice of LA Tech Week this fall, with the city's Economic Development Division and Innovate Pasadena hosting six events from October 13 through October 16 that touch on artificial intelligence in healthcare, climate technology, and the commercialization of space. The lineup caps with a VIP closing reception at Wedbush on October 16, and organizers say the goal is straightforward: put Pasadena's companies, research institutions, and entrepreneurs in front of a much bigger regional audience.
This marks the second consecutive year that the city and Innovate Pasadena have organized a dedicated Pasadena series tied to the broader event, according to a City of Pasadena announcement. LA Tech Week itself is a decentralized, weeklong celebration of technology and entrepreneurship across Los Angeles. Pasadena Now also reported that LA Tech Week ran October 13–19 in 2025.
A Week Built Around AI, Startups and Climate Tech
The Pasadena program opens Tuesday, October 13 at noon with the Healthcare Executive AI Agenda: What Leaders Are Doing Now, where healthcare executives will discuss how organizations are using artificial intelligence and evaluating its continued evolution. That same evening at 5 p.m., the Pasadena Startup Pitch Competition gives emerging startups a chance to pitch their companies and ideas to investors, entrepreneurs, and members of the Pasadena innovation community.
Economic Development Director David Klug framed the week as a showcase for what the city already has going for it. “Pasadena has an extraordinary concentration of companies, research institutions, entrepreneurs, and talent working on important future technologies,” Klug said, according to the city's announcement. He added that LA Tech Week will create connections that can lead to new investment, partnerships, and business opportunities for Pasadena.
Climate, Happy Hour and a Look at the Space Industry
On October 14, Pasadena Climate Commons: The Water-Energy Nexus will examine the connection between water and energy while highlighting climate technologies being developed in Pasadena and across the region, per the city's release. The following evening, October 15 at 6 p.m., the Pasadena Tech Happy Hour brings together the local technology and innovation community for a more informal networking stop.
The week wraps with two events on October 16. At noon, the SpaceTech Showcase will bring together leaders in aerospace and emerging space technology, featuring companies advancing the space industry while addressing the infrastructure and commercialization of space. Then at 4 p.m., the Pasadena Ascends VIP Closing Reception at Wedbush brings together participants, sponsors, partners, and business and community leaders to celebrate LA Tech Week in Pasadena.
Innovate Pasadena's Role and a Bigger 2026 Push
Innovate Pasadena President Mike Giardello said the nonprofit will use its partnership with LA Tech Week to showcase Pasadena's innovation assets. He pointed to the organization's track record of bringing diverse audiences together through dynamic events and entrepreneur-led programs. Founded in 2013, Innovate Pasadena is a volunteer-powered nonprofit serving the greater Pasadena technology community, according to Innovate Pasadena's website.
This year's six-event slate is a jump from 2025, when the city's series listed four events: Designing the Climate Future for Pasadena, Hacking Human Happiness, the Pasadena Tech Happy Hour, and Deep Tech Entrepreneurship: Pillars of Pasadena Tech. The city said the prior year's LA Tech Week event drew more than 200 attendees. Last year's Pasadena Tech Happy Hour was co-hosted with the Economic Development Division and Google Developers Group, and a Pasadena Now report covered last year's series. The 2025 events were also billed, according to the Pasadena Weekly, as a way to connect entrepreneurs, investors and talent across Southern California.
Whether this year's expanded lineup outperforms that turnout remains to be seen. A separate Pasadena Now account of this year's plans notes that no independent measure of attendance, spending or local impact has been published yet for the 2026 events. Last year, the city said it planned to gauge impact through founder inquiries to its “Build It in Pasadena” contact channels, follow-up meetings with the economic development team, tours or proposals involving laboratory space, and new sign-ups for Innovate Pasadena's recurring programs.
How to Register
Most LA Tech Week events are free, with registration information available for Pasadena's events. The broader push is meant to build on the city's ongoing effort to strengthen its local innovation ecosystem and advance Pasadena's position as a hub for deep technology, life sciences, climate innovation, aerospace, and entrepreneurship. Teresa Garcia, senior project manager with the city's Economic Development Division, can be contacted regarding future LA Tech Week participation or involvement with Innovate Pasadena. Accessibility information and accommodation requests can be directed to [email protected] or (626) 744-7311.
