The 2026 North Texas Connected Innovation Pitch Competition is coming to Frisco and McKinney on October 21. Join us as finalists pitch real municipal solutions — with winning solutions moving toward pilots with real cities, not just checks.
Rather than founders pitching investors, cities present real municipal challenges and founders respond with solutions. The strongest solutions move toward a pilot with a real city.
This year's challenges focus on public works, transportation & logistics, and environmental solutions — reflecting ongoing collaboration across North Texas to build ecosystems through smart city solutions that elevate operations, resident services, and economic opportunity.
Monitoring for streets, crosswalks, signage, and code compliance — with agentic AI dashboards that coordinate staff, equipment, and work orders. Emergency response prioritization through damage identification of trees, power lines, and buildings.
A universal fleet and asset management system with a unified dashboard. Computer vision or agentic AI to improve city service route efficiencies and predictive response across departments.
Solutions that help the City monitor environmental conditions, improve water conservation, optimize waste and recycling services, enhance field inspections and code compliance, identify issues earlier, engage residents, and support more efficient operations and resource allocation.
Full agenda coming soon.
Prize packages are designed to accelerate real deployment and open doors across North Texas' innovation ecosystem.
The pitch competition takes place Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at Hall Tower, 6605 Warren Parkway, Floor 5, Frisco, TX 75034. A Salon Dinner will follow in McKinney, TX. The full agenda will be shared soon.
Attendees can register via the Luma registration link on this page. There is a single registration path for attendees, partners, investors, and community members.
Registration is free, but space is limited. We recommend registering early to reserve your spot.
Finalists from around the world will pitch solutions to real municipal challenges in public works, transportation & logistics, and environmental solutions. Attendees will hear from city leaders, investors, and ecosystem partners, and connect with the teams shaping the future of smart cities in North Texas.
Yes. The application window has closed, but the pitch events are open to the public. Anyone interested in smart city innovation, municipal technology, or the North Texas ecosystem is welcome to register and attend.
"Innovation is most powerful when it solves real community challenges. Through North Texas Connected, we're opening the door for entrepreneurs to become partners in shaping the future of our region — where great ideas don't just get discussed, they get deployed."
North Texas Connected is a collaborative regional initiative that accelerates the adoption of innovation by connecting cities, entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and research institutions around shared community challenges.
Founded through a partnership between the Frisco Economic Development Corporation, McKinney Economic Development Corporation, and the North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA), the initiative creates pathways for startups to validate technologies, launch pilot projects, build strategic partnerships, and establish a presence in one of America's fastest-growing regions.
The application window has closed. Reserve your spot as an attendee and connect with the teams shaping the future of smart cities in North Texas.