New Mexico Hosts Its First-Ever Tech Week, Riding a Wave of Quantum Innovation and Venture Capital Momentum

Inaugural statewide celebration arrives as New Mexico venture capital investment climbs 50% year-over-year.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM, UNITED STATES, October 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — New Mexico will host its first-ever New Mexico Tech Week (NMTW), a five-day celebration of technology and innovation running October 26–31, 2026. The inaugural event arrives as the state gains momentum across quantum computing, advanced energy, aerospace, and startup investment. The week will connect founders, engineers, investors, researchers, and public-sector leaders.

NMTW is expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees, 200+ speakers, and 50+ partner organizations at venues across Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Programming includes TechFest, a quantum hackathon, startup workshops, Founders Day, a film festival, and venture-focused panels. Events are independently-organized by members of the New Mexican tech community and most are free to attend.
“This is about putting New Mexico on the map as a serious place to build and invest in technology,” said Paul Zelizer, co-founder of New Mexico Tech Week. “We have the talent, the research, the creativity, and the momentum. NMTW is the moment where it all comes together, and where the rest of the country can take notice.”

A pivotal moment for New Mexico innovation
In May 2026, New Mexico’s Economic Development Department launched a $25 million state-backed New Mexico Quantum Venture Studio, including a campus in downtown Albuquerque’s Innovation District. The studio follows the launch of ABQ-Net, described as America’s first open-access, entanglement-based quantum network, and a $4 million quantum testbed partnership between QuEra Computing and Roadrunner Venture Studios. Quantinuum has also expanded its Albuquerque presence and is a NMTW sponsor.

“From quantum and aerospace to advanced energy and beyond, New Mexico has made rapid progress in fostering the technology fields that will define our future,” said Nora Meyers Sackett, Director of the New Mexico Technology & Innovation Office and New Mexico Tech Week sponsor. “We’re proud to be showcasing that progress and bringing researchers, startups and innovators together with investors and key stakeholders to celebrate what we’ve built and foster the connections that will take this ecosystem to even greater heights.”

Advanced energy in the region is also growing. Since 2019, New Mexico has added 6 gigawatts of renewable capacity, created 14,000 clean-energy jobs, and attracted more than $10 billion in private investment. New Mexico’s $72 billion State Investment Council (the sovereign wealth fund built on oil and gas revenue) has also become an active investor in climate-focused venture funds including Lowercarbon Capital, DCVC, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, deploying $1.7 billion in strategic venture capital over the past three years, $1 billion of it in the last six months alone.

“We believe New Mexico is becoming one of the Southwest’s most compelling places to build and invest in technology,” said Vicki Apodaca, New Mexico Tech Week Co-Founder. “New Mexico Tech Week is designed to help national investors, founders, and partners see that opportunity up close.”

TechFest anchors the week
The week is anchored by TechFest, returning October 29–30 for its third year as New Mexico’s flagship tech conference. The free, public event spans three venues in downtown Albuquerque’s Innovation District: WESST Enterprise Center, the Albuquerque Main Library, and Builders VC. TechFest features programming in software and AI, climate and advanced energy, entrepreneurship, and tech accessibility, and a Community Stage.

“New Mexico has no shortage of smart people building really interesting things. What we need more of are the collisions between founders, investors, industry, research, and the people who can actually open doors. That’s what I love about New Mexico Tech Week. It gives us a reason to get out of our individual lanes, see what’s happening across the state, and create connections that can turn into something real,” says Angelica Maestas, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Builders VC.

Attend or cover New Mexico Tech Week
New Mexico Tech Week is free and open to press, founders, students, and anyone interested in the future of technology in the region. The full event calendar and RSVP details are available at newmexicotechweek.com. Media credential requests, interview requests, and sponsorship inquiries can be directed to the contact below.

Vicki Apodaca
NM Tech Talks LLC
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