The Quick Version
- AfroTech 2026 runs Nov. 2 to 6 at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, with four-day passes from $350 to $2,250.
- The $350 AI Edge pass includes a full day of AI training, but it limits you to the Expo Stage. Know that before you buy.
- Black founders raised $643 million through May 20, 2026, with Q1 their biggest quarter since 2022, yet that was about 0.25% of U.S. startup funding.
- No ticket? You can still level up this fall with free AI training from the University of Maryland, Per Scholas and CodePath.
AfroTech 2026 is just weeks away, and the Black tech world is already making plans for Houston. The conference that started in San Francisco in 2016 with 650 attendees now expects more than 40,000 people, and this year it marks a full decade of bringing Black builders, founders and tech workers together.
Whether you are going, thinking about it or watching from home, here is what to know: the dates, which pass fits your goals, how first-timers can make it count, where Black founder funding really stands this year and the free AI training you can start before November.
Save the dates: AfroTech 2026
- When: Monday, Nov. 2 to Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
- Where: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston
- Scale: 40,000+ expected attendees, 300+ speakers, 15 tracks, 11 stages
- Day one: student orientation, AFROTECH U programming and evening partner events
- Age: 18 and up, with infants up to 18 months welcome with a parent
- Passes: $350, $625, $850, $925 or $2,250
Sources for the box: the AfroTech FAQ, the official AfroTech site and the published schedule. The organizers note the schedule is subject to change.
AfroTech 2026: which ticket makes sense for you
All five options are four-day passes. The prices below were listed on the official site in late September 2026.
| Pass | Price | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Edge | $350 | One full day of AI training, AI upskilling, Expo Stage access only | Career switchers who mainly want AI skills |
| Premier | $625 | General access, continuing education credits, professional development | Most first-timers and job seekers |
| Executive | $850 | Everything in Premier plus executive programming and peer networking | Managers and senior leaders |
| Medical | $925 | Executive benefits plus the HealthStack Conference and specialized workshops | Health care and medtech professionals |
| All-Access | $2,250 | Exclusive programming, VIP lounges, priority access and seating; limited capacity | Founders and people there to close deals |
The fine print on AI Edge matters. It is the cheapest way in and it comes with a full day of AI training, but the site says it includes access to the Expo Stage only. If you want the main stages, panels and track sessions, Premier is the real entry point. Hotel blocks are booked through the conference’s own portal, linked from the FAQ.
A first-timer’s game plan
The official first-time attendee guide is refreshingly practical. The highlights:
- Download AfroTech Connect on iOS or Android and build your schedule before you land.
- Work the Expo floor in the morning. The guide says conversations are better before the crowd hits.
- Go to at least one meetup. Options include Founders, AI Edge and Engineering groups, and the guide calls meetups the place where “the real community forms.”
- Have a 30-second intro ready for the Expo, hallways and receptions.
- Swap contact info on the spot and follow up within 48 hours.
Our add: bring a portable charger, wear shoes you can walk in all day and set one goal per day. Meeting three hiring managers beats collecting 40 business cards you never use.
Watch: AfroTech Conference Day 1 2025 Recap from Blavity
Blavity posts AfroTech recaps and conference coverage on its YouTube channel, a good way to preview the energy if this is your first year.
The funding reality check for Black founders
AfroTech lands in a year of mixed signals for Black startups. According to Crunchbase, U.S. startups with a Black founder or co-founder raised $643 million across 34 deals as of May 20, 2026. Most of that came in the first quarter, the biggest single quarter since Q2 2022. For comparison, Black-founded startups raised $942 million in all of 2025.
Now the catch. TechCrunch noted that U.S. startups raised $252 billion over the same stretch, which makes that $643 million about 0.25% of the total. And the three largest rounds alone added up to $472 million. Here are the biggest 2026 rounds Crunchbase highlighted:
- SambaNova, AI hardware and software: $350 million Series E in February
- Novig, a sports prediction platform: $75 million Series B in February
- Harper, an AI-native insurance brokerage for small businesses: $47 million Series A in February
- Posh, a live events platform: $37 million Series B in March
- GovDash, government contracting software: $30 million Series B in January
Notice the pattern. Three of the five, SambaNova, Harper and GovDash, sell AI or software to businesses or government. Crunchbase’s analysis also points to networks and warm introductions as a big reason capital stays scarce, which is exactly why rooms like AfroTech matter for founders.
Free AI training you can start this month
You do not need a conference badge to build AI skills. These options are free or tuition-free, and we checked each official page:
- University of Maryland Smith School of Business: a completely free online certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Career Empowerment. It covers AI in marketing, finance and supply chain, responsible AI, and career moves like job searching, negotiating and consulting. It is built for early to mid-career professionals, and there is no posted enrollment deadline.
- Per Scholas: tuition-free training that now includes AI Native Business Intelligence and AI Native Software Development tracks (15 weeks each), plus AI-enabled IT support, health care IT and cybersecurity programs. Locations include Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia and more, with some national remote options. Start dates vary by campus, so check yours.
- CodePath: free courses for college students, including an Applied AI Engineering pathway that comes with free access to Claude and Claude Code. The site currently shows a spring waitlist, so students should sign up now.
One popular option is not free: Google AI Essentials takes under five hours but costs $49 a month in the U.S. after a seven-day free trial. If you are disciplined, you can learn a lot in that first week.
The bottom line
This fall, Black tech has a clear message: AI is where the money and the jobs are moving, and access still decides who gets in. Go to Houston if you can. If you cannot, start a free course this week and make a plan for 2027.
Want to see who is winning right now? Check our roundup of Black business wins. College students thinking about tech careers should also bookmark our list of scholarships with October and November deadlines.