Santa Cruz Works News — Updates on Events, Community Stories & Local Innovation

INNOVATION NEWS

Check out our news highlights and archive here.

NOTE: Our blogs are typically “assisted by AI”. We use AI to assist us in research and style.

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Malina Long 4/22/24 Malina Long 4/22/24

Final Call for Santa Cruz Launchpad Pitch Contest Applications

Are you a student with an awesome business idea? Your deadline to apply pitch and earn prizes is approaching fast!

Malina Long 9/18/23 Malina Long 9/18/23

Santa Cruz Accelerates 5th Cohort Pitch Competition Recap

The results are in from the Santa Cruz Works Accelerator Pitch Competition. It was a stellar night with great pitches from all 5 startups. The judges had a tough time with the scores being so close.

Malina Long 9/6/23 Malina Long 9/6/23

Finalists Announced for Santa Cruz Accelerates 5th Annual Pitch Contest

Did you grab your tickets yet? What are you waiting for? Watch and vote for your favorite Santa Cruz Accelerates startup.

Doug Erickson 3/23/22 Doug Erickson 3/23/22

4th Annual Santa Cruz Startup Pitch Contest

The 4th annual pitch competition will feature 6 exciting startups. You won’t want to miss this event!

Doug Erickson 1/19/22 Doug Erickson 1/19/22

Startup Rumble Part 2

This is part 2 of Startup Rumble where startups compete for fame and glory. YOU the audience vote for the winners.

September 10, 2026

SCWorks New Tech Photos

Thank you to River Row for allowing us to host our New Tech event at their space, and to the six presenters who shared what they're building right here in Santa Cruz! View the photos.

The Ducks of Santa Cruz

A Dutch database, an Amazon acquisition, and a surf town's most improbable export: how Looker's alumni quietly built the strange, tangled, occasionally hilarious family tree behind DuckDB and MotherDuck.

Investment Advice in Troubling Times

Thomas Wynn from Wynn Capital Management, gives his investing advice during a time of uncertainty and all time highs in the markets.

Paystand Rolls Out AI Agents to Automate Finance Teams' Busywork

Santa Cruz-based Paystand launches AI agents that take on accounts receivable, spend management, and reporting for finance teams.

Joby Aviation Kicks Off Texas Flight Campaign as Autonomous Aircraft Crosses the Country

Joby Aviation is running two demonstrations at once this week: electric air taxi flights across Dallas-Fort Worth and a coast-to-coast tour of its autonomous J208 cargo aircraft.

September 9, 2026

Betting Big on AI: Lessons from Omni's 10x Scale-Up

How a scrappy team of ex-Lookers turned Santa Cruz roots into a $1.5B AI-powered data company, and what they learned along the way.

A Different Pace in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Reggiardo Ranch invites Santa Cruz’s tech community to trade constant connection for redwoods, good food, and a slower pace.

September 8, 2026

Santa Cruz HardTech Launches to Support the County's Physical Builders

A new SBDC-backed initiative, Santa Cruz HardTech, is organizing the county's hardware, robotics, biotech, and clean energy founders — offering free advising, capital guidance, and a monthly meetup at Idea Fab Labs.

Westly Prize Now Accepting Applications for 2027

The Westly Prize is an annual award from the Westly Foundation for young social innovators in CA that gives out up to $145,000 total, including three $40,000 Grand Prizes, as unrestricted funding to early-stage founders tackling social challenges in areas like AI, education, health, environment, and youth development.