Step SF 2026

Step SF is the San Francisco edition of the global Step Conference franchise: a two-day AI and startup festival for founders, investors, and operators. Day 1 (August 26) is a Bay-wide kickoff with satellite programming, including a pitch competition track. Day 2 (August 27) is the main conference at The Midway in Dogpatch, with multi-stage sessions, a startup showcase floor, and facilitated matchmaking. The 2026 edition leans into AI-economy builders with international attendee density. Past Step SF speaker lineups have included operators and investors from companies such as Replit, a16z, Deel, Brex, and Khosla Ventures - use that as a signal of the graph, not a promise of who is on stage this year.

Ticket types on Luma include Master and Investor passes plus application-gated startup packages; pricing moves in waves and can sell out. Confirm current pass inclusions and satellite RSVPs on stepsf.com and Luma before you book travel. Official CTA: Official Step SF site; extra links cover Tickets on Luma and the agenda page. Application-gated startup packages mean you apply, you do not just checkout. Wave pricing punishes hesitation if you already know you need a festival pass.

Wednesday-Thursday, August 26-27, 2026. Main conference day is Thursday at The Midway, 900 Marin Street, San Francisco (Dogpatch). Street parking is effectively nonexistent; plan transit or rideshare. Dogpatch / Marin Street is the city’s southeast waterfront edge, a different commute from FiDi or Peninsula office towers. Same week includes ACG and Ascend rooms on other nights - Step is a paid festival graph, not a chamber social.

Go if you want a named multi-track founder/investor festival with structured intros and can live with wave pricing. Re-check Luma pass type before you travel. If you only need a free chapter mixer or a single-topic CNCF builder day, save the festival ticket and pick that narrower room instead.