Eleven Startups Set for State of GovTech 2026
State of GovTech 2026 will feature 11 startup pitches, working sessions, and free registration for government employees.
CivStart has selected 11 startups to pitch at State of GovTech 2026, its seventh annual national govtech summit. The event runs September 9 and 10 at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Montgomery County, Maryland. Startups will present to government and investor judges, while government employees can register free. The selected companies span permitting, public safety, emergency management, grant administration, constituent services, and civic infrastructure finance.
The Startup Cohort
The cohort includes Appellate, a system of record for police towing and vehicle custody; Ayla, which provides public-sector recruiting through government labor-market data; and CODICE, a no-code platform for permitting, licensing, and inspections.
Other selected companies include Gostly, which operates a real-time command center for urban infrastructure; Grantwell, an AI grant-management service; and Green Stream Technologies, which provides flood and weather early-warning systems.
Judges From Government And Industry
The panel includes Hillary Orr, deputy director of transportation for the City of Alexandria, Virginia; Rita Reynolds, director of public sector at CAI; Thao Hill, co-founder and CEO of Govinity; Tom Spenger, CEO of SOVRA; and Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO of Zencity.
The judges bring local government, public-sector technology, and govtech investment perspectives to the live pitches.
Working Sessions For Attendees
Alongside the competition, attendees will draft AI use policies, run cybersecurity breach simulations, and work through unresolved issues from their jurisdictions with peers. CivStart expects more than 200 attendees, split roughly evenly between public-sector leaders and entrepreneurs, investors, and industry practitioners.
The venue is on the Washington Metro. The full agenda and registration are available through State of GovTech 2026.
