# KICKing off TechChicago Week 2026 | LongJump > Last week, LongJump, along with Chicago:Blend, La Familia, and Vamos Ventures, hosted our fourth annual TechChicago Week KICKoff. Bringing together the VC… Source: https://longjump.vc/insights/kicking-off-techchicago-week-2026 1 min read # KICKing off TechChicago Week 2026 [Tina Hrabak](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinahrabak) July 27, 2026 · Updated July 29, 2026 Last week, LongJump, along with [Chicago:Blend](https://chicagoblend.org/), [La Familia](https://www.lafamiliafoundation.com/vc-familia), and [Vamos Ventures](https://vamosventures.com/), hosted our fourth annual TechChicago Week KICKoff. Bringing together the VC, founder, and operator communities of Chicago, the KICKoff has become a traditional way for us to jumpstart TechChicago Week with connection and a little competition. This year we went World Cup themed: jerseys repping teams from around the globe, a friendly soccer tournament, and plenty of time between matches to catch up with familiar faces, meet new ones, and grab a bite. Special thanks to [JP Morgan's Innovation Economy](https://www.jpmorgan.com/commercial-banking/startups) team and [Camber Road](https://www.camberroad.com/) for the support that allowed us to run one of our favorite events of the year. Interested in attending a future LongJump gather? [Follow our event calendar](https://luma.com/calendar/cal-7pDaQwQ3o5fo78L?period=past). Are you a founder in the Midwest interested in LongJump investing in your pre-seed round? [Apply now](https://longjump.vc/apply) to have our team review your company for our $110K check. [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/8b23c03b405cdbbc.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/8924346450436a17.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/5eb6f97257cdde30.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/7c50259ca0f02864.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/560d18e156039f9b.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/8350aeff79c5d1c3.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/23185fb40c02ce1b.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/c1481976574b29b3.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/09c1d64ecd173ba4.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/385e81921dabfbd7.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/69d0be114ecd7a08.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/6c4aff3038401e04.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/94650385d7a18d44.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/f0f41e27908de8a0.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/d867a80247065fe8.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/2a28acb58a131110.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/5502ec1f6ec34582.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/cf82f55eb8413508.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/78e7db3eb1832748.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/550a91a8354290a2.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/aff0019acd87794d.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/b0055c2a22a1fb0d.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/574185cce29e45e4.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/c0878b1b4dc48d26.jpg) [](https://longjump.vc/_cms-assets/1e4cc080e625786c.jpg) ## Keep reading [All insights](https://longjump.vc/insights) - October 29, 2026 · Insights ### [How to Get Started in Chicago Tech: A Newcomer’s Guide to Startups and Venture](https://longjump.vc/insights/a-newcomers-guide-to-chicago-startups-vc) - September 29, 2026 · Insights ### [Five Years of LongJump](https://longjump.vc/insights/five-years-of-longjump) - March 30, 2026 · News ### [The Raise 2026: A Look Back](https://longjump.vc/insights/the-raise-2026-a-look-back)