Austin Investors Get Exclusive Access to Tesla Grand Opening

On April 6 & 7, 2022, I provided Austin venture folks the opportunity for a sneak peak of Tesla’s Giga Texas factory a day before the grand opening. This was a lot of fun and a creative way to have existing and new investors to meet each other during an opportune moment for an inside scoop at the factory.

“The ‘Cyber Rodeo at Giga Texas’, an invitation-only bash for thousands of guests at Tesla's new billion-dollar-plus "Gigafactory" in Austin, was the biggest secret and the toughest ticket in town Thursday,” CBS wrote.

Throughout the day before the major event, members from our group met with the team of artists and engineers creating the Tesla Coils— one of the most popular art installations at the party that shoots electrical currents out to the effect of mini lightning bolts.

They also had the opportunity to mingle and build the site with founders launching new robotics startups, former talent from GoogleX, other investors from the Bay Area, and even design team and top executives from Tesla, including Elon Musk.

Some also had the unique experience to see the rehearsal keynote the night before, where the first Tesla Roadster from 2009 was presented along with the Cybertruck, and initial “Made in Texas” car deliveries from Giga Texas were showcased.

Attractions on the day of the Cyber Rodeo included a mesmerizing drone show, live performance from Gary Clark Jr., local food trucks, a self-guided tour throughout the expansive, multi-level Gigafactory showcasing a variety of cars and their technology, and the highly anticipated keynote from Elon.

The event culminated with a firework show easily viewed through the factory’s floor-to-ceiling windows, with a DJ for the after party. This event was not open to the public, no members of the media were invited, and few investors were asked to attend. These photos below were of our extremely exclusive first look leading up to the Cyber Rodeo, and were also captured during the party throughout the factory.

At the end of this post, local news station KXAN interviews me as the Austin Venture Association cofounder and Executive Director, about my experience at the event, and the general effect of Tesla’s presence in Austin and on the startup scene.

Thank you to the Tesla Coils team and Martin Martinez from Founder Institute Ventures for helping make this an incredible experience, and unique chance to make history with friends and early supporters of the Austin Venture Association.

View Tesla’s full video recap here.