Edge Esmeralda 2026

What are you making? Imagine a city that disappears after a month — but the relationships and breakthroughs last forever. Edge Esmeralda is a popup village in California where 1,000+ scientists, builders, and artists live together to prototype a better society. How will your project impact the world? A living lab for ideas reshaping civilization — longevity, AI, governance, new cities. Attendees credit it with companies founded, breakthroughs sparked, lifelong collaborations. It prototypes Esmeralda, a permanent village being built nearby. What progress have you made? Now in its third year, Edge Esmeralda has hosted 1,000+ people across disciplines. Alumni include Vitalik Buterin, Laura Deming, Juan Benet, and Moxie Marlinspike. Past editions spawned many new startups, research papers, ideas, and relationships. Why are you the right person? Edge City is a nonprofit co-founded by Janine Leger (Gitcoin Grants, Zuzalu) and Timour Kosters (Seed Club Ventures). We've run 8+ popup villages globally, hosting 12k+ people and built one of the most trusted frontier communities in the world.