TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 announced the selection of 200 startups for its Startup Battlefield event, set to take place in San Francisco on October 13-15. These startups will compete for a $100,000 equity-free prize and the coveted Disrupt Cup. The event will bring together 10,000+ tech leaders, VCs, and founders to meet the next generation of breakout startups.
The selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch in front of thousands of founders, investors, media, and customers and face questions from some of the sharpest minds in technology. The judges, who bring decades of experience building companies, backing founders, and spotting transformative ideas, will help decide which startups continue their journey toward the Startup Battlefield finals.
Among the judges are Caleb Appleton, Partner at Bison Ventures, who invests in physical AI across techbio, robotics, and real-world intelligence. His investments include Cobot, Vivodyne, Passkey, Sleuth, Inner Logic, Cosmon, and Grid Aero. Sara Deshpande, General Partner at Maven Ventures, focuses on consumer software spanning digital health and consumer applications of AI.
"The only way to be front and center at the Disrupt Stage and witness the ultimate pitch competition of the year is to register for TechCrunch Disrupt," said TechCrunch. The event aims to connect founders with leaders who could change their startup’s trajectory and provide a front-row seat to where the industry is headed.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will feature six industry stages, roundtables, and breakout sessions, offering attendees a comprehensive experience of the startup ecosystem. The event also includes opportunities for networking and discovering what’s next in tech. The final five judges, who will evaluate the finalists, will be announced soon.
Source: techcrunch
