TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, running October 13-15 in San Francisco, will feature 200 startups competing in Startup Battlefield, a key event for early-stage innovation.
The event will be judged by five new venture capitalists, including Aditi Maliwal of Upfront Ventures, Michael Palank of MaC Ventures, Nell Daly of Revenge Capital, Grace Ge of Amplify Partners, and Crystal Huang of Google Ventures. These VCs bring diverse expertise in fintech, AI, and enterprise software.
Maliwal, who previously worked at Google and Deutsche Bank, has backed companies like Chime and General Translation. Palank, a former Hollywood talent agent, focuses on culturally driven investments in AI and fintech. Daly, a former psychotherapist, emphasizes supporting underrepresented founders.
"Every question we ask is designed to uncover what slides and rehearsed answers can’t: conviction, clarity, execution, and whether this company has the potential to become the next category leader," said Grace Ge, a partner at Amplify Partners. She highlighted the importance of real-world problem-solving in startup pitches.
The event follows the announcement of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026’s lineup, which includes 10,000+ tech leaders, VCs, and founders. It aims to connect investors with the next generation of breakout startups.
TechCrunch did not specify the exact criteria for selecting the startups, and the final judging process remains open to interpretation. The event will provide a front-row seat to where the industry is headed.
Source: techcrunch
