TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is set to take place from October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, with a focus on how founders can build enduring companies in the AI era. For investors, the event is positioned as a way to identify promising companies before competitors do.
The event will feature more than 20,000 curated meetings over three days, alongside investor receptions and structured networking sessions. Attendees will have access to 200 pitch-ready startups through the Startup Battlefield 200 competition, which the organisers say have been vetted by TechCrunch's editorial team.
Battlefield alumni have collectively raised over $32 billion and produced more than 250 exits, according to TechCrunch. The 200 startups competing are pre-Series A and are vying for $100,000 in equity-free funding.
Scheduled speakers include Rivian's RJ Scaringe, Amazon's Panos Panay, Replit's Amjad Masad and Cerebras' Andrew Feldman. The event is expected to draw a mix of 10,000 founders, investors and operators.
Investor passes include access to the Deal Flow Café, an early founder list, and curated 1:1 meetings matched through the Disrupt app. Ticket discounts of up to $300 are available until Friday, August 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.