TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is built around one question: how do you build an enduring company in the AI era? The event will be held at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 13 to 15, with a lineup of speakers and more than 200 expert sessions across six editorially curated stages.
The stages include the Disrupt Stage, Builders Stage, AI Stage, Real World AI Stage, Smart Money Stage and Smart Systems Stage. According to TechCrunch, the programming is designed to offer founders practical lessons from CEOs, investors, engineers and operators, with sessions aimed at answering what attendees can take back to their company on Monday morning.
The Startup Battlefield pitch competition remains a central feature, with its winner receiving a $100,000 check. TechCrunch says 200 startups chosen on August 20 will compete, pitching onstage in front of top-tier VCs and the Disrupt crowds. Applications for the 2026 competition are no longer being accepted, but TechCrunch says it is expanding the programme to more international markets and that the 2027 process will be similar to this year's.
TechCrunch also describes different tracks for founders depending on their stage, including pre-seed and idea stages, early revenue or actively raising, and scaling, hiring or seeking partnerships. It says discounts are available until Disrupt begins, including 50% off a team member's ticket for founders and a steep discount on Expo+ passes for laid-off members of a network.