The founder’s guide to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Everything you need to know
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- TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13-15 at SF's Moscone West with 200+ expert sessions across six editorially curated stages centered on building enduring companies in the AI era.
- Startup Battlefield selected 200 startups on August 20 to compete for a $100,000 prize, with the program expanding to more international markets in 2027.
- Founder tickets are $300 off until August 21, plus an additional $100 discount before 11:59 p.m. PT August 7, with a 10% co-founder discount on a second ticket.
- Confirmed speakers include RJ Scaringe (Rivian), Panos Panay (Amazon), Paolo Ardoino (Tether), Toni Schneider and Rose Wang (Bluesky), Amjad Masad (Replit), and Andrew Feldman (Cerebras).
- Programming spans six stages — Disrupt, Builders, AI, Real World AI, Smart Money, and Smart Systems — covering topics from fundraising and hiring to chips, robotics, stablecoins, and AI infrastructure.
- Past attendees reported concrete outcomes: one founder saw a 3x oversubscription rate after Startup Battlefield confirmation, and another had nearly 30 back-to-back investor conversations after a stage pitch.
Why it matters: Founders weighing a Disrupt ticket have until 11:59 p.m. PT August 7 to stack an extra $100 onto the $300 early-bird discount, and the 200 startups competing in Startup Battlefield are chasing a $100,000 equity-free prize plus the investor attention the article says can translate into capital rounds.
