TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Officially Kicks Off in San Francisco
Day 1 of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is officially underway at San Francisco’s Moscone West, bringing together over 10,000 startup founders, investors, and technology leaders. This flagship event serves as a dynamic hub where innovative ideas collide, new partnerships form, and some of the most influential voices in the startup ecosystem drive conversations shaping the future of technology.
With a diverse lineup that includes the renowned Startup Battlefield competition and six new industry stages focused on scaling, AI, fintech, climate tech, and more, Disrupt 2026 offers attendees a wealth of game-changing perspectives and opportunities. Whether it’s a formal session, a casual coffee line chat, or an investor meeting, the next big startup success story could emerge at any moment. Discover the insights from over 250+ expert speakers shaping the dialogue today.
If you haven’t secured your spot yet, it’s not too late—grab your ticket now to be part of this annual startup epicenter and immerse yourself in the future of tech.
Explore. Connect. Discover.
Day 1 Highlights
Registration hours: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Attendees can register in person or pick up their event badges at the registration desk in the Level 1 lobby of Moscone West. The badges feature Klik technology, enabling effortless exchange of contact information via badge scanning. The event app allows participants to access and retain these connections even after the event concludes, enhancing networking potential.
Expo Hall (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
The heart of Disrupt, the Expo Hall, features over 300 exhibiting startups showcasing cutting-edge technologies across multiple industries. It is where thousands of attendees converge to explore breakthrough innovations and spark meaningful connections.
If you haven’t registered yet, don’t delay. Grab your ticket now to access six industry stages, interactive roundtables, Q&A sessions, investor-founder meetings, AI-powered matchmaking networking, and a vibrant schedule of side events across the Bay Area tech scene all week long.
Pitch Showcase Stage
Located at the back of the Expo Hall, the Pitch Showcase Stage offers one of the most electrifying experiences of the conference: rapid-fire, one-minute lightning pitches from promising startups representing diverse countries and regions.
The Startup Battlefield Fast Pitches — Built World
This category highlights early-stage startups innovating in real estate, construction, architecture, smart cities, and infrastructure. These startups are revolutionizing the physical spaces where people live, work, and play. Attendees can catch lightning pitches and engage with entrepreneurs pioneering the future of the built environment.
TechCrunch’s renowned Startup Battlefield, often described as the “World Series of pitch competitions,” features 20 top startups selected from thousands of applicants. These startups compete live for a $100,000 equity-free prize and the coveted Disrupt Cup, judged by some of the world’s leading venture capitalists.
Startup Battlefield 200 Fast Pitches – Sustainability
This category spotlights groundbreaking companies tackling urgent environmental and climate challenges, including renewable energy, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture, clean water solutions, and circular economy platforms. These founders demonstrate that profitability and planetary impact can go hand-in-hand, making their compelling cases in fast-paced, two-minute pitches.
Stage Sessions
Today’s sessions cover a wide range of topics from physical AI and the future of intelligent systems to fundraising strategies, hiring best practices, and scaling breakout companies. Speakers include top venture capitalists, startup founders, and industry experts who address the opportunities and challenges shaping tomorrow’s startups. Explore the full agenda featuring over 200 sessions here.
Disrupt Stage
The Startup Battlefield — Space and Physical AI: Featuring judges such as Anu Bharadwaj (ICONIQ), Sara Deshpande (Maven Ventures), Benjamin Narasin (Tenacity Venture Capital), Aatish Nayak (Kleiner Perkins), and Michael Palank (MaC Venture Capital).
Building the Impossible: Keynote by RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian.
The Startup Battlefield — Energy and Manufacturing: Judges include Caleb Appleton (Bison Ventures), Feyza Haskaraman (Felicis), Sho Sho Leigha Ho (General Catalyst), and Leah Solivan (Precedent.vc).
Can AI Keep Scaling?: Andrew Feldman (Cerebras Systems) explores the possibilities and limits of AI growth.
Beyond Screens: Presented by Max Hodak (Science Corporation), focusing on the evolution of user interfaces beyond traditional displays.
Builders Stage
Equity Live: The Startup Stories Shaping 2026 – A live recording of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, breaking down the biggest startup, venture, and technology stories impacting founders and investors as they head into 2027.
What Happens When OpenAI Ships Your Roadmap: Featuring Rob Toews (Radical Ventures), Linda Tong (Webflow), and Michel Tricot (Airbyte).
The Rise of Agentic AI: Lessons for Hardware Founders: Ziad Asghar (Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) and Florence Ion (PCMag) discuss evolving challenges and opportunities.
Competing for AI Talent: Pay, Equity, and Retention: Matt Birnbaum (Wylder.co), Ioana Hreninciuc (Runware), and Atli Thorkelsson (Redpoint Ventures) explore talent acquisition in AI.
The Builder’s Playbook: What Founders Need to Win the Agentic Era: Presented by Stephan Bitton (Google Cloud).
PMF Red Flags: How to Tell If You Really Have It: Insights from Anu Bharadwaj (ICONIQ), Rajeev Dham (Sapphire Ventures), and Rahul Vohra (Superhuman).
From MVP to Billions of Users: How Product Decisions Must Change at Scale: Robby Stein (Google) shares product scaling strategies.
When Machines Clock In (Hosted by NYSE Wired): Panel featuring Brian Baumann (New York Stock Exchange), Dr. Adam Campbell (Gatik), Samir Menon (Dexterity AI), and Sankaet Pathak (Foundation Future Industries, Inc.).
Hiring When AI Is a Co-founder: Michelle Johnson (Insight Partners), John Koelliker (Leland), and Josh Reeves (Gusto) discuss recruitment in the AI era.
Industry Stage: Smart Money
The Future of Money Movement in the Agentic Economy: Nikhil Chandhok (Circle), Rodney Robinson (TabaPay, Inc.), and Carlotta (Lotti) Siniscalco (Emergence Capital) discuss evolving financial flows.
AI, Trust & Verification in Financial Services: Hannah Bozian (American Express), Pedro Sanzovo (Plaid), and Victoria Zuo (QED Investors) explore trust-building in fintech.
Winning the Modern Financial Consumer: Abhishek Fatehpuria (Robinhood) shares strategies for engaging today’s consumers.
Industry Stage: Smart Systems
Where the AI Infrastructure Boom Is Creating Winners: Ben Longmier (Ambrosia Energy) and Bill Thayer (Bloom Energy) discuss infrastructure innovations.
When the Energy Gets Smart: What Vertical AI Actually Delivers at Scale: Deepak Garg (SEW.AI) and Paul Lau (SMUD) explain practical AI applications in energy.
How Twilio’s Founder Is Tackling the Power Problem: Jeff Lawson (Twilio) shares insights on energy challenges.
Bringing Fusion to the Grid: David Kirtley (Helion) and Brandon Sorbom (Commonwealth Fusion Systems) discuss fusion energy integration.
Rewiring the Grid for the Electric Age: Apoorv Bhargava (Weave Grid, Inc.), Kristin Eberhard (Rewiring America), and Tim Heidel (VEIR) explore grid modernization.
Breakout Stage
Located at the end of the Expo Hall, breakout sessions feature expert panels with opportunities for attendees to engage directly through Q&A. Topics range from AI and data to quantum computing and industry-specific innovations. The full lineup is available in the Disrupt agenda.
What is Physical AI, Anyway?: Panel with Susan Schofer (SOSV HAX), Parikshit Sharma (SOSV SF), Duncan Turner (SOSV HAX), and Pae Wu (SOSV SF).
The New Job of the Data Team is Providing Context to AI: George Fraser (Fivetran + dbt Labs).
The Quantum Revolution: What Investors and Builders Need to Know: Andrew Dzurak (Diraq).
Taiwan Powering the Next AI Revolution: Connect, Invest & Scale: Michelle Chan (Phison Electronics USA), BoGaun Chen (ITRI International), Erica Lin (ITRI International), and Mingche Wang (ITRI International).
How to Build AI We Can Trust: Robbie Goldfarb (Forum AI).
The Inference Economy: Why AI’s Next Trillion Dollars Won’t Look Like Its First: Hagay Lupesko (Cerebras Systems) and Ali Mahmoud (Glasswing Ventures).
Roundtables
Small-group roundtable sessions enable intimate discussions where founders and investors tackle real-world challenges up close. Pre-registration via the event app is required for entry. Explore the full schedule in the Disrupt agenda.
Arm Wrestling Your Data: The Physical AI Challenge: Radha Basu (iMerit).
Can AI Take You Public? The New Playbook for IPO-Ready Finance: Eléonore Crespo (Pigment) and Sofia Fatakhova (Chime).
AI’s Next Frontier: Modernizing Legacy Industries: Rob Biederman (Asymmetric Capital Partners).
Atoms vs. Bits: Physical AI for the Physical World: Jackson Feder (MetaProp).
Beyond Inventory: The Commerce AI Playbook for the Intent Era: Srishti Chaudhary (Walmart eCommerce).
Healthcare Took 40 Years to Adopt EHRs, Then Adopted Generative AI in Three. What Comes Next?: Brian Butler (Questa Capital).
From Pilot to Production at Scale: Provable, Trusted Agentic AI for the Enterprise: Dr. Maha Achour (Kodamai), Pankaj Kedia (2468 Ventures), and Yasser Shaaban (Humain).
Specialty Post-Training Data: Powering the Next Wave of AI: Dani London (Base10 Partners).
The Science of Powerful Introductions: How to Be Remembered in an AI World: Cal Amir (Introduction Lab).
Beyond the Demo: Building Physical AI That Actually Works: Logan Farrell (Rugged Robotics) and Austin Yount (Brick & Mortar Ventures).
Labs or Factory Floors: Who Will Win Physical AI?: Matt Burns (Insight Media Group) and Roman Hölzl (RobCo).
Beyond the Term Sheet: How To Architect a Great Fundraise: Weston Moyer (MVP Ventures).
Brutal Truth: 12 Critical Mistakes That Nearly Derailed My CISO Career: Stephen Ward (Brightmind Partners).
Networking Opportunities
Networking Lounge powered by Signify Business Cash World Elite Mastercard® by Wells Fargo: Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., this lounge is a prime spot for spontaneous meetups or scheduled meetings via the event app to find your next co-founder, investor, or mentor.
Deal Flow Cafe: Exclusive to founders and investors, this space opens at 9:00 a.m. and offers a quiet environment to discuss deals over coffee.
Disrupt 2025 Side Events
Extending beyond Moscone West, company-hosted Side Events take place throughout San Francisco this week. These include panels, parties, and meetups designed to foster connections among founders, investors, and innovators.
Highlighted events happening tonight include:
The Irish Shark Tank – Hosted by Enterprise Ireland
SafetyWing Happy Hour at Harrington’s – Hosted by SafetyWing
Born2Global Founder Networking Night – Hosted by WayFounder
Still Time to Join Disrupt 2026
There’s still an opportunity to register and join the exciting activities at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Whether you want to catch more Startup Battlefield pitches, attend insightful sessions, or make unforgettable connections, tickets are available through the final day. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the future of technology — get your ticket now and immerse yourself in the innovation.
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