TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is set to convene founders, investors, and tech leaders at San Francisco’s Moscone West from October 13 to 15. Centered on the central challenge of constructing durable enterprises within the current artificial intelligence landscape, the event promises a comprehensive agenda featuring more than 200 expert-led sessions.
Feedback from the startup community and ground-level realities have shaped this year’s programming, which prioritizes actionable insights over speculative predictions. The event aims to provide founders with practical takeaways they can implement immediately upon returning to their offices.
Past attendees have reported significant returns on investment. One founder experienced a threefold oversubscription rate following their Startup Battlefield confirmation, while another conducted nearly 30 consecutive investor meetings after an onstage pitch. These outcomes illustrate the event’s core value proposition: facilitating high-stakes connections across the Expo Hall, Side Events, and main stages.
The conference is tailored to support startups at various growth phases. Pre-seed founders are encouraged to utilize the Builders Stage and engage with angel investors, while those actively raising capital can leverage investor-matching tools and access the Deal Flow Café for one-on-one discussions. Companies focused on scaling and hiring can tap into the same networking infrastructure to identify talent and strategic partners.
Key programming spans six editorially curated stages. The Startup Battlefield remains the flagship competition, offering semifinalists a chance to pitch to top-tier venture capitalists. Other stages include the Disrupt Stage for high-level industry conversations, the AI Stage for deployment and monetization strategies, the Real World AI Stage covering robotics and hardware, the Smart Money Stage for fintech innovations, and the Smart Systems Stage dedicated to infrastructure and compute.
Notable speakers confirmed for the event include RJ Scaringe of Rivian, Panos Panay from Amazon, Paolo Ardoino of Tether, Bluesky’s Toni Schneider and Rose Wang, Replit’s Amjad Masad, and Cerebras’s Andrew Feldman. Additional speaker announcements are expected as the event approaches.
To assist founders in attending, TechCrunch is offering two limited-time promotions. Eligible founders can purchase a second ticket at a 50% discount, allowing them to bring a team member. Additionally, a special $75 Expo+ pass is available for individuals impacted by recent layoffs, subject to limited availability.
Attendees are advised to review the regularly updated speaker schedules and Side Event listings to maximize their time. With ticket prices rising closer to the event date, early registration is recommended to secure the best rates and plan networking opportunities in advance.
Leave a Reply