Thousands of startups applied. Just 200 made Startup Battlefield. Only 20 will pitch on the Disrupt Stage across all three days. Competition goes from October 13-15 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. It all comes down to one final decision.
For our Startup Battlefield finalist judges, we set a particularly high bar: Each has founded or co-founded the investment firm they now lead. Collectively, they bring decades of experience backing ambitious founders, building and scaling companies, and making the big bets that can define a venture firm. They know what separates a great pitch from a potentially great company — and they’ll be the five people deciding who becomes this year’s Startup Battlefield champion.
