Thousands of startups submitted applications, and in the end, only 200 made it into Startup Battlefield. Only these 20 companies will have the opportunity to present their ideas during a roadshow on Disrupt Stage over the course of three days in TechCrunch Disrupt in 2026. The competition will take place from October 13th to 15th, and ultimately, everything will depend on the final decisions.

For the judges of the Startup Battlefield finals, the organizers have set quite high standards: each judge has founded or co-founded the investment firm they now lead. Overall, they possess decades of experience in supporting ambitious founders, building and expanding companies, and making crucial investments that can determine the fate of a venture capital firm. They know what kind of pitch can go from "great" to "potentially a great company," and they will also be the five people who decide this year's Startup Battlefield champion.

Moreover, the discussions will not cease after the final roadshow. Later in the same day, five judges will gather at Builders Stage to participate in an on-site AMA, where the audience can ask them questions ranging from which projects in the competition attracted them the most, what they value in the founders, to financing, company building, and in which directions they plan to invest next.

Buy a pass now to save up to $100, and you can also get a 50% discount on a second pass. You can also purchase in groups of four or more for up to a 30% savings.

Meet the five investors who will determine the winner of Startup Battlefield this year

Stacy Brown - Philpot, Cherryrock Capital Founder and Managing Partner

Stacy Brown to Philpot are the founder and managing partners of Cherryrock Capital, a venture capital fund that focuses on A-round and B-round software companies founded by Black and Latino entrepreneurs. Her portfolio includes Coactive AI, a multimodal AI platform for the media and entertainment industry, as well as Vitable Health, which provides primary medical coverage for hourly workers. Brown-Philpot previously served as the CEO of TaskRabbit, a company later acquired by IKEA; prior to that, she held senior positions at Google for over a decade. She holds a degree from Stanford University MBA.

Chi - Hua Chien, Goodwater Capital Co-founder and Managing Partner

Chi - Hua Chien is the co-founder and managing partner of Goodwater Capital. He focuses solely on investing in consumer technology sectors, including mobile, fintech, e-commerce, digital health, and consumer-grade AI – covering both the United States and Asia. Throughout his career, he has supported over 17 unicorn companies, with his portfolio including Spotify, Chime, Monzo, TikTok / Musical.ly, Coupang, Toss, and Udemy. Before co-founding Goodwater, Chien was a general partner of Kleiner Perkins as well as a partner of Accel.

Dayna Grayson, Construct Capital Co-Founders and General Partners

Dayna Grayson is the co-founder and general partner of Construct Capital, a fund headquartered in Washington, D.C. The fund focuses on technologies related to America's infrastructure industries, including manufacturing, logistics, transportation, supply chains, and defense. Her portfolio includes Veho, Hadrian, Copia Automation, Arkestro, and Verve Motion. Before co-founding Construct, Grayson was a partner at NEA and led the early investments, which included Desktop Metal later listed on the New York Stock Exchange. She holds a degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia and a MBA degree from Harvard Business School.

Carter Reum, M13 Co-Founders and Managing Partners

Carter Reum is the co-founder and managing partner of M13. M13 is a consumer technology venture capital firm that manages assets worth $1.9 billion, investing in companies from seed to Series B rounds, with a focus on future work, business, health, and money. M13 has supported companies such as Lyft, Pinterest, Ring, Daily Harvest, and Tonal among more than 200 investments, with 15 unicorn companies in its portfolio. Before founding M13, Reum co-founded VEEV Spirit, one of the fastest-growing independent liquor brands in the United States, which was acquired in 2016. He is also the co-author of the national bestseller Shortcut Your Startup and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University.

Alexa Von Tobel, Inspired Capital Founder and Managing Partner

Alexa Von Tobel is the founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital. She co-founded this company with former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Her investment portfolio includes MosaicML, which was acquired by Databricks, as well as Chief, Finix, and Dandy – totaling 9 unicorn companies that she has supported throughout her investment career. Before founding Inspired Capital, Von Tobel established LearnVest, a financial planning platform that was later acquired by Northwestern Mutual. She is a New York Times bestselling author and a certified financial planner as well.

There's still a week until the Startup Battlefield tournament starts – buy your tickets now!

If you are expanding a startup company or already have the idea of getting ready to launch one, don’t miss this ultimate pitch competition. Startup Battlefield is a practical course on how to promote and expand a viable startup. Venture capital judges will decide how a startup can achieve scalability, and you will also be among the first to hear what venture capitalists value when supporting the next major innovation.

You can only watch this event on Disrupt Stage of TechCrunch Disrupt in 2026; at that time, over 10,000 founders, investors, operators, and technology enthusiasts will gather to observe future trends and listen to insights shared by more than 250 technology leaders across over 200 events distributed across six industry stages, roundtables, and sub-forums. Come to one of the most anticipated annual technology conferences to see what the future holds.

You can save up to $100 when purchasing tickets now, and you can also get a 50% discount on a second pass before the opening on October 13th. If you have been laid off, you can buy a Expo for $75 plus a pass before they sell out.