Every year, thousands of founders dream of stepping onto the Disrupt Stage for the ultimate startup pitch competition, Startup Battlefield 200, at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Just 200 early-stage founders earn the chance to compete for the global spotlight, and even fewer make it to the live competition taking place October 13-15 in San Francisco. When they do, everything can change in a matter of minutes.
Startup Battlefield 200 has introduced the world’s next generation of breakout companies for more than 15 years. Long before Dropbox, Cloudflare, Discord, and Trello became household names, their founders stood on the Disrupt Stage and made their case to a panel of high-caliber founders and investors. Today, Startup Battlefield alumni have collectively raised more than $32 billion, proving this isn’t just another pitch competition. It’s where TechCrunch helps the startup ecosystem discover what’s next.
Don’t miss your chance to witness one of the most intense startup competitions and meet all 200 of the next generation of breakout companies at Disrupt 2026. Grab your ticket and save up to $200 before prices go up after September 25.
Meet the first wave of Startup Battlefield 200 judges
