TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Sets the Stage for the Future of Tech, Innovation, and Venture Capital

The biggest stage at TechCrunch Disrupt is where the people building the future come to talk about what happens next in the tech ecosystem. Across three dynamic days, from October 13 to 15, at Moscone West in San Francisco, the Disrupt Stage will bring together some of the most prominent game-changing founders, CEOs, and investors. These leaders are shaping everything from artificial intelligence and robotics to transportation, social media, biotech, and venture capital, alongside the next generation of founders competing live in the Startup Battlefield 200.

For industry professionals, investors, and enthusiasts alike, these three days represent a crucial convergence point for the global technology sector. The discussions hosted on the main stage will offer a clear window into the trajectories of emerging industries, policy debates, and market disruptions. Attendees have the opportunity to secure a front-row seat by registering for passes, with specialized promotional offers designed to encourage collaborative participation from co-founders, colleagues, and broader teams.

Meet the Entire Disrupt Stage Lineup

The agenda for the Disrupt Stage features an impressive roster of industry leaders, visionaries, and high-profile investors. Among them is Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who will unpack what it takes to build the seemingly impossible: turning an ambitious idea into a company capable of designing, manufacturing, and scaling complex physical products in an increasingly competitive global market.

As the artificial intelligence landscape continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman will tackle one of the biggest questions hanging over the AI boom. With models demanding ever more compute, energy, and capital, Feldman will explore where the current trajectory leads and what economic or technological factors could potentially break it.

The conversation around human-computer interaction and public safety will also take center stage. Science Corporation founder Max Hodak looks beyond traditional screens toward a future in which technology increasingly interacts directly with the human body. Meanwhile, Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley joins the lineup for a candid conversation addressing the intersections of artificial intelligence, modern surveillance, and the evolving future of public safety.

Venture capital dynamics will also receive major attention through a rare appearance by all five partners of Benchmark: Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle, and Eric Vishria. The group will take the stage together to share insights on what one of Silicon Valley’s most closely watched venture firms sees coming next in the broader investment ecosystem.

Further pushing the boundaries of hardware and software integration, Ricursive Intelligence co-founders Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini will take attendees inside an even more radical possibility: AI systems that can actually design the hardware they run on, a development that could potentially collapse the traditional divide between software and silicon.

On Thursday, Amazon’s Panos Panay will ask what comes after the smartphone, bringing new technology demonstrations directly to the audience. In the realm of communications and software creation, Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider and COO Rose Wang will explore whether social media can effectively start over, while Replit CEO Amjad Masad tackles what happens to software, and the people who build it, when AI makes creating software accessible to almost anyone.

Adding a unique dimension to the intersection of entertainment and enterprise, Hollywood star, entrepreneur, and investor Mark Wahlberg will take the Disrupt Stage alongside Keebeck’s Bruce K. Lee. The session will reveal how one of the world’s most recognizable celebrities is channeling decades of public influence, business relationships, and brand-building into his next major act: becoming a serious, strategic investor.

And Then There’s Startup Battlefield

Beyond the keynote conversations and fireside chats, Disrupt remains the definitive proving ground for early-stage innovation through the Startup Battlefield competition. Throughout the event, promising founders will compete live across diverse verticals—ranging from space and physical AI, energy and manufacturing, health tech and life sciences, to enterprise and security. These entrepreneurs will face rigorous questioning from some of the world’s leading investors as they fight for a coveted place in the Startup Battlefield final.

Before this year’s finalists take center stage, past success stories will return to share their journeys. Cellino co-founder and CEO Nabiha Saklayen, who won Startup Battlefield in 2021, returns to unveil her new product and pose a provocative question to the audience: Can you bank your biology?

They will be joined by three additional Battlefield alumni—Molecule.one’s Piotr Byrski, Nephrogen’s Demetri Maxim, and Gläd’s Kevin Damoa—who will talk candidly about what happens after the pitch. These founders will discuss the bets that paid off, the business plans that had to change, and what they wish they had known when they were standing precisely where this year’s finalists are now.

Ultimately, the 2026 finalists will take over the Disrupt Stage for the high-stakes finale, where one company will walk away as the official Startup Battlefield winner, securing $100,000 in equity-free funding and the prestigious Disrupt cup.

Grab Your Pass and Hear Directly from Today’s Tech Leaders at Disrupt

The Disrupt Stage serves a dual purpose: it is a platform for hearing from the individuals who built today’s defining companies, and a launchpad for discovering the innovators building the next wave of industry leaders. TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 brings together more than 10,000 founders, venture capitalists, operators, and technology enthusiasts from around the globe to gain actionable insights, forge impactful connections, and examine next-generation breakthroughs.

Attendees can explore more than 200 sessions led by over 250 prominent tech leaders distributed across six industry stages, alongside specialized roundtables and breakout sessions. The exhibition floor will feature over 300 exhibiting startups, providing a hands-on environment to test cutting-edge products and witness the birth of tomorrow’s commercial partnerships.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 offers tiered registration options, including special community initiatives such as discounted passes for individuals affected by industry layoffs, ensuring broad accessibility for active operators and professionals looking to navigate their next career chapters within the tech ecosystem.