TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco: schedule, speakers, and key topics

The main topics of the conference will be artificial intelligence, venture capital, infrastructure, FinTech, robotics, and startup development. Special attention will be paid to how AI is changing product development, hiring, SaaS, financial services, and the physical world.

The event will take place from October 13 to 15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, USA. Over three days, six thematic stages, an exhibition area, and a Networking Lounge will operate, where attendees can schedule meetings via the TechCrunch Events app.

Approximately 10,000 founders, investors, and technology company representatives are expected at the conference.

6 TechCrunch Disrupt Stages

In 2026, TechCrunch divided the program into six main tracks.

Disrupt Stage — the main stage of the conference. Here, major changes in AI, the venture market, and the global technology industry will be discussed. Startup Battlefield 200, a startup competition where companies present their projects to investors and experts, will also take place on this stage.

Builders Stage focuses on the practical aspects of building companies. The program includes fundraising, product-market fit, hiring, product development, and scaling.

AI Stage is focused on generative AI and AI agents. Topics include enterprise solutions, SaaS, security, and new pricing models.

Smart Money Stage is dedicated to FinTech. Discussions will cover payment infrastructure, embedded finance, stablecoins, and fraud prevention.

Smart Systems Stage brings together topics of infrastructure, AI data centers, energy, automation, robotics, and climate technologies.

AI in the Real World Stage — a new stage for 2026. It is dedicated to the application of AI beyond software: in robotics, manufacturing, defense technologies, and industry.

Who Will Speak

The speaker list for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 already includes leaders of major technology companies, startup founders, and venture investors.

Among them:
— Tara Seshan, Head of ChatGPT and Productivity at OpenAI
— Cat de Jong, Head of Applied AI at Anthropic
— Les Karpes, Head of Physical AI at NVIDIA
— Amjad Masad, CEO and Co-founder of Replit
— Panos Panay, Senior Vice President of Alexa and Leo Devices at Amazon
— R.J. Scaringe, Founder and CEO of Rivian
— Tony Schneider, CEO of Bluesky Social
— Arvind Jain, Founder and CEO of Glean
— Karim Amine, Co-founder and CEO of Clay
— Andrew Feldman, CEO and Co-founder of Cerebras Systems
— Jack Altman, General Partner at Benchmark
— Jeff Lawson, Co-founder of Twilio
— Ryan Meadows, Head of Revenue at Lovable
— Nikhil Chandhok, Head of Product and Technology at Circle
— Dr. Ali Aga, CEO and Founder of FieldAI. 

Organizers are continuing to add to the list, so the program and participant roster may change before the event.

Startup Battlefield 200

One of the key parts of TechCrunch Disrupt remains Startup Battlefield — a competition for promising early-stage startups. Throughout the conference, they will go through preliminary rounds, after which five finalists will compete in the final on October 15.

In 2026, three projects advanced to the global Startup Battlefield 200 through the regional Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield program, organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub, TechCrunch, Freedom Holding, Astana Hub, and IT Park Uzbekistan.

First place in the regional final went to Cerberus from Uzbekistan, second place to WeGlobal AI from Kazakhstan, and third place to LOOQ from Japan.

The winner of Startup Battlefield 200 will receive $100,000 and the Startup Battlefield Cup.

For startups, the competition is interesting not only for the prize. A public pitch to investors and a tech audience gives companies the opportunity to gain attention from the international market and potential partners.

Tickets for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 are already available on the official event website. Reduced prices are currently in effect:

— Attendee Pass — $849 instead of the standard $1,049. The basic ticket provides access to stages, sessions, roundtables, the exhibition area, and one-on-one meetings
— Founder Pass — $899 instead of $1,099. In addition to the benefits of the regular ticket, founders get access to additional Q&A sessions and networking with investors
— Investor Pass — $999 instead of $1,199. Includes additional opportunities to connect with founders, an invitation to an investor meeting, and access to the exclusive StrictlyVC session
— Non-Profit Pass — $349 instead of $499
— Student Pass — $299 instead of $399
— Expo+ Pass — $249 instead of $349. It provides access to the exhibition area and part of the conference opportunities.

Additional discounts are available for groups of four or more: up to 15% for groups of 4–9 participants, and up to 30% for groups of 10 or more.

You can purchase tickets on the official TechCrunch Disrupt website.