TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Announces Six Stages for Tougher Startup Market

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will take place from October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, featuring six stages designed to address operational pressures in today's volatile startup market. The event will host 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators across 250+ sessions. The Disrupt Stage remains the centerpiece, featuring headline founders and investors, and hosts the Startup Battlefield 200 competition (applications due May 29). The Builders Stage offers tactical advice on fundraising, hiring, and scaling, with speakers including Nina Achadjian (Index Ventures), Rajeev Dham (Sapphire Ventures), Josh Reeves (Gusto), Grant Lee (Gamma), Robby Stein (Google), and Mo Jomaa (CapitalG). The Smart Money Stage focuses on fintech evolution, featuring Jack Zhang (Airwallex) and Lotti Siniscalco (Emergence Capital). The Smart Systems Stage addresses physical infrastructure for AI, energy, and robotics, with speakers Jeff Lawson (Inertia) and David Kirtley (Helion). The AI in the Real World Stage examines AI deployment in autonomous systems and industrial operations. The AI Stage, presented by Google Cloud, covers generative AI, AI agents, and changing SaaS models. Early Bird tickets offer savings up to $410, plus 50% off a second ticket.