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TechCrunch announced another five investors joining the judging panel for its Startup Battlefield 200 pitch competition, which runs October 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West as part of Disrupt 2026. Founders selected for the contest get six minutes to pitch followed by investor questioning, with a $100,000 prize awarded to the winning startup. This group joins ten judges previously revealed for the event.
Palo Alto startup ScrollEd, presenting at TechCrunch Disrupt's Startup Battlefield 200, has built an app that transforms text files like PDFs and textbooks into short-form vertical feeds resembling Instagram Reels or TikTok. Users scroll through AI-generated video, audio, text, and quizzes, swiping up for new topics and sideways to dig deeper into a subject. Co-founders Utsav Gupta and Rebecca Neff, both current students, bootstrapped the company after growing frustrated with unproductive doomscrolling.
TechCrunch is offering discounted early registration for its Disrupt 2026 conference, with savings of up to $200 expiring September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The event, running October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, will feature over 250 speakers, 200+ sessions across six stages, and more than 300 exhibiting startups. Attendees can also access networking tools like AI matchmaking and the Deal Flow Café to connect with investors and partners.
TechCrunch has announced that its current discounted ticket pricing for Disrupt 2026 expires Friday, Sept. 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT, after which rates rise. The conference will take place October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, expecting over 10,000 founders, investors, and tech leaders.
Nvidia's Nader Khalil and Sydney Sykes will lead a session at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, running October 13-15 in San Francisco, examining how startups should choose between proprietary and open AI models. The panel will weigh trade-offs in cost, control, and speed as both open and closed model capabilities keep advancing rapidly.
Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood's VP of Product Management for Brokerage, will speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, held October 13-15 in San Francisco, on a session titled 'Winning the Modern Financial Consumer.' He will discuss how Robinhood has expanded from commission-free stock trading into banking, credit, crypto, retirement products and prediction markets, reflecting the company's growth to 28.6 million funded customers and $384 billion in platform assets as of August 2026.
Jeff Lawson, who co-founded and scaled Twilio to over $4 billion in revenue, is now leading Inertia, a fusion energy startup. He will speak about this career shift at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in a fireside chat on the Smart Systems Stage, discussing how his software background applies to a capital-intensive deep tech venture involving lasers and manufacturing.
TechCrunch is closing exhibit table registration for its Disrupt 2026 conference tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT, after which startups can no longer secure a spot in the Expo Hall. The event runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco and is expected to draw more than 10,000 founders, investors and tech leaders. A $12,500 exhibit package includes a table for all three days, 10 team passes, lead-generation tools, VC access, press-list access and sponsor branding.
TechCrunch has published a growing schedule of Side Events surrounding its Disrupt 2026 conference, set for October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco. These satellite gatherings, hosted by partners including NMI, Backblaze, Flamethrower, and Peak XV Partners, include mixers, panels, and networking sessions taking place before and during the main conference dates.
TechCrunch is closing applications for volunteers at its Disrupt 2026 conference, set for October 13-15, on Tuesday, September 22. Selected volunteers receive a free three-day event pass in exchange for committing at least 12 hours of work and attending an in-person orientation on the Monday before the event.
TechCrunch is closing exhibit table sales for its Disrupt 2026 conference on September 18 at 11:59 p.m. PT, after which no more Expo Hall spots will be sold. The event runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco and expects over 10,000 founders, investors, and tech leaders. Exhibit tables include team passes, branding placements, and access to networking programs like AI matchmaking and investor meetups.
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco, Gusto CEO Josh Reeves, Insight Partners' Michelle Johnson, and Leland CEO John Koelliker will discuss a session titled 'Hiring When AI Is a Co-Founder.' The panel examines how early-stage startups are structuring teams that mix human employees with AI agents handling engineering, support, and operational tasks.