Amazon, Replit and Tether Leaders Join the TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Main Stage
TechCrunch has announced the first Disrupt Stage speakers for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, scheduled for October 13–15 at Moscone Center in San Francisco. More than 10,000 startup, technology and venture capital leaders are expected to attend the three-day event.
Building and scaling in the AI era
The central question is no longer whether AI will affect software, finance and infrastructure, but how companies can build durable products around it. The program targets founders, investors and technology executives making decisions about capital, talent, computing capacity, security and regulation.
The agenda extends beyond forecasts. Sessions will examine what follows the smartphone, how AI lowers the barrier to software creation, whether current computing architectures can keep scaling and how automated systems change professional work and public infrastructure.
Leaders and issues on the Disrupt Stage
Amazon devices chief Panos Panay will discuss post-smartphone interfaces. Replit founder Amjad Masad will address a market in which millions of new users can create software, while all five Benchmark partners will debate where the next generation of startups may emerge.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino will cover stablecoins, regulation and global payments at a company processing hundreds of billions of dollars in transactions. Flock Safety will examine the privacy and security trade-offs of AI-powered public safety, while Harvey AI will focus on enterprise knowledge work.
Cerebras will tackle the compute, energy and infrastructure limits facing AI. Science Corp will explore brain-computer interfaces, and Rivian will discuss the operational difficulty of combining AI, software, robotics, manufacturing and transportation in one company.
A broader program for founders
Separate stages will cover AI security and SaaS business models, payments, grid constraints and fundraising. The program also includes practical startup scaling strategies on the Builders Stage, Startup Battlefield, an exhibition floor and structured networking. Selected ticket categories remain eligible for savings of up to $300 while the current pricing window is open.
For business leaders, the practical value is concentration: the event brings product strategy, infrastructure economics, regulation and capital allocation into one agenda. Teams should arrive with defined scaling constraints and use the sessions to test specific investment, hiring and technology decisions.