TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 confirms Disrupt Stage speakers
TechCrunch has announced the final Disrupt Stage lineup for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, scheduled for October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco. The three-day event will bring founders, chief executives and investors to its main stage, alongside the live Startup Battlefield 200 competition.
The programme spans AI, robotics, transportation, social media, biotechnology and venture capital. TechCrunch says Disrupt 2026 will convene more than 10,000 founders, venture capitalists, operators and technology enthusiasts, with more than 200 sessions led by over 250 technology leaders across six industry stages.
Executives address AI, hardware and software change
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe is due to discuss building and scaling a company that designs and manufactures complex physical products. Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman will address whether AI can continue to scale as models require more compute, energy and capital.
Science Corporation founder Max Hodak will examine technologies that interact directly with the human body. Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley is scheduled to discuss AI, surveillance and public safety. Ricursive Intelligence co-founders Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini will explore AI systems that design the hardware on which they operate.
Amazon executive Panos Panay will look at what could follow the smartphone and is expected to present new technology. Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider and COO Rose Wang will consider whether social media can be rebuilt, while Replit CEO Amjad Masad will discuss how AI-assisted creation could change software development and the work of developers.
Investors and founders take the stage
All five Benchmark partners—Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle and Eric Vishria—will appear together to outline what the venture firm sees ahead. Mark Wahlberg will join Keebeck’s Bruce K. Lee to discuss his move from celebrity entrepreneurship and investing into his next investment activity.
The event also places Startup Battlefield at the centre of the programme. Founders will compete across space and physical AI, energy and manufacturing, health technology and life sciences, and enterprise and security. That investor focus complements TechCrunch Disrupt investor meeting programme as participants plan how to make the most of the conference’s networking activity.
Cellino co-founder and CEO Nabiha Saklayen, the 2021 Startup Battlefield winner, will return to introduce a new product and pose the question of whether biology can be banked. Molecule.one’s Piotr Byrski, Nephrogen’s Demetri Maxim and Glīd’s Kevin Damoa will also return to describe what happened after their pitches.
Finalists compete for equity-free funding
The 2026 Startup Battlefield finalists will compete on the Disrupt Stage, with one company set to receive $100,000 in equity-free funding and the Disrupt cup. TechCrunch also plans to host more than 300 exhibiting startups, as well as roundtables and breakouts.
For businesses considering attendance, the practical implication is to treat the agenda as a targeted research and meeting plan: match relevant sessions with prospective partners, investors or customers, and use the Startup Battlefield presentations to track emerging companies in priority sectors.