Meet the Startup Battlefield 200 judges who’ll decide the winner at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
techcrunch ·
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will feature the Startup Battlefield competition from October 13 to 15, where 20 finalists out of 200 selected startups will pitch for the championship. The winner will be determined by a panel of five distinguished venture capital judges, each of whom founded or co-founded their respective investment firms. The judging panel includes Stacy Brown-Philpot of Cherryrock Capital, Chi-Hua Chien of Goodwater Capital, Dayna Grayson of Construct Capital, Carter Reum of M13, and Alexa Von Tobel of Inspired Capital. These investors bring extensive experience in backing high-growth companies, with portfolios featuring notable successes like Spotify, Lyft, and TaskRabbit. Following the final pitches, the judges will participate in a live Ask Me Anything session on the Builders Stage to discuss their criteria for founders and future investment trends. The event aims to provide insights into what venture capitalists look for when scaling viable startups and identifying the next major innovations. Attendees can secure discounted passes to witness the competition and engage with over 250 tech leaders across multiple industry stages.
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