Disrupt 2026 is locked in to deliver its most ambitious Disrupt Stage yet. From October 13 to 15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, the marquee stage will spotlight founders, CEOs, and venture leaders pushing boundaries across AI, robotics, biotech, transportation, and more, alongside live Startup Battlefield 200 showcases.
Big Names, Bold Ideas
On the lineup: Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe will break down what it takes to bring bold physical-product visions from concept to production and scale. Cerebras chief Andrew Feldman will tackle a pressing question in AI’s ascendance—whether scaling AI systems will outstrip energy, compute, or financial limits.
Science founder Max Hodak will explore what a future looks like when tech increasingly intertwines with the human body. Flock Safety’s Garrett Langley will discuss the trade-offs between AI-fueled surveillance and public safety. Meanwhile, Benchmark’s five partners—Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle, and Eric Vishria—will appear together to reveal what the venture capital firm sees coming next. Ricursive Intelligence’s Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini will push further still, imagining AI that designs its own hardware and narrowing the gap between silicon and software.
Thursday Highlights & Startup Battlefield 200
Thursday brings a diverse trio: Panos Panay from Amazon will present something new and ask what’s next after smartphones. Bluesky’s Toni Schneider and COO Rose Wang will ponder whether social media can reset itself. Replit CEO Amjad Masad will examine what happens to the craft of software when AI lowers the barrier to entry. Then, Mark Wahlberg teams up with Bruce K. Lee to shed light on how celebrity influence can evolve into serious investment.
The Startup Battlefield returns with founders pitching live across sectors like space, physical AI, health tech, enterprise, security, energy, and manufacturing. This year’s competition also spotlights alumni: 2021 Battlefield winner Nabiha Saklayen will debut a new product and pose a provocative question—”Can you bank your biology?” Other returning alumni Piotr Byrski, Demetri Maxim, and Kevin Damoa reflect on life after the pitch—what worked, what changed, and advice for current contenders. The climax: finalists compete for $100,000 in equity-free funding and the Disrupt cup.
Disrupt isn’t just about panels—it’s about access. Over 10,000 founders, VCs, operators, and fans will converge for more than 200 sessions led by over 250 tech leaders, across six stages with roundtables, startup showcases, and demos from over 300 early-stage startups.
There are registration perks too: a discounted second pass (50% off), bigger savings via bundles, and a special $75 Expo+ Pass for folks impacted by layoffs. Registering early yields best pricing.
The Disrupt Stage is where bold ideas reveal themselves and where what’s next in tech begins to take shape. If you’re aiming to catch signals from AI scale limits, biotech transformations, or evolving venture strategy, this is the event to follow. Watch for surprises—especially from the Startup Battlefield—and expect ideas that challenge where the tech ecosystem goes next.
