The spotlight is on major tech players this October 13–15 as Disrupt Stage returns to Moscone West in San Francisco. Over three days, founders, CEOs, and investors will tackle everything from AI and robotics to biotech, venture capital, and the future of social platforms as part of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Entrepreneurs in Startup Battlefield 200 will also be vying for the top prize on this same stage.
Trailblazers Ready to Speak
RJ Scaringe, CEO of Rivian, is set to share how you transform a bold concept into a company that designs, manufactures, and scales physical products. Andrew Feldman of Cerebras will probe the scalability of AI—including its mounting demands for compute, energy, and capital—exploring whether today’s trajectory will hold up. Max Hodak of Science Corporation will peer beyond screens, imagining tech that interacts directly with the human body. Garrett Langley of Flock Safety will engage in a candid discussion about the intersections of AI, surveillance, and public safety.
Benchmark’s five partners—Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle, and Eric Vishria—will all appear together, offering a rare glimpse into what one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture firms anticipates for what’s next. Meanwhile, Ricursive Intelligence co-founders Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini will argue for AI systems capable of designing their own hardware, a concept that could collapse the classic divide between software and silicon.
On Thursday, tech execs from across domains will explore fresh frontiers: Amazon’s Panos Panay will speculate on what comes after the smartphone (bringing new tech in tow), while Toni Schneider and Rose Wang of Bluesky will ponder how social media might reinvent itself. Amjad Masad of Replit will dive into the transformation of software and those who build it at a time when AI is lowering the barrier to entry. The lineup also includes celebrity-turned-investor Mark Wahlberg alongside Bruce K. Lee of Keebeck, discussing how fame, relationships, and business foundation become the next chapter in serious investing.
The Battlefield: Then and Now
Startup Battlefield returns in full force. Among the familiar faces: Nabiha Saklayen, CEO of Cellino and the 2021 Battlefield champ, will return to unveil a new product and pose the provocative question: can you bank your biology? Other alumni—Piotr Byrski of Molecule.one, Demetri Maxim of Nephrogen, and Kevin Damoa of Glīd—will share what unfolded after their moments in the spotlight: which risks paid off, which plans shifted, and what they wish they’d known at moments just like this.
Finally, the 2026 Battlefield finalists will compete live on the Disrupt Stage with one startup walking away with $100,000 in equity-free funding and the coveted Disrupt cup.
Disrupt 2026 promises big stage moments: over 200 sessions led by more than 250 tech leaders, alongside roundtables and exhibitor showcases—all aimed at surfacing the next generation of breakthrough ideas.
What this means:This Disrupt Stage lineup underscores just how layered today’s tech reckoning is—from rethinking hardware to redefining the nature of platforms, and from biometrics to bioengineering. These sessions aren’t just trend reports; they could hint at seismic shifts in the design of AI, privacy, social infrastructure, and more.
