Every founder who applies to Startup Battlefield wants the an identical thing: the Disrupt Main Stage. Six minutes to pitch and demo are residing, in front of high-tier Silicon Valley investors. A dedicated TechCrunch article revealed as you contemporary. A shot at the $100,000 fairness-free prize and the Disrupt Cup.
And all of that might maybe maybe also be yours, but every path to Startup Battlefield success begins with an utility. And we actually hang prolonged the closing date for this three hundred and sixty five days’s cohort to June 8, so that you simply exclusively hang a temporary window to ship yours in.
Head right here to originate up up that utility comely now, but for a head originate up, we now hang some advice basically based fully fully on previous competitions, and some detail on why participant perks originate up effectively sooner than the necessary stage at Disrupt kicks off.
What it takes to create the Startup Battlefield High 20
The Startup Battlefield High 20 represents the supreme of the supreme from the Startup Battlefield 200. Companies with concepts which might maybe maybe be meaningfully different, category-defining, and able to making a necessary affect in their industry or geography. Choice comes all the manner down to which corporations are the most compelling, differentiated, and ready for a international stage.
Your product and founder videos are all the pieces. They are the significant influence and play the predominant feature in figuring out which corporations are ready for the Disrupt Stage. Showcase your product in action. Be particular about what makes you different. Let your conviction reach through on camera, not factual your metrics.
Chosen corporations work closely with the TechCrunch team on pitch preparation sooner than Disrupt. Each and each company pitches and demos are residing for six minutes on the Disrupt Stage, followed by a are residing Q&A with high-tier investors love Aileen Lee (Cowboy Ventures), Kirsten Green (Forerunner), Navin Chaddha (Mayfield), Chris Farmer (SignalFire), Dayna Grayson (Earn Capital), Ann Miura-Ko (Floodgate), and Hans Tung (Well-known Capital).
Of the High 20, five are selected to pitch again on the closing day of Disrupt in front of a brand new panel of high-profile judges. The winner receives $100,000 in fairness-free prize money and the Disrupt Cup.
Investigate cross-test the High 20 from 2024 and 2025.
No longer selected for the High 20 at the foundation? You’re aloof in the running
The list isn’t remaining till Disrupt is underway. Every three hundred and sixty five days, issues commerce — founders drop out, schedules shift, and standout corporations from the 200 upward push quick all around the program.
We abet the High 20 confidential till the tournament begins and preserve a shortlist of corporations able to step in. It happens every cycle.
And more importantly, being in the 200 is the set the precise opportunity begins. The stage is one moment. However the rep admission to, publicity, and network you operate as section of the cohort extends a ways previous it.
What every Startup Battlefield 200 company will get
You don’t must create the High 20 for Startup Battlefield to commerce your trajectory.
Every selected company receives a fully funded demo gross sales speak at TechCrunch Disrupt; complimentary tournament passes for the team; rep admission to to a pre-tournament digital program with world-class VCs, operators, and founders; dedicated pitch preparation; and an invite to the non-public Startup Battlefield reception.
At Disrupt, all 200 corporations contemporary. Whether or not you’re on the Disrupt Stage competing for the $100,000 prize or on the Showcase Stage for Ideally suited in Industry, both are precise opportunities to face out in front of the investors, press, and companions who reach to Disrupt to search out what’s subsequent.
On the editorial aspect, every company enters the TechCrunch ecosystem. Protection isn’t guaranteed, but our editors actively song Startup Battlefield corporations through articles, the Plot Mode podcast, the Equity podcast, and future updates as you develop. Standout corporations are most incessantly invited to pitch, keep up a correspondence, and return across TechCrunch platforms. It’s a chance that compounds over time.
Past that, you be half of the Startup Battlefield alumni neighborhood, which contains 1,700+ corporations, equivalent to Dropbox, Discord, and Cloudflare, which hang collectively raised $32 billion and produced 250+ exits. This isn’t a mailing list — it’s a network of founders who’ve been through the an identical experience and proceed to enhance every different.
Alumni receive ongoing opportunities to pitch and keep up a correspondence at TechCrunch events, discounted and complimentary rep admission to to future events, and outlandish perks from our associate network.
The stage is one moment. The network, visibility, and rep admission to are what remaining.
You rep price factual for making exhaust of to Startup Battlefield
Even in case you’re not selected, making exhaust of has its upsides. Applicants receive outlandish reductions on Disrupt tickets and demonstrate opportunities, along with sources from our companions, so that that it’s seemingly you’ll maybe maybe terminate cease to the ecosystem and reach abet stronger subsequent cycle.
Within the occasion you’re on the fence about whether or not you’re ready, observe anyway. It’s free, it takes nothing off the desk, and it’s our job to relate you if it’s not the comely time. The founders who wait till they feel ready veritably wait too long.
Whereas you’re getting ready, test out Plot Mode, TechCrunch’s podcast for early-stage founders featuring previous Startup Battlefield corporations, breakout founders, and high-tier investors. Like in concepts it the within song on what it takes to create a Battlefield-ready company.
Functions cease June 8, 2026. TechCrunch Disrupt takes field October 13–15 in San Francisco.
If you happen to aquire through hyperlinks in our articles, we might maybe maybe operate a tiny payment. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
