Thousands of startups applied. Just 200 made Startup Battlefield. Only 20 will pitch on the Disrupt Stage across all three days. Competition goes from October 13-15 at Tech Crunch Disrupt 2026. It all comes down to one final decision. For our Startup Battlefield finalist judges, we set a particularly high bar: Each has founded or co-founded the investment firm they now lead. Collectively, they bring decades of experience backing ambitious founders, building and scaling companies, and making the big bets that can define a venture firm. They know what separates a great pitch from a potentially great company — and they'll be the five people deciding who becomes this year's Startup Battlefield champion.
Meet the five investors who will decide this year's Startup Battlefield winner:
Stacy Brown-Philpot, Founder and Managing Partner, Cherryrock Capital
Chi-Hua Chien, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Goodwater Capital
Dayna Grayson, Co-Founder and General Partner, Construct Capital
Carter Reum, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, M13
Alexa Von Tobel, Founder and Managing Partner, Inspired Capital
Source: TechCrunch Venture · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing