AI startups are absorbing massive seed funding, raising the bar for pre-seed founders who now face seed-stage expectations. At Disrupt 2026, the "Winning Pre-Seed Without a Product" panel will address how founders with compelling ideas but no MVP can still secure capital through conviction and storytelling. The session anchors the Builders Stage, where pointed conversations cover operational decisions, fundraising, and go-to-market strategies.

The event runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, with tickets at the best prices for the remainder of the year. Three seasoned investors will lead the discussion. Sandhya Venkatachalam, founder and managing partner of Axiom Partners, oversees a new $52 million early-stage fund connecting founders with AI practitioners. Her prior roles at Khosla Ventures and Social Capital included first investments in Groq, Galileo AI, Forethought AI, and Fireflies AI.

Puneet Agarwal, managing partner at True Ventures, brings nearly two decades of early-stage expertise across 12 funds, 500+ companies, and seven IPOs, focusing on enterprise infrastructure transformation in the AI era. Austin Clements, managing partner at Slauson & Co., emphasizes economic inclusion and small business empowerment, founding an accelerator and chairing Pledge LA to diversify the tech founder community. Slauson & Co. backed Glīd, winner of Startup Battlefield 2026.

Disrupt 2026 offers more than sessions — it's a celebration of the startup community's successes and lessons. Founders, investors, and ecosystem players should secure tickets now to access this expertise and network.