Startup Battlefield 200 is nearly here, with 200 carefully selected startups gathering at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to compete for the coveted trophy and $100,000 equity-free prize. Today's announcement brings the judging panel nearly complete. The panel features 20 judges with decades of experience building companies, backing founders, and spotting transformative ideas.

Caleb Appleton, Partner at Bison Ventures, invests in physical AI across techbio, robotics, and real-world intelligence. Sara Deshpande, General Partner at Maven Ventures, focuses on seed-stage companies built around emerging consumer behaviors and trends. Aatish Nayak, Partner at Kleiner Perkins, partners with AI native founders with deep vertical expertise.

Jason Risch, Partner at Greylock, invests in enterprise security, AI and ML infrastructure, data platforms, and developer tools. Three additional judges have been revealed, bringing the total to 20. If you want to see tomorrow's industry leaders before the rest of the world does, there's no better place to be than TechCrunch Disrupt.

The only way to be front and center at the Disrupt Stage and witness the ultimate pitch competition of the year is to register for Tech Crunch Disrupt. Grab your pass and bring your co-founder, partner, or peer for 50% off. Bringing a community of four or more? Save up to 30% on passes.

Stay tuned for the final announcement, where we'll unveil the five judges who will evaluate the finalists and determine who takes home the Disrupt Cup.