Five prominent venture capitalists will serve as the final judges for the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, scheduled for October 13-15. Out of thousands of applicants, 200 startups made the cut, and only 20 will pitch on the Disrupt Stage before these judges determine the overall champion.
The panel consists exclusively of investment firm founders and co-founders with extensive venture experience. The judges include Stacy Brown-Philpot of Cherryrock Capital, Chi-Hua Chien of Goodwater Capital, Dayna Grayson of Construct Capital, Carter Reum of M13, and Alexa Von Tobel of Inspired Capital. Following the pitches, all five investors will participate in a live AMA session on the Builders Stage to discuss founder traits, fundraising, and investment trends.
This expert panel highlights the high stakes of the competition, as these seasoned investors bring decades of experience backing major tech unicorns and scaling global companies.