The Startup Battlefield 200 judging panel for Disrupt 2025 is expanding with the addition of more top investors who will question founders and help determine this year’s $100,000 champion.
Why it matters: The judges bring the insight, experience, and instincts that can change a founder’s trajectory in just one Q&A session.
The details:
- Thomas Krane, Managing Director at Insight Partners, focuses on cybersecurity, DevOps, IT automation, and application software.
- Charles Hudson, Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, emphasizes investing in people over products at the early stages.
- Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, leads the corporate venture capital arm of TDK Corporation, focusing on digital and energy innovation.
- Katie Stanton, Founder and General Partner at Moxxie Ventures, has a notable investment history, including Airtable, Calm, Cameo, Carta, Coinbase, Literati, Modern Fertility, and Shape Security.
- Santi Subotovsky, General Partner at Emergence, played a pivotal role with investments like Zoom, Crunchbase, Logik.io, Zipline, Tundra, and Class.
Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, and Elad Gil are among the prominent names joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda to deliver critical insights that will help fuel startup growth.
What’s next: Disrupt 2025 will bring together over 10,000 startups and venture capital leaders at San Francisco’s Moscone West from October 27-29. Secure your ticket now and witness the global pitch-off live.
Disrupt 2025 participants are invited to host their own Side Events during Disrupt Week, from October 25-31, to facilitate extended networking and conversations.
Why it matters: Side Events provide an opportunity for participants to showcase their brand, spark meaningful connections, and lead the charge in innovation.
The details:
- There is no cost to apply to host a Side Event.
- Assistance will be provided to help promote the event and attract attendees.
- Participants are encouraged to register early for their Disrupt 2025 pass before prices increase in September.
- Exhibit spaces are also available, with the final booking date being September 5.
TechCrunch has unveiled the 200 startups selected for the 2025 Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2025, including 13 African startups focused on AI, health, energy, legal tech, proptech, and sustainable solutions.
Why it matters: The Startup Battlefield program is renowned for highlighting young companies with groundbreaking solutions and connecting them with investors, giving them significant visibility.
The details:
- Previous participants, including Dropbox, Cloudflare, and Discord, have collectively raised over $32 billion, with more than 250 exits.
- The 2025 cohort was narrowed down from thousands of applicants to 200 companies.
- These companies will exhibit at Disrupt, with 20 advancing as finalists to compete for the $100,000 equity-free grand prize and the iconic Disrupt Cup.
What’s next: During the three-day event, founders will present live demos, network with top investors, and compete for a chance to be among the Top 20 Finalists who will pitch on the Disrupt main stage for the $100,000 equity-free prize and the Disrupt Cup.
