The biggest risk facing founders and investors right now is not moving too slowly. It is too late to react to where the market has already turned.
New stages in TechCrunch disabled 2026 Helping founders and investors make faster, more informed decisions in today’s highly complex and volatile markets.
from October 13-15 at Moscone West in San FranciscoDisrupt brings together over 10,000 founders, investors and operators in over 250 sessions Through six stages Focus on the operational pressures reshaping innovation in startups, from AI-driven competition and infrastructure bottlenecks to changing enterprise dynamics and enterprise adoption.
Explore the six phases planned for 2026 and Secure your passport before prices increase. You can now save up to $410 with early bird pricing, plus 50% off your second ticket.
Explore all six stages in Disrupt
Without further ado, get to know Six stages of disruptiondesigned for a practical approach to launching, building, and selling today’s technology industry.
Disruption stage: knowing where the market is headed
the Deactivation stage The center of gravity remains l Disable TechCrunchbringing together key founders, key technology leaders, and top-tier investors to discuss the broader shifts that are reshaping the market.
Startup Battlefield 200 is also held here, giving attendees first-hand insight into startups that investors and media believe have breakout potential before the rest of the market catches up. Do you think your startup has what it takes to compete? Nominate and apply by May 29.
Conversations center around:
- The future of artificial intelligence and technology.
- How companies are built and financed now.
- Leaders who shape global industries.
- What’s next across the biggest shifts in technology.
For founders, investors, and operators alike, it highlights the signals that shape opportunity: where attention is focused, which categories are accelerating, and how successful companies are positioning themselves in a tougher market.
For a limited time, take your community to Disrupt and save up to 30% on tickets. Register here.
The Build Phase: Tactical Answers for Founders Under Pressure
the Construction phase in Disable Focuses on the operational realities of building a company today: fundraising, hiring, product-market fit, market execution, and scaling into a more demanding environment.
Unlike traditional founder content, these sessions are built on current pressure points that have real impact.
Sessions like “How to Profit When You Don’t Build AI” address one of the defining challenges in today’s market: how non-AI startups compete for attention and capital while investors chase AI-first companies.
Explore other programming:
- Fundraising before product-market fit.
- Moving from seed to Series A.
- Artificial intelligence-based recruitment strategies.
- New forecasts on growth and revenue.
Speakers include Nina Ashaghian, partner at Index Ventures; Rajeev Dham, Managing Partner at Sapphire Ventures; Josh Reeves, CEO and co-founder of Gusto; Grant Lee, CEO and co-founder of Gamma; Robbie Stein, Chief Product Officer at Google; Mo Jumaa, Partner at CapitalG.
For founders trying to move faster with fewer errors, this is one of the most tactical environments in Disrupt.
Lock in your disabled ticket So you can meet your biggest growth challenges.
Smart Money Phase: Follow where your capital is going
As fintech markets mature and investor scrutiny increases, the success of startups hinges on knowing which fintechs continue to create lasting growth and which models are losing momentum.
the Smart money stage in Disable Focuses on how financial infrastructure is evolving beyond the hype cycle and towards digital financial systems.
Sessions examine where real-time payments are gaining traction, why some blended financing models are struggling, and where founders are still building lasting fintech companies despite heightened investor scrutiny.
Programming revolves around:
- Payments infrastructure.
These conversations are based on what already exists in a more skeptical market, not on speculation. Speakers on this platform include Jack Chang, founder and CEO of Airwallex, and Lotti Siniscalco, general partner at Emergence Capital.
For fintech founders and investors, the value is in understanding where capital still sees long-term opportunity and where market enthusiasm is starting to disappear.
Register for deactivation And get direct access to the investors, founders and operators who make up the next generation of financial infrastructure.
Intelligent Systems Phase: Infrastructure that supports artificial intelligence
As the expansion of AI accelerates, demand for data center capacity, power, network connectivity and industrial systems is growing just as quickly.
the Intelligent systems stage in Disable Focuses on one of the biggest constraints facing the technology industry: the physical infrastructure needed for energy, climate, and industrial systems.
This phase focuses on the operational systems that modern software companies increasingly rely on but often ignore. Explore sessions:
- Energy crisis in artificial intelligence data center.
- Network infrastructure bottlenecks.
- Infrastructure automation.
- Robots and industrial systems.
- Scalability in climate and energy.
Industry leaders who will take center stage include Geoff Lawson, Co-Founder and CEO of Inertia, and David Kirtley, CEO of Helion.
For founders and investors working in energy, robotics, logistics, infrastructure, or climate technology, this stage provides a clearer understanding of where the constraints of the physical world can create the next major opportunities – or new barriers.
Get your disruption ticket Let’s see where infrastructure innovations will become the next competitive advantage.
Artificial Intelligence in the Real World Theater: Where Artificial Intelligence Should Work
Once AI enters physical systems, reliability becomes a business issue, not just a technical one.
the Artificial intelligence in the real world stage in Disable Addresses what happens when AI systems move beyond demonstrations and into environments where reliability is important, from robotics and autonomous systems to manufacturing and drug discovery.
Programming explores how AI can be deployed across:
The focus at this point shifts away from the AI hype and toward operational reality, including how to build trustworthy systems, what happens when access to the cloud is limited, how to scale physical AI products, and where deployment failure creates real financial and operational risks.
For founders and investors evaluating the next generation of AI companies, this stage provides a clearer picture of which companies can actually survive the transition from prototype to production.
Explore Disrupt ticket options For founders, investors, operators and startup teams.
AI phase: How the AI rewrites programs in real time
the Artificial intelligence stage in Disablepresented by Google Cloud, focuses on how AI and AI agents are changing software companies at every level.
Programming at this point, such as “Rewriting SaaS: Why AI is Breaking the Old Business Model,” reflects a growing reality across the software industry: the advantages of traditional SaaS are rapidly eroding as AI changes user expectations and product economics.
Explore sessions:
- Artificial Intelligence and Automation Agents.
- DevSecOps and AI security.
- How software prices and workflows change.
For founders and operators, the value lies in understanding how software companies are adapting now – and where competitive advantages are likely to disappear next.
Find your ticket match And experience the disruption personally before prices rise.
Save up to $410 and get insights from today’s top technology leaders
Three days full of jam More than 200 sessions across six stagesled by Over 250 technology leaders Shaping the industry today, just in TechCrunch disabled 2026. Save up to $410 on your card and get 50% off your second ticket so you can bring an extra ticket and experience Disrupt together. Register now.
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