TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Side Events Guide: NMI, Backblaze, Peak XV and More Take Over San Francisco

TL;DR

• TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, with Side Events extending the action across the city from October 11-16.
• The Side Events lineup features hosts including NMI, Backblaze, Peak XV Partners, Augment, Zoholics / Zoho, KPMG US, and more, spanning happy hours, dinners, panels, pitch-offs, and late-night mixers.
• Founders, investors, and builders can browse the official Side Events calendar, RSVP directly to hosts, and use Disrupt as a week-long networking hub beyond the Expo Hall.

Beyond The Expo Hall: Why Side Events Matter At Disrupt 2026

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 takes over Moscone West from October 13-15, but anyone who has been before knows the real magic doesn't stop when the stage lights go down. This year, Disrupt is once again sprawling across San Francisco with a packed Side Events schedule running well beyond the main conference dates.

From October 11 through October 16, startups, VCs, and ecosystem builders are hosting their own happy hours, dinners, demos, and after-hours parties. It's where handshakes turn into term sheets, where founders meet their first customers, and where the conversations started on the Disrupt stages keep going late into the night.

If you're heading to San Francisco this October, consider this your guide to the Side Events takeover.

What Are TechCrunch Disrupt Side Events?

Side Events are independently hosted, community-powered gatherings that orbit the main Disrupt conference. They're organized by companies, VC firms, accelerators, and community groups — not by TechCrunch itself — but they're officially listed on the Disrupt Side Events calendar.

That means anyone can host, and anyone can attend, whether you have a Disrupt badge or not. Most events are free with RSVP, though space is limited and many require approval.

Think of it as San Francisco's startup week, all anchored by Disrupt.

The 2026 Lineup: Who's Hosting So Far

This year's Side Events board is already filling up fast, with a mix of returning favorites and new names. Here's a breakdown of some of the standout hosts to watch:

NMI Leads The Fintech Conversation

Payments infrastructure leader NMI is among the headline Side Event hosts for 2026. Known for its full-stack embedded payments platform, NMI typically uses Disrupt week to bring together SaaS founders, fintech operators, and payments builders for networking and strategy sessions around monetizing software and scaling embedded finance.

Expect a founder-heavy crowd and practical talk on payments, vertical SaaS, and partnership-led growth.

Backblaze Brings The Builder Energy

Cloud storage company Backblaze is back on the Side Events roster, bringing its developer-first ethos to San Francisco. Past Backblaze events have focused on open cloud, AI storage infrastructure, and helping startups scale without hyperscaler lock-in or surprise egress bills.

For technical founders, AI builders, and DevOps leaders attending Disrupt, this is one to RSVP to early.

Peak XV Partners Hosts For Investors And Founders

Formerly Sequoia Capital India & Southeast Asia, Peak XV Partners is bringing serious investor firepower to the Side Events calendar. The firm has been a fixture in the global early-stage ecosystem, backing breakout startups across AI, SaaS, fintech, and consumer.

Its Disrupt week presence is expected to draw top-tier VCs, LPs, and founders looking to connect across the U.S., India, and Southeast Asia tech corridors. If you're fundraising, keep a close eye on this one.

Augment Puts AI Coding In The Spotlight

AI coding assistant maker Augment is also hosting in 2026, leaning into one of Disrupt's biggest themes: AI for developers. As teams race to ship faster with AI agents and enterprise-grade code intelligence, Augment's side event is poised to be a hub for engineering leaders, CTOs, and AI-curious founders.

Expect live demos, product deep-dives, and candid conversations about what actually works in AI-assisted development.

Plus: Zoho, KPMG US, And More

The lineup doesn't stop there. Other confirmed hosts already promoting events include:

• Zoholics / Zoho: The bootstrapped SaaS giant is bringing its community playbook to Disrupt week, likely blending product workshops with founder networking.
• KPMG US: The Big Four firm's emerging tech and startup practice is set to host sessions geared toward scaling, compliance, and fundraising readiness.
• A growing wave of early-stage startups, angel groups, law firms, and co-working spaces hosting pitch competitions, rooftop mixers, founder dinners, and late-night afterparties.

New events are being added daily to the official calendar through October.

What Kind Of Events To Expect

Side Events aren't one-size-fits-all. The 2026 schedule spans:

• Morning Fuel: Founder runs, coffee meetups, and breakfast panels to kick off the day before Moscone doors open.
• Daytime Deep Dives: Roundtables on AI, fintech, SaaS, climate, defense tech, and fundraising tactics, plus office hours and product workshops.
• Golden Hour Networking: Rooftop happy hours, brewery takeovers, and VC-meets-founder mixers across SoMa, Hayes Valley, and the Mission.
• After Hours: Invite-only dinners, late-night parties, karaoke, comedy nights, and the legendary unofficial Disrupt afterparties that run until 2 a.m.

Whether you want to pitch 50 investors in three days or just find your people over pizza and beer, there's a format for you.

How Founders, Investors And Builders Can Plug In

Here's how to make the most of Side Events week:

1. Browse the official TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Side Events page. Filter by date, location, and vibe — from intimate dinners to 500-person blowouts.
2. RSVP early and directly with hosts. Most registrations are handled via Luma, Eventbrite, or Typeform links provided by each host. Spots for popular events like Peak XV and Augment go fast.
3. Plan around Moscone West. Most Side Events are within walking distance or a short rideshare from Moscone Center, clustered in SoMa, Union Square, and the Embarcadero. Leave buffer time between the main stage and evening events.
4. Want to host? TechCrunch is still accepting Side Event submissions. If your company wants brand visibility during the biggest startup week of the fall, you can submit your happy hour, panel, or demo night to be listed alongside NMI, Backblaze, and others. It's free exposure to 10,000+ Disrupt attendees.

Keep The Conversation Going After Hours

Disrupt 2026 is more than three days at Moscone West — it's a full week takeover of San Francisco. With heavy hitters like NMI, Backblaze, Peak XV Partners, and Augment anchoring the Side Events calendar alongside Zoho, KPMG US, and dozens of community hosts, there's never been a better reason to stay late, show up early, and say yes to that extra invite.

Pro tip: Book your hotel through October 16, pack comfortable shoes, charge your phone battery pack, and keep your calendar open. The best deal you'll close at Disrupt might not happen on the Expo floor — it might happen at a rooftop in SoMa at 9 p.m.

Check the TechCrunch Disrupt Side Events hub for the latest additions, and we'll see you in San Francisco October 13-15 — and everywhere else October 11-16.

AndroGuider Team

Articles written by the AndroGuider team. We try to make them thorough and informational while being easy to read.