TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Starts in 48 Hours: Last Chance Pass Deals at Moscone West
TL;DR
- TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 kicks off in 48 hours on October 14-16 at Moscone West in San Francisco, bringing 10,000+ founders, VCs, and operators together.
- Expect three days of Startup Battlefield 200, 300+ sessions, AI, fintech, space, climate and hard tech stages, plus hands-on builder workshops and late-night networking.
- Last chance to save: grab passes now to save up to $100 off door prices, get 50% off a second pass for a co-founder or colleague, and lock in final Startup and Exhibitor deals before prices jump at the door.
The Clock Is Ticking for Disrupt 2026
With less than 48 hours to go, San Francisco is about to become the center of the tech universe again. TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is set to kick off at Moscone West on October 14-16, and if you haven't secured your spot yet, this is your final window.
More than 10,000 founders, investors, engineers, and operators are expected to flood SoMa for three packed days of launches, funding announcements, live demos, and unfiltered conversations about what's actually next. From early-stage teams in stealth to decacorns and public company CEOs, Disrupt remains the one place where the entire startup stack meets in person.
What to Expect From the Founders Building What's Next
This year's agenda leans hard into the build phase. AI agents and applied AI dominate, but Disrupt 2026 goes much wider — with dedicated programming across fintech and crypto, SaaS and enterprise, space and defense tech, climate and hard tech, biotech and health, and the future of work.
Expect 300+ speakers, fireside chats, and roundtables featuring breakout founders alongside partners from Sequoia, a16z, Benchmark, Greylock, Founders Fund, and Y Combinator. The focus for 2026: how to raise in a selective market, how to ship AI products that actually retain, and how to scale from seed to Series C without burning out the team.
Attendees can also dive into hands-on builder sessions, product labs, VC office hours, pitch feedback workshops, and curated Braindates and small-group networking designed to turn chance encounters into term sheets, hires, and customers.
Startup Battlefield 200 Takes Center Stage
No Disrupt without Battlefield. The Startup Battlefield 200 — TechCrunch's hand-picked cohort of the world's most promising early-stage startups — will pitch live across the first two days for a shot at the $100,000 equity-free prize and the Disrupt Cup on the final day.
Past Battlefield alumni include Dropbox, Cloudflare, Discord, and Fitbit, and VCs openly admit they watch this stage for their next deal flow. For 2026, expect a heavy crop of AI infrastructure, robotics, dev tools, vertical SaaS, and climate startups, plus judges grilling founders live on defensibility, go-to-market, and burn.
Even if you're not competing, the Battlefield expo floor is where to discover what's launching before it hits Product Hunt or TechCrunch headlines.
Expo Floor, Side Events, and After-Hours Deals
Moscone West will transform into a three-floor startup city with 300+ exhibitors, sponsor pavilions, and the Startup Alley where pre-Series A companies demo live. It's the best place to test products, compare AI tooling, book demos, and meet BD teams face-to-face.
Beyond the main stages, Disrupt Week side events, happy hours, founder runs, VC dinners, and the infamous Disrupt afterparties take over San Francisco. The TechCrunch app lets you schedule 1:1 meetings ahead of time — pro tip: fill your calendar now, because top investors book out fast in the final 48 hours.
Last Chance Pass Deals Before Door Prices Hit
Here's the urgent part: online registration closes soon, and once doors open at Moscone West, prices jump.
Right now you can still save up to $100 off what you'll pay on-site for attendee passes. TechCrunch is also offering 50% off a second pass when you buy two — built for co-founders, product leads, or bringing your investor or plus-one for half price.
Other last-minute deals still live include discounted Founder and Investor passes with access to StrictlyVC sessions, premium networking lounges, and the Disrupt attendee list, plus final Exhibitor packages for startups that want a table in Startup Alley before the floor sells out.
Once the countdown hits zero on October 14, those savings disappear and door pricing kicks in. If you're planning to go, don't wait until Wednesday morning.
How to Get There and Get In
Moscone West is located at 800 Howard St, San Francisco, steps from BART, Muni, and Caltrain connections. Doors open early on October 14 for badge pickup, with the main stage kicking off mid-morning.
Bring your QR code, ID, and a charged phone — and plan to arrive early. Lines for Battlefield, big-name AI panels, and StrictlyVC interviews fill up fast, and with this year's sellout pace, every session will be standing-room only.
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