Beyond the Main Stage: The Full Week of Networking, Demos and Parties Around TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

San Francisco will host TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 from October 13-15, drawing founders, investors, operators, builders, and technology leaders from around the world. Yet the conference floor represents only part of the week's activity. Across Disrupt Week, the broader tech ecosystem will activate with networking sessions, happy hours, product showcases, live demonstrations, dinners, and other gatherings.

The calendar of events spans from Saturday, October 10 through Friday, October 16, offering opportunities to connect with peers, explore emerging technologies, and build relationships across the startup community.

Featured Events

Polish Innovation Evening: From Ideas to Connections — Poland Meets Silicon Valley

Attendees will board the Historic Klamath for an evening bridging Poland's innovation ecosystem with Silicon Valley during Disrupt Week. The gathering brings together Polish founders, investors, technology leaders, and ecosystem partners for discussion and informal networking along the San Francisco waterfront.

Scaling Nordic Fintech Globally

Innovation Norway and the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco are hosting an evening celebrating fintech, global expansion, and strong dialogue. The event marks Aparta's selection for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.

Silicon Valley – Pak US Tech Connect 2026

The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) is organizing this gathering to unite Pakistani technology companies, U.S. businesses, industry leaders, investors, partners, and ecosystem stakeholders. Conversations will center on business collaboration, technology partnerships, outsourcing, investment, and market expansion opportunities.

Saturday, October 10

The First Principles Way to Find the Next 10x Opportunity Hiding in Your Product

Running from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., this session teaches attendees how to apply first-principles thinking to uncover overlooked customer needs, differentiate products, strengthen product-market fit, and spot significant growth opportunities through a real-world case study.

Sunday, October 11

Happy Hour with AI Created Drinks by AI Barmen!

From 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., attendees will experience AI Barmen, a robotic bartender that crafts personalized cocktails and mocktails through an interactive happy hour setting.

EPIC SF Physical AI Demo Night @ Finding Next Move

Hosted by EPIC Connector Pte. Ltd. from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., ten early-stage startups will pitch their products and competitive advantages to a hand-selected group of venture investors, with an open networking after-party to follow.

International Reception at the European Startup Embassy

From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the international startup community will gather for an evening of food, drinks, and networking designed to strengthen business relationships.

Monday, October 12

The Partnership Exchange by onSpark

Running from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., this event transforms an evening into a live deal floor for founders who recognize that partnerships fuel growth. Attendees will walk in with their company and walk out with a real hit list. The onSpark team runs Hit List Live on the spot, mapping the exact partners who can move revenue this year, then matching founders in the room who belong on each other's lists. Every attendee gets featured in One Golden Nugget, the co-published spotlight series from Disrupt Week.

Serve, Swipe, & Settle: Mixer for SaaS Leaders Scaling into Embedded Payments

From 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., SaaS founders, developers, and technical leaders will compare notes on embedded payments, monetization, and scaling beyond basic payment infrastructure over Ping-Pong, food, and drinks.

Work Tech, Robotics & Agentic AI Showcase

Running from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., attendees will explore work tech, robotics, and agentic AI through startup pitches, hands-on demos, and networking with founders, operators, and investors shaping the future of work.

Long Lead Time: A Hardware Happy Hour

Founders, engineers, and operators building robotics, chips, rockets, and other frontier hardware will connect over drinks and light bites in a casual setting.

Open to Work: The Game Show

From 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., a live game show transforms the job hunt into networking. Participants compete using their real résumé, pitch themselves onstage, and let the audience decide who advances.

Tuesday, October 13

The Irish Shark Tank

Enterprise Ireland returns to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to welcome both returning attendees and newcomers to The Irish Shark Tank at Ireland House for happy hour. Availability is limited.

SafetyWing Happy Hour at Harrington's

Founders and HR leaders will meet over drinks while connecting with SafetyWing and discussing the challenges of navigating health benefits for startups and their teams.

SF Exclusive VIP Drinks for AI Founders and Accredited Investors

From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., an invite-only gathering will bring together AI founders and accredited investors for drinks, direct introductions, and informal conversations with no pitches or panels.

Harvard Griffin GSAS Alumni Networking Mixer

Hosted by Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, alumni living and working in the Bay Area will connect during an informal networking reception. Guests are welcome.

South Asian Investor Founder Connect: TechCrunch Disrupt

South Asian founders, investors, operators, creators, and technology leaders will connect through curated introductions and informal networking.

Real World AI: Connect, Invest & Scale in Taiwan

From 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., hosted by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, attendees will discover how Taiwan, a powerhouse behind the global AI revolution, is bringing AI into the real world through robotics, intelligent hardware, and advanced manufacturing. The evening will feature startup pitches, investor connections, and networking over light fare and drinks.

Attacks Never Arrive: Happy Hour with Trotta

From 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., AI founders, security leaders, and operators will gather for food, drinks, and conversation around social engineering, deepfakes, prompt injection, and emerging AI security threats.

Content Creators Meetup @ TechCrunch Disrupt

Founders and creators building in public will come together to share practical lessons on content, hooks, distribution, and growing a founder-led audience.

Pets of Disrupt: Founders, Investors & Their Pets

Attendees can step away from the conference crowd for an informal evening with founders, investors, operators, builders, creators, and the pets that make San Francisco's startup community more human.

K Tech Startup Networking Reception | TCD 2026

Eighteen emerging Korean startups will be introduced through quick founder introductions, curated conversations, and open networking with investors, operators, corporate leaders, and entrepreneurs.

EdgeM8: B2B Partnership Mixer

Founders, revenue leaders, and executives working across go-to-market, partnerships, distribution, and technology will connect while building relationships across the Bay Area startup ecosystem.

Shinhan Square Bridge Meetup @ TechCrunch Disrupt

From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., ten startups from the Shinhan Square Bridge Global program will participate in an intimate evening of founder conversations, networking, food, and drinks.

Wednesday, October 14

NextGen — TechCrunch Disrupt Week 2026

An invitation-only gathering will bring together Israeli founders, investors, technology executives, and strategic partners from across the Bay Area.

Fynex x Orion VC | Curated Rooftop Party

Founders, operators, and AI-focused investors will gather for a curated rooftop evening centered on networking, food, drinks, and conversations around AI and infrastructure.

Love Soul AI & WellGem: Interactive Hologram Showcase & Founder Networking

From 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., the event takes place on the patio at Per Diem, beneath Salesforce Park and a short distance from Moscone West. Attendees will connect with fellow founders, investors, and members of the tech community while experiencing Love Soul AI's hologram technology and enjoying superfood-inspired appetizers. All ages are welcome. A ticket is required.

Korea–US Startup & Investor Networking Night

From 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Korean startups entering the U.S. market will connect with investors, founders, corporate partners, and Bay Area ecosystem leaders for conversations around investment, partnerships, and business opportunities.

Ecosystem Mixer

Peak XV will bring founders, operators, and investors together for an informal evening of drinks and conversation. No pitches are required.

Liquid Assets: A Private Markets Cocktail Party by Augment & Mintz

A private markets cocktail gathering will feature drinks, light bites, and informal conversation among founders, investors, and technology leaders.

Watch It Run: Live Automation Meetup with Bolter

Attendees will see business automation happen live as Bolter turns attendees' most dreaded weekly processes into working automations during dinner, using plain-language descriptions instead of code.

Polish Innovation Evening: From Ideas to Connections — Poland Meets Silicon Valley

From 5:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., hosted by Polish Investment and Trade Agency and Upper Silesian Fund, the event will feature Polish founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders.

Rooftop Gathering: Pilaf Evening for Tech Founders and Investors

From 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., a private rooftop gathering will bring together tech builders, deep tech innovators, and investors for conversations over a shared meal. No standing around, no pitch decks — just real talk and a great view.

Worldmodels—See the World in 4D

From 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., attendees will explore physical AI, spatial intelligence, robotics, and world models through live 4D capture, demos, and conversations with founders, researchers, and investors.

The Afterburn: TechCrunch Disrupt Edition

Wind down after Disrupt with cocktails, food, and informal conversations among founders, builders, investors, and friends. No panels or presentations will take place.

Hardtech After Party

Founders, engineers, investors, and design leaders building in robotics, wearables, connected devices, medtech, and other areas of hard tech will connect.

Token Economics: From Cost per Token to Value per Outcome

Founders, investors, engineers, and operators will explore how AI companies turn inference costs into business value through pricing, routing, reliability, and token-level economics.

Vault & Verify: An Evening of Ping Pong, Cocktails & Conversation

Security, privacy, and identity leaders will gather for food, cocktails, friendly competition, and conversations about managing sensitive data and identity as AI systems become more autonomous.

AI Made Every Candidate Look Perfect. How Do You Find the Real Ones?

From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., founders, investors, and operators will explore how to identify meaningful talent signals when AI has made résumés, profiles, and interview answers increasingly polished.

SQLDoom Deathmatch Night at Disrupt

From 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., attendees will play SQLDoom deathmatch against the CedarDB team alongside arcade games, food, drinks, and conversations with database engineers and startup founders.

SignalFire's Disrupt Arthaus After-Party

From 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., founders, investors, journalists, and builders will spend the evening at an arts campus featuring live music, immersive art and technology, food, and drinks.

Thursday, October 15

NachoThursday: TechCrunch Disrupt SaaS & AI Founder + Investor Happy Hour

A rooftop happy hour will bring together SaaS and AI founders, C-suite leaders, investors, and tech media. Attendance is screened and limited to approved guests.

Korea Emerging Tech Showcase

A curated group of venture and corporate investors will gather for an intimate evening with Korean founders from 14 emerging tech startups over food and wine at a private members' club in San Francisco's Financial District. The guest list is curated, capacity is limited, and approval is required.

Fynex x Orion VC | Curated Rooftop Party

Fynex and Orion VC will host a rooftop gathering for AI founders, operators, and investors focused on AI and infrastructure. The guest list is curated to make the room itself part of the experience.

LP, VC & Funded Founder Networking + Demo

An intimate networking evening will bring together LPs, GPs, and funded founders focused on technology, venture capital, and new relationships.

Korea–US Startup & Investor Networking Night

Korean startups entering the U.S. market will come together with investors, founders, corporate partners, and Bay Area ecosystem leaders for an evening of casual networking and meaningful connections around potential investment, partnership, and business opportunities. Registration is required.

Japan Startups Showcase

Twelve Japanese startups building for global markets across AI, enterprise software, health, biotech, defense, agtech, sports tech, and consumer technology will present live demos and have direct conversations with founders.

Venture Night @ TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

Ten selected startups will deliver fast-paced pitches in a live pitch competition. Venture Night brings founders, investors, and tech leaders together for Q&A, followed by a Founder Feedback Session, awards, and networking. Startup prizes will be awarded.

Friday, October 16

Silicon Valley – Pak US Tech Connect 2026

At 10:00 a.m., hosted by Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), this event will continue the week's focus on Pakistani technology companies and U.S. business opportunities.

THE RUNWAY: A Morning Founder Run

From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., attendees will start the day with a casual waterfront run along the Embarcadero, complete with startup-themed "runway" markers, followed by coffee and networking at the Ferry Building.

Funded Founders @ Alchemy Springs

From 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., attendees will combine sauna and cold-plunge experiences with conversations and networking around startups competing in this year's Startup Battlefield 200. Space is limited.

Find a Cofounder, Help or Join a Startup

Attendees will hear startup pitches and then join breakout groups where they can offer feedback, make connections, or explore opportunities to work with the presenting teams.

Event details, availability, and registration requirements are subject to change. Check each event's RSVP page for the latest information before attending.