TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Disrupt Stage: Rivian, Cerebras, Amazon, and Benchmark Lead Three Days of Tech Leadership

The Disrupt Stage serves as the centerpiece of TechCrunch Disrupt, bringing together the entrepreneurs, executives, and investors driving innovation across the technology sector. Over three days in mid-October at San Francisco's Moscone West, the event will showcase conversations spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, social media, biotech, and venture capital, interspersed with live pitches from 200 competing startups in Startup Battlefield.

Meet the entire Disrupt Stage lineup

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe will discuss the challenges of transforming ambitious visions into companies capable of designing, manufacturing, and scaling complex physical products. Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman will address a central concern in the AI industry: whether artificial intelligence can sustain its current growth trajectory as models require increasingly vast amounts of computing power, energy, and capital.

Science Corporation founder Max Hodak will explore a future where technology interfaces directly with the human body rather than through traditional screens. Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley will engage in an open discussion about artificial intelligence, surveillance, and the implications for public safety infrastructure.

In a notable gathering, all five partners of Benchmark venture capital firm—Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle, and Eric Vishria—will appear together on stage to share insights from one of Silicon Valley's most influential investment firms about emerging trends.

Ricursive Intelligence co-founders Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini will present a forward-looking concept: artificial intelligence systems capable of designing the hardware infrastructure they operate on, potentially erasing the historical boundary between software and silicon.

On Thursday, Amazon's Panos Panay will examine what technology comes after the smartphone, bringing new hardware to demonstrate. Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider and COO Rose Wang will consider whether social media platforms can be reimagined from the ground up. Replit CEO Amjad Masad will address how software development and software engineers transform when artificial intelligence democratizes the ability to write code.

Actor, entrepreneur, and investor Mark Wahlberg will take the stage alongside Bruce K. Lee of Keebeck to discuss how he is leveraging his decades of prominence, professional relationships, and business experience to establish himself as a serious venture investor.

And then there's Startup Battlefield

Throughout the conference, startup founders will compete in live pitches across four categories: space and physical artificial intelligence, energy and manufacturing, health tech and life sciences, and enterprise and security. Competing startups will field questions from prominent investors as they advance toward the Startup Battlefield final.

Cellino co-founder and CEO Nabiha Saklayen, who won Startup Battlefield in 2021, will return to present her latest product and pose a provocative question: "Can you bank your biology?" Three additional Battlefield alumni—Piotr Byrski of Molecule.one, Demetri Maxim of Nephrogen, and Kevin Damoa of Glīd—will share candid reflections on the period following their pitches, discussing which bets succeeded, how plans evolved, and lessons they wish they had possessed when they were competing as finalists.

The 2026 finalists will then present on the Disrupt Stage, with one company winning the Startup Battlefield title, receiving $100,000 in equity-free funding and the Disrupt cup.

Grab your pass and hear directly from today's tech leaders at Disrupt

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 brings together more than 10,000 founders, venture capitalists, operators, and technology professionals from across the world to exchange insights, establish meaningful business relationships, and preview emerging technologies reshaping the industry. The event features over 200 sessions led by 250 technology leaders distributed across six industry-specific stages, supplemented by roundtable discussions and breakout sessions. Attendees can interact with 300 exhibiting startups and experience their products firsthand.

Registration is available with discounts up to $100. Attendees can bring colleagues and receive 50% off additional passes. Those affected by recent industry layoffs can obtain an Expo+ Pass for $75.