TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 announces final main stage lineup

The upcoming TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 conference, running from October 13 to 15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, has finalized its main stage schedule. The three-day event is set to host over 10,000 founders, venture capitalists, and operators, featuring more than 250 speakers across 200 sessions. Among the headliners, Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman will address the physical and financial limits of AI scaling, while Ricursive Intelligence co-founders Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini will discuss AI systems capable of designing their own computing hardware.

Other major sessions will bridge the gap between software, hardware, and biology. Amazon's Panos Panay is scheduled to showcase new technology while discussing the post-smartphone era, and Replit CEO Amjad Masad will analyze how AI-driven development changes the software engineering landscape. In a rare joint appearance, all five partners of the venture firm Benchmark—Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle, and Eric Vishria—will share their collective outlook on the startup ecosystem. Additionally, Science Corporation founder Max Hodak and Cellino CEO Nabiha Saklayen will explore direct technological interfaces with the human body.

For early-stage practitioners, the event serves as a launchpad and a learning ground. The Startup Battlefield 200 will culminate in a live competition where selected startups pitch to top investors for a chance to win $100,000 in equity-free funding. Former winners and alumni, including Cellino's Saklayen, Molecule.one's Piotr Byrski, Nephrogen's Demetri Maxim, and Glīd's Kevin Damoa, will share practical post-pitch experiences. For attendees, these sessions provide a rare opportunity to hear raw, unfiltered strategies on scaling complex physical products, navigating AI-driven market shifts, and securing venture funding during a transitional period for the tech industry.