According to CoinMeta, TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 officially kicked off on October 13th, attracting over 10,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders to gather at the venue in San Francisco known as Moscone West. The event featured six industry stages, focusing on areas such as AI, fintech, and climate technology, providing numerous opportunities for networking and collaboration. Attendees could participate in quick talks, roundtable discussions, and investor-founder meetings to explore the cutting-edge technologies of more than 300 startups on display. During the event, TechCrunch also hosted the highly anticipated Startup Battlefield competition, which selected the most innovative early-stage startups to compete for a $100,000 prize pool and the coveted Disrupt trophy.