2026 plans: What’s next for Startup Battlefield 200

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Kevin A. Damoa, Founder & CEO, Glīd, Claire Kroft and Ankit Malhotra, winners of the Startup Battlefield 2025, airs  onstage during time  3  of TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 astatine  Moscone Center connected  October 29, 2025 successful  San Francisco, California.Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images

10:54 AM PST · February 3, 2026

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 is the flagship early-stage startup contention held at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, spotlighting the world’s astir promising young companies. Each year, thousands of applicants from astir the globe vie for 1 of 200 slots in the cohort, which provides unparalleled visibility, entree to top-tier investors, and opportunities to grow. 

Early-stage startups from astir the satellite are joining the Startup Battlefield email list to beryllium the archetypal to cognize erstwhile applications unfastened this month. Don’t miss a bushed if you’re ready to articulation the action. 

What is Startup Battlefield? 

Valentina Agudelo VargasImage Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images

Startup Battlefield 200 is a highly selective startup motorboat programme designed to hole early-stage startups for visibility, investment, and scale. Each year, TechCrunch hand-selects 200 companies to summation unmatched exposure, credibility, and opportunities to standard faster than they ever imagined:

  • Free grounds abstraction astatine TechCrunch Disrupt for each 3 days
  • Exclusive entree to masterclasses and curated networking
  • Direct vulnerability to top-tier press and investors 
  • A accidental to transportation unrecorded astatine Disrupt
  • A changeable astatine the main Disrupt Stage to vie for a $100,000 equity-free prize and the iconic Disrupt Cup 

Alumni who’ve entered Startup Battlefield 

Startup Battlefield’s track record is among the strongest successful the manufacture — alumni represent 1,700+ companies that person collectively raised over $32 billion and see well-known names specified as: 

  • Dropbox.
  • Discord.
  • Cloudflare.
  • Trello.
  • Mint.
  • … and galore others that person gone connected to important exits and growth.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Startup BattlefieldImage Credits:TechCrunch

What to expect successful 2026 

In 2026, Startup Battlefield 200 will erstwhile again bring unneurotic a planetary cohort of high-potential early-stage startups gathering crossed AI, climate, health, fintech, and beyond.

Applications volition unfastened successful the mediate of this period and adjacent successful mid-June. Selected startups volition beryllium notified around September 1, erstwhile the virtual mentation program begins — designed to assistance founders refine their story, sharpen their pitch, and get acceptable for the pitch of a beingness connected the TechCrunch Disrupt stage.

Ready to articulation the battle this year? 

For founders and investors alike, Startup Battlefield 200 remains one of the astir influential planetary early-stage startup stages — a spot wherever breakout companies get seen, funded, and scaled.

Techcrunch event

Boston, MA | June 23, 2026

Don’t miss a infinitesimal of the action: Join the Startup Battlefield mailing list to beryllium the archetypal to cognize erstwhile applications unfastened adjacent month.

TechCrunch Disrupt startup Battlefield presentationImage Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images

Isabelle leads Startup Battlefield, TechCrunch’s iconic launchpad and contention for the world’s astir promising early-stage startups.

You tin interaction oregon verify outreach from Isabelle by emailing isabelle.johannessen@techcrunch.com.

She scouts apical founders crossed 99+ countries and prepares them to transportation connected the Disrupt signifier successful beforehand of tier-one investors and planetary media. Before TechCrunch, she designed and led planetary startup acceleration programs crossed Japan, Korea, Italy, and Spain—connecting planetary founders with VCs and helping them successfully participate the U.S. market. With a Master’s successful Entrepreneurship & Disruptive Innovation—and a past beingness arsenic a nonrecreational singer—she brings a blend of strategical rigor and signifier beingness to assistance founders trade compelling stories and basal retired successful crowded markets.

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