TechCrunch Disrupt returns to Moscone West with over 10,000 founders, investors, and tech innovators gathering for focused breakout sessions designed to answer the pressing questions driving today's startup ecosystem.
- Expert-led, interactive 50-minute breakout sessions
- Sessions cover AI evolution, fundraising, and scaling strategies
- Discounted passes available with group and laid-off worker offers
What happened
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is set for October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, bringing together more than 10,000 participants including founders, investors, and operators. The event features a robust lineup of breakout sessions that allow attendees to ask questions in an intimate setting and explore in-depth topics that impact startups and the future of technology.
The breakout sessions are 50-minute interactive discussions focusing on current challenges such as building AI agents, understanding the economics of AI inference, and managing fundraising effectively. Attendance for these sessions is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis, encouraging prompt registration and participation.
Why it matters
As AI technology advances beyond software into physical environments and increasingly complex workflows, founders need specialized insights to navigate this landscape. Disrupt 2026’s sessions provide practical knowledge from leaders at organizations like Anthropic, SOSV HAX, and Cerebras Systems, highlighting evolving AI use cases and investment trends.
Moreover, fundraising remains a critical area where founders benefit from learning strategic approaches directly from investors and experts. This event addresses both the technical and business dimensions crucial to accelerating startup growth, making it an essential gathering for anyone operating in the fast-evolving tech ecosystem.
What to watch next
Attendees should watch for workshops discussing the impact of AI shifting focus from training models to inference latency, which affects infrastructure and startup economics. Sessions will also explore the growing role of AI in company building and decision-making, emphasizing the balance between automation and human judgment.
Additionally, founders interested in fundraising will find interactive modules covering relationship building, due diligence preparation, and maintaining momentum through the fundraising lifecycle. Signals from these sessions will likely influence startup strategies and investor expectations in the coming years.