Five, count ’em, five reasons you need to be at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
Why should you go to TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 in San Francisco on September 19–21? Let us count the reasons. We could hit double digits, but we’ll stop at five because you’re busy people with unicorns to chase. Besides, these five should be tempting enough for anyone interested in building a bigger, better startup — in less time.
Five reasons to go to TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
1. Network, connect and collaborate
You simply won’t find a better time or place to expand your network, with the right people, than at Disrupt. More than 10,000 attendees gather, looking for ways to learn, connect, collaborate and build. Start with our event app — it lets you find and schedule meetings with people who share your business goals.
Networking at Disrupt also includes plenty of organic ways to meet, greet and create startup magic in a variety of settings:
Deal Flow Café, our brand-new investor-to-founder networking area.
Enhance your trip to San Francisco at After-Hours Events happening during Disrupt week throughout the city.
Meet like-minded travelers in the many engaging breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, meetups and Q&As in the expo.
We could go on and on, and we’ll keep you posted on more speakers, topics and events you won’t want to miss at TC Disrupt.
2. Seven new industry stages
Well, aren’t we sneaky? Tucking seven reasons into one, giant opportuni-palooza. You’ll find innumerable opportunities within your own sector, plus the rare chance to explore collaboration across different industries — all under one roof. Click the links below to see the top founders, VCs, builders, researchers and policy makers who will share their insights on the hot topics, current trends, future technology and more across seven breakthrough sectors on seven stages.
AI Stage
Fintech Stage
Hardware Stage
SaaS Stage
Security Stage
Space Stage
Sustainability Stage
3. World-class speakers
The startup ecosystem is packed with brilliant minds, and you’ll always find the best and brightest leaders across the startup spectrum speaking on the stages at Disrupt. Here’s just a sample, and you’ll find all of them listed in our speaker roster — and we’re still adding to the list!
Naba Banerjee, Director of Trust Product and Operations, Airbnb
Thomas Dohmke, CEO, GitHub
Peggy Johnson, CEO, Magic Leap
Tessa Lau, Founder and CEO, Dusty Robotics
Shaquille O’Neal, NBA Superstar, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur
Arianna Simpson, General Partner, a16z crypto
Kevin Systrom, Entrepreneur, Co-founder, Instagram
Monique Woodard, Founding Partner, Managing Director, Cake Ventures
4. The Startup Battlefield 200
Thousands of early-stage startups have applied to join the Startup Battlefield 200 cohort this year. Only the top 200 will make the cut and exhibit for all three days of Disrupt. Spend time on the expo floor and meet these amazing founders as they demo their cutting-edge tech. Each Startup Battlefield company will also fast-pitch live on the expo’s Pitch Showcase Stage.
Of those Startup Battlefield 200 companies, only 20 will be chosen to compete for the $100,000 (equity-free) prize in the epic Startup Battlefield competition. Watching is one of the best ways to learn how VCs think and what motivates them to invite you to that all-important first meeting. Do not miss this world-class showcase! Want to know more about the experience? Listen to our four-episode Inside Startup Battlefield podcast
5. Breakouts & Roundtables
Expert-led breakout sessions and roundtable discussions — some of the most popular draws at Disrupt — focus on individual topics designed to help you build a better business. Here are a couple of examples of what you can expect:
Breaking into the Healthcare Monolith: Strategies for Working with Payors and Providers: Presented by InterSystems.
Setting the Stage for Women of Color Founders to Equitably Share the VC Spotlight: With Brittany S. Hale, interim CEO NS COO, Digitalundivided. Presented by Digitalundivided.
War Stories with Founder Equity and Cap Tables: With Sam Wong, startup coach and fractional founder, Fundable Startups.
Rapidly Grow your AI Startup: With Jeremiah Owyang, investor, Blitzscaling Ventures. Presented by Llama Lounge.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 takes place on September 19–21 in San Francisco.
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