The VCs are in the building
If you're into the startup scene, you know the Startup Battlefield 200 is the main character of TechCrunch Disrupt. We're talking 200 hand-picked companies vying for that sweet $100,000 equity-free prize and the legendary Disrupt Cup. TechCrunch just dropped the names of the five VC heavy hitters who will be sitting on the judging panel to decide who actually has the sauce and who gets sent home.
Meet the judges
These folks aren't just here for the vibes; they have the receipts when it comes to spotting the next big thing:
- Caleb Appleton (Bison Ventures): A biomedical engineer turned investor, he’s hyper-focused on physical AI, robotics, and techbio.
- Sara Deshpande (Maven Ventures): She’s been in the VC game for a decade, focusing on consumer software and digital health. Fun fact: she teaches startups and entrepreneurship at Stanford.
- Aatish Nayak (Kleiner Perkins): A total pro with a background at Scale AI and Harvey, he’s all about those AI-native founders who actually know their stuff.
- Jason Risch (Greylock): If you're building enterprise security or data platforms, he's the guy to watch. He’s got that Stanford mathematical pedigree, so he’s not easily impressed.
- Mark Xu (Index Ventures): He’s looking for the "hustle"—technical founders who are obsessed with their customers. He’s already backed major names like Wiz and Glean.
Why it matters
Real talk: this is where the industry's "next big thing" is incubated. If you want to see which startups are actually moving the needle versus just having a great marketing deck, these judges are the filter. The whole event goes down October 13-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. If you're trying to level up your network or catch the next wave before it hits the mainstream, it’s basically the place to be. Say less.
