Your shot at VC access, global visibility, TechCrunch coverage, and $100,000 in equity-free funding isgone in a week.
Startup Battlefield 200 applicationscloseMay 27. Ifyou’rebuilding a breakout startup — or know a founder who is — this is the moment to act.
Apply todayfor the opportunity to take the stage atTechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 13-15, alongside 200 of the world’s most promising early-stage startups.
The clock is ticking for early-stage founders
Pre-Series Afounders, consider this your final countdown reminder: the strongest startups are already entering the arena, and theapplication window is closing fast.
If your startup has already been nominated,don’twait tocomplete your application. Thisfinal week moves quickly, and last-minute submissions risk getting buried as applications surge ahead of the deadline.
Know a startup that deserves the spotlight?Nominate them nowsothey still have time to apply before May 27.
The companies that define categories rarely start polished
Some of the most consequential companies in tech historydidn’tlaunch with splashy fundraising announcements. They started with a pitch.
Dropboxdemoedto a room full of skeptics. Cloudflare took the stage before most people understood what edge networking meant. Discord was still a scrappy gaming startup called Hammer & Chisel.
They all passed through the same crucible: Startup Battlefield200.That’snot a coincidence —it’sa pattern. And it starts with an application.
Startup Battlefield200has never been a competition for the most polished companies.It’sa competition for the most promising ones. Pre-launch is fine. No revenue is fine. What matters is whether whatyou’rebuilding genuinely changes something — not incrementally, but meaningfully.
Ifyou or a founder you know is building something impactful,then the application itself becomesthefirst pitch.Apply before May 27.
More than a pitch competition
Startup Battlefield 200is where breakout companies get discovered.
Selected startups willshowcaseliveon theDisruptStagein front of 10,000+ attendees, leading VCs, global media, and the broader TechCrunch audience. This is your opportunity to gain investor exposure, receive direct VC feedback, and prove your company belongsamongthe next generation of category-defining startups.
Every one of the 200 selected companies receives:
- A fully funded three-day exhibition booth at Disrupt
- Free passes for the team
- Dedicated pitch training
- Founder masterclasses with world-class VCs and operators
- A featured startup profile in the event app
- Press list access and lead-generation opportunities
- Opportunities for TechCrunch editorial coverage, podcasts, and speaking appearances as the company grows
And every selected company pitches,whether on theDisrupt Stage or thePitchShowcase Stage. Both put founders in front of the investors, media, and partners who attend Disrupt specifically tofindwhat’snext.
Youdon’tneed to make thetop 20for this experience to change your trajectory.Get started by nominating and applying here.
TheStartupBattlefield200track recordspeaks for itself
More than 1,700 companies have competedin Startup Battlefield 200. Together,they’veraised over$32 billionand generated more than 250 exits, including acquisitions by Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Uber, and Amazon.
The network runs so deep that alumni have evenacquiredeach other: Dropboxacquiredfellow Battlefield200alumDocSendin 2021.
This is also the same launchpad that helped accelerate companies like Fitbit, Trello, and Mint.
Behind every one of those outcomes was a founder willing to make a bet on themselves publicly, in front of people who were paying attention.Apply and learn more here.
Who should apply?
We’relooking for ambitious early-stage startupsbuildinginnovative, potentially category-defining products.
Applications are open globally across all industries. Most selected companies are pre-Series A, though select Series A startups may qualify on a case-by-case basis.
To apply, startups should have:
- A functional MVP
- A clear product demo
- Strong market potential
- Founders with vision, execution, and real traction
Thousands apply every year. Only 200areselected. Just 20 finalists pitch live on the Disrupt Stage. One startup takes the crown and wins $100,000 in equity-free funding.
One week left to make your move
The founders who wait until they feel ready often wait too long.You do not need to be polished. You need to be promising.
Ifyou’vebeen sitting on this,here’sthe reality: the worst outcome is youdon’tgetselectedthis cycle — and you come back next year with a stronger application because you went through the process.
The stage matters. The community lasts. The milestone is real.But the deadline is now one week away.
Ifyou’rebuilding something category-defining — or know a startup that deserves the spotlight —submityour nomination and complete your application before May 27.
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