The competition offers founders a six-minute window to present their business cases, but the real scrutiny begins during the Q&A sessions. Judges evaluate teams on execution, market viability, and defensibility, providing a masterclass for the 10,000 tech leaders expected to attend. The newly announced judges bring diverse expertise across AI, enterprise software, and physical automation.
In section Startups & Technology
TechCrunch Unveils New VC Judging Panel for Startup Battlefield 200
Five prominent investors have joined the judging panel for the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, set to take place October 13–15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. These venture capitalists will evaluate early-stage startups competing for a $100,000 prize and the opportunity to secure long-term industry momentum.
Vaibhav ‘Dr.V’ Agrawal of ODDBIRD VC joins the panel with a background in health and bio-automation, while ICONIQ Growth’s Anu Bharadwaj contributes her experience scaling enterprise platforms like Jira. They are joined by General Catalyst’s Sho Sho Leigha Ho, an early-stage investor with a focus on AI; IVP partner Miloni Madan Presler, who specializes in growth-stage security and software; and Aidan Madigan-Curtis of Eclipse Ventures, known for her expertise in robotics and physical AI. These five investors join the 10 previously announced judges to round out the selection committee for this year’s cohort.
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