The panel features Stacy Brown-Philpot of Cherryrock Capital, Chi-Hua Chien of Goodwater Capital, Dayna Grayson of Construct Capital, Carter Reum of M13, and Alexa von Tobel of Inspired Capital. Each judge brings a distinct track record: Brown-Philpot focuses on software companies led by Black and Latinx founders, while Chien has backed over 17 unicorns across mobile and consumer AI. Grayson targets foundational American industries like manufacturing and logistics, Reum manages $1.9 billion in consumer technology assets, and von Tobel prioritizes high-growth platforms such as MosaicML.
In section Startups & Technology
The Five Investors Deciding the Startup Battlefield 2026 Champion
Five veteran venture capitalists will serve as the final judges at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, tasked with selecting the winner from 200 Startup Battlefield participants. These investors, each a founder of their own firm, will evaluate the finalists on the Disrupt Stage between October 13 and 15 in San Francisco.
Beyond the competitive judging, the group will host a live AMA on the Builders Stage. This session offers attendees direct access to their expertise on fundraising dynamics and company scaling. The competition serves as the centerpiece of the three-day event, which draws over 10,000 industry professionals to explore the latest market shifts across more than 200 sessions.
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