A great pitch doesn’t win Startup Battlefield 200. A great company does. That’s why the VCs sitting in the judges’ seats matter so much. They aren’t looking for polished presentations or clever demos – they’re looking for founders solving real problems with businesses that can endure. Every question they ask is designed to uncover what slides and rehearsed answers can’t: conviction, clarity, execution, and whether this company has the potential to become the next category leader.

For more than 15 years, Startup Battlefield has helped launch companies that went on to define entire markets, and every year a new group of founders earns the chance to join that legacy. Today, we’re introducing the next wave of judges who’ll take their seats at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, happening on October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco. They’ll spend each day evaluating ambitious startups across industries, asking the tough questions founders hope for – and sometimes fear.

If you want to understand how experienced investors really evaluate early-stage companies, there’s no better place to watch than Startup Battlefield, live on the Disrupt Stage. Be sure to snag savings of up to $200 on your Disrupt 2026 ticket before rates increase on September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Register here.

Meet the next five VCs judging Startup Battlefield 200:

Aditi Maliwal, General Partner, Upfront Ventures

Michael Palank, General Partner, MaC Ventures

Nell Daly, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Revenge Capital

Grace Ge, Partner, Amplify Partners

Crystal Huang, General Partner, Google Ventures

Get to know all the VC judges on the Disrupt agenda. Don’t miss Disrupt and Startup Battlefield 200.