plans: What's next for Startup Battlefield 200

TechCrunch has announced plans for Startup Battlefield 200 in 2026. The program will select 200 early-stage startups from around the world for the competition at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. The cohort will include companies building across artificial intelligence, climate, health, fintech and other sectors. Applications will open in the middle of this month and close in mid-June. Selected startups will be notified around September 1. A virtual preparation program will begin at that time to help founders refine their stories and sharpen their pitches ahead of the event. All participants receive free exhibit space at the conference for three days. They also gain access to masterclasses and curated networking along with direct exposure to investors and press. Selected companies can pitch live at Disrupt. A group of finalists will compete on the main Disrupt Stage for a $100,000 equity-free prize and the Disrupt Cup. The program has a track record of strong alumni outcomes. More than 1,700 companies have participated and raised over $32 billion in total. Past participants include Dropbox, Discord, Cloudflare, Trello and Mint.