TechCrunch held its Startup Battlefield contest at Disrupt 2026. Out of thousands of applications, 200 startups were picked to show their ideas.
They pitched live over three days. Judges cut the list to 20 finalists, then to five. The winner was Intero Biosystems, which took the $100,000 prize and the Disrupt Cup. Apate came second.
TechCrunch also named the best showcase pitch in each industry. They included Lola Vision Systems for built world, Krokos Bio for sustainability, Rein Security and Lumai for enterprise, and Uhura Bionics for health.
๐ The Backstory
Startup Battlefield has run for years and is watched closely by investors hunting for early deals. Founders get only a few minutes on stage to explain a product and why it matters.
AI showed up across this year's list, from security tools for company agents to optical chips built for AI computing.
The showcase stage lets the other companies pitch too, so the event works like a public audition for funding.
๐ฏ Why It Matters
Contests like this show which new tech is drawing attention and money. Some of today's small startups become tools people use every day.
TechCrunch held its Startup Battlefield contest at Disrupt 2026. Out of thousands of applications, 200 startups were picked to show their ideas.
They pitched live over three days. Judges cut the list to 20 finalists, then to five. The winner was Intero Biosystems, which took the $100,000 prize and the Disrupt Cup. Apate came second.
TechCrunch also named the best showcase pitch in each industry. They included Lola Vision Systems for built world, Krokos Bio for sustainability, Rein Security and Lumai for enterprise, and Uhura Bionics for health.
Startup Battlefield has run for years and is watched closely by investors hunting for early deals. Founders get only a few minutes on stage to explain a product and why it matters.
AI showed up across this year's list, from security tools for company agents to optical chips built for AI computing.
The showcase stage lets the other companies pitch too, so the event works like a public audition for funding.
Contests like this show which new tech is drawing attention and money. Some of today's small startups become tools people use every day.