Startup Battlefield isn’t about slick slides. It’s about endurance. For over 15 years, this competition has filtered out the noise to find founders building category-defining businesses. The judges don’t care about rehearsed demos. They want conviction. They want clarity. And they want to see if a company can survive the grind.
TechCrunch just announced the next five venture capitalists taking seats at Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco. Aditi Maliwal from Upfront Ventures brings deep fintech and AI experience, having led Chime’s Series A. She’s Upfront’s first San Francisco-based partner, signaling a strategic shift for the firm. Joining her is Michael Palank of MaC Ventures, a majority Black-owned firm. Palank’s background in Hollywood talent representation adds a unique lens to his investments in consumer and enterprise AI.
The panel also features Nell Daly of Revenge Capital. Her approach is distinct. As a former psychotherapist, she focuses on overlooked founders, including women and neurodiverse entrepreneurs. Grace Ge from Amplify Partners rounds out the group with expertise in the infrastructure layer between foundation models and enterprise apps. Her portfolio includes heavy hitters like Pinecone and dbt. Crystal Huang from Google Ventures (GV) completes the lineup, focusing on product-led growth in enterprise SaaS and AI infrastructure.
These investors aren’t just there to hand out trophies. They’re looking for the next market leader. Their questions will probe execution and long-term potential, not just immediate hype. This matters because early-stage validation from this caliber of investor often dictates a startup’s trajectory. If you’re building in AI or fintech, pay attention to what these judges prioritize. The event runs October 13-15 at Moscone West. Ticket prices jump after September 25, so the clock is ticking for those wanting front-row access to this scrutiny.
