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Meet the VCs judging Startup Battlefield 2026
Five new investors join TechCrunch Disrupt's pitch competition to evaluate the next generation of breakout startups.
In brief
Five new investors join TechCrunch Disrupt's pitch competition to evaluate the next generation of breakout startups. Top-tier venture capitalists with deep expertise in AI, enterprise software, and physical tech will judge which early-stage founders win $100,000 and a spot in TechCrunch history. Originally reported by…
Startup Battlefield returns to Disrupt
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13-15 in San Francisco with Startup Battlefield 200, where hand-picked founders pitch in six minutes to top VCs. The winner takes home $100,000 and a spot in TechCrunch history.
Why the judges matter most
The real value comes after pitches end, when judges ask the questions every investor and customer will want answered: Can the team execute? Is the market big enough? Why now? What's defensible?
“Can this team execute? Is the market big enough? Why now? What's defensible?”
Dr.V leads ODDBIRD VC
Vaibhav Agrawal co-founded ODDBIRD VC in 2024 to back AI companies reindustrializing the West, focusing on health, supply chains, and automation. A trained physician with an MBA from Stanford, he previously invested at Lightspeed Venture Partners India.
Anu Bharadwaj from ICONIQ
Anu Bharadwaj is a partner at ICONIQ focusing on enterprise software and AI. She spent nearly 12 years as president and COO of Atlassian, leading product and engineering as the company scaled to billions in annual revenue.
Sho Sho Leigha Ho at General Catalyst
Sho Sho Leigha Ho joined General Catalyst in 2024 as its youngest partner, investing in early-stage founders. She serves as board observer at Together AI and has backed companies including Graylark and Autoscience.
Miloni Madan Presler at IVP
Miloni Madan Presler is a partner at Institutional Venture Partners investing in first-time founders building enterprise software, healthcare, and security companies from Series B through pre-IPO. She previously worked at Summit Partners and Warburg Pincus.
Aidan Madigan-Curtis at Eclipse
Aidan Madigan-Curtis is a partner at Eclipse Ventures investing in AI, IoT, and manufacturing solutions. Named one of Business Insider's 22 Investors to Know in Robotics, she previously scaled Apple Watch manufacturing and grew Samsara to over $1 billion in annual recurring revenue.
Register before prices rise
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 brings 10,000 tech leaders, VCs, and founders together October 13-15 in San Francisco. Save up to $200 on tickets before September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Here's the gist
Top-tier venture capitalists with deep expertise in AI, enterprise software, and physical tech will judge which early-stage founders win $100,000 and a spot in TechCrunch history.
