Disabled 2025: Day One | TechCrunch

Today, first day, TechCrunch disabled 2025 He’s doing his best – 10,000s of founders, investors, and builders flock to Moscone West for a steady stream of ideas, demos, and deals. The energy is electric, the conversations are everywhere, and the breakthroughs are just beginning.

from The emerging battlefield to Disruptive AI 60from space entrepreneurs to founders redefining how and when startups go public, this is where the next decade of technology is being written—live. Every hallway conversation, every roundtable, every conversation over coffee can lead to a new partnership or the next big company. Check the list of speakers.

Not registered yet? You still can, but don’t wait. Get your ticket now Get straight into the action: Five powerful stages, hundreds of exhibiting startups, investor meetings, Braindate networking, and side events lighting up San Francisco all week long.

Expo Hall

Doors are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Discover over 300 exhibiting startups showcasing the latest technologies in various industries. See who’s offering.

Stage sessions

The milestones are set – today’s speakers cover everything from space technology and startup growth to expansion and going public strategies. Here’s a look at what’s happening across Disrupt’s stages today. Check out the full agenda.

Deactivation stage

The spotlight remains on Startup Battlefield 200, the “global series of pitch competitions.” TechCrunch screened the top 20 early-stage startups to pitch to the world’s most experienced venture capital firms for a $100,000 equity-free prize and the coveted Disrupt Cup.

The emerging battlefield – Session 1: The judging panel includes Alison Baum Gates (SemperVirens VC), Cathy Friedman (GV), Caitlin Holloway (Seven Seven Six), Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures), and Nicolas Sauvage (TDK Ventures).

Startup Battlefield – Session 2: Eric Dobroshkin (Index Ventures), Jane Hoskins (NVIDIA), Thomas Crane (Insight Partners), John McNeil (DVx Ventures), and Katie Stanton (Moxxie Ventures).

Self-driving reality check – Tekedra Mawakana (Waymo)

What Sequoia sees coming next – Roelof Botha (Sequoia Capital).

Moonshots, artificial intelligence, and the future of the alphabet – Astro Tiller (Moonshot Factory).

Space stage

At the intersection of technology and exploration, startups are reimagining the future of space.

Aerospace Startups Showcase: Solving the Toughest Problems in Space — Dr. Tom Quick (JPL), Dr. Debra Emmons (Aerospace Corporation), Caitlin Holloway (Seven Seven Six), and Mandy Vaughn (GXO, Inc.).

From Robinhood to Aetherflux: The Next Frontier by Baiju Bhatt – Baiju Bhatt (Aetherflux)

Investing at the edge of space – Morgan Beller (NFX), Celeste Ford (Stellar Ventures), and Chris Morales (Point72 Ventures).

Made in Space: Varda’s plan to build the next great supply chain – William Broy (Farda Aerospace Industries).

Artificial Intelligence at the Edge: Startups Powering the Future of Space — Dr. Debra L. Emmons (Aerospace Corporation), Dr. Lucy Hoag (Violet Labs) and Adam Maher (Ursa Space Systems).

Laying the foundation for the new space economy – Max Hawt (Fast), Kelly Hennig (Stock Space), Bridget Mendler (Northwood Space), and even Rogers (Real Anomaly).

Go to the general stage

For founders at every stage, this path delves into the frameworks and strategies that drive IPO preparation and post-exit success.

How long should a startup stay private? – David George (Andreessen Horowitz)

Rethinking going public: Kodiak AI founder going public — Don Burnett, (Kodiak AI)

What comes after a successful hack? – Santi Sobotowski (Emergence Capital) and Eric Yuan (Zoom).

How AI is forcing late-stage startups to rewire their GTM — or get left behind – Jane Alexander (CapitalG), Vanessa Larco (Building), and Nirav Tolia (Nextdoor).

Everything you need to know before you head out – Jay Dass (Sapphire Ventures), Dan Springer (Ironclad), and Rosanne Wencek (Renegade Partners).

Construction phase

The raw, unfiltered truth of startup life—lessons on scaling, raising money, and thriving through chaos.

How to raise a Series A in 2026 — Thomas Crane (Insight Partners), Katie Stanton (Moxxie Ventures), and Sangin Zip (GV).

Flying into the future: Artificial intelligence fuels aviation – Natasha Del Toro (Del Toro Productions), Tanya Ives, and Doug King (Epic Aircraft).

How much salary and equity should you really offer your first employees? – Randy Jacobowitz (645 Ventures), Rebecca Lee Whiting (Epigram Legal), and Yin Wu (Pulley).

Building what’s next: Startups, DeepMind, and Google Cloud – Tulsi Dosah (Google DeepMind) and Darren Morey (Google Cloud)

Building a GTM engine that actually works — Max Altschuler (GTMfund), Mark Manara (OpenAI), and Alison Wagonfeld (Google Cloud).

Who will determine the future of artificial intelligence in 2025? AI Disruptors 60 has been revealed – Shai Greenfield (Greenfield Partners) and Renen Hallak (Vast Data).

What venture capitalists really want to hear in your pitch – Medha Agarwal (defy.vc), Jyoti Bansal (Harness), and Jennifer Neuendorfer (January Ventures).

Building in times of uncertainty – Ryan Petersen, (Flexport)

Pitch display stage

Head to the exhibition hall to watch some of our exhibiting startups in action.

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Startup Battlefield 200 Sustainability Pitches

11:30 AM – 12:05 PM: Booth pitching session – KOSME

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Booth Presentation Session – Japan – JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization)

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Startup Battlefield 200 Build World Pitches

3:30 PM – 4:15 PM: Booth Presentation Session – Korea – KOTRA (Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency)

4:15 pm – 4:45 pm: Pavilion presentation session – Sultanate of Oman

Penetration stage

Participate with the panel in a 50-minute question and answer session. This is on a first-come, first-served basis. All types of tickets are welcome. See the full agenda To know the times and session details.

The untapped opportunity hidden in business workflow – Umair Bashir (Signal), Umair Javed (Texel), Marcos Torres (Quickbase)

From emotion to speed: How AI tools can help you achieve your development goals — Tim Rogers (GitHub)

Build First, Fund Later: A Founder’s Guide to Emerging Startups – Tarun Raissouni (Grove)

How to Acquire Technology (Without Selling): M&A Tips for Founders and Builders – Yonas Bashawred (StarSling) and Eklil Ibsa (Coinbase)

Fundraising Mistakes That Will Doom Your Tour, and How to Avoid Them – Kamila Khasanova (On Top Strategy), Sam Lee (Thoropass), Dr. Richard Monaci (Tampa Bay Wave), and Ashley Paston (General Catalyst)

A workshop on the fundraising process with TC editor turned VC Josh Constine – Josh Constine (SignalFire)

Artificial Intelligence on the Brink: The Strategic Playbook for National Security — Daniel Hendricks (Center for AI Safety)

Startup lessons you won’t find in a playbook -Santi Sobotowski (Emergence Capital) and Melissa Wong (Zipline).

Round tables

These small group sessions give founders and investors the opportunity to encounter real-world challenges up close. Remember: Pre-registration on the event app is required to enter.

The future of banking and fintech: The wave of artificial intelligence – Nnamdi Okeke (645 projects)

Prototype, fine-tune, and scale GenAI applications using open models – Aishwarya Srinivasan (Fireworks AI)

The winning formula: Transform your business into a trusted, scalable community to drive growth – Tasnim Amina (Kindred) and Justin Palevsky (Kindred)

From seed to enterprise: selling AI agents that scale – Alison Baum Gates (SemperVirens Venture Capital)

The future of construction: The role of artificial intelligence and data in the field and the office -Austin Yount, Brick & Mortar Ventures.

Berkeley Connect: Experience the world’s #1 startup ecosystem – Siwen Ding (Evergreen Saponins) and Keith McAleer (UC Berkeley Sutaraja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology)

How to Train Your Model: Tame AI Agents Without Breaking Them – Kayla Guru (Anthropy)

Society is the product — Brian Hamacek (Fentley), Gargi Kand (Fentley), and Nick Khneisser (Fentley)

Physical artificial intelligence: designing, financing, and scaling the future – Kahini Shah (Clear Projects)

The future of the space economy in low Earth orbit – Abhi Kumar (UC Berkeley).

Investor insights — Itamar Novick (Recursive Ventures) and Brian Sparks (Silicon Valley Venture, LLC)

The future of the space economy in low Earth orbit (emergence) – Abhi Kumar (UC Berkeley)

IPO Success: Charting the Path from Private to Public – Charlie Keevers (CARTA) and Daniel Tai (Morgan Stanley)

Building in the line of fire: What it takes to win at AI in the public sector – Ross Fubini (XYZ Venture Capital) and Ben Van Rohe (Legion Intelligence)

Build an AI-ready data infrastructure with a simple team – Michel Tricot (Erbyte)

Your equalizer is your own artificial intelligence – Alex Malebranche (Cloudflare)

Networking opportunities

Braindate Powered Networking Lounge: Open 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Find your next co-founder, investor, or mentor through curated or spontaneous meetups.

Deal Flow Cafe: It opens at 9:00 a.m. exclusively for founders and investors, providing a quiet space to make deals over coffee.

Live stocks

From 9:00 to 9:30 AM, start your morning with Live stocksa special on-stage recording of TechCrunch’s flagship podcast. Join the TechCrunch team to dive into the business of startups, technology, and venture capital—all unfolding in real time from Builders Stage.

Disable side events for 2025

Hosted by the company Side events It’s happening all over San Francisco this week, expanding the energy of the disruption far beyond just west of Moscow. Here’s what’s happening tonight – panels, parties, and meetups designed to connect founders, investors, and innovators in every corner of technology. Be sure to respond to where you stand on any of these matters.

Drink and Drink with P2S.VC: Hosted by Pre-seed for Success (AltaIR Capital, Yellow Rocks!, Smart Partnership Capital, I2BF Global Ventures)

Unleash Your Investor Potential: How Tech People Can Become Limited Partners Using Vested Equity Units: Hosted by Musa Capital

Future Shock Deep Tech Meetup with SOSV and KIAC: Hosted by SOSV

“Unofficial TechCrunch Disrupt 2025” Afterparty at Werqwise SF: Hosted by Silicon Valley Venture, LLC

Exclusive gathering of non-Seed and Series A founders, accredited investors and VCs – side event at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: hosted by Equity

South Asia Group @ Disrupt Week: Hosted by the American South Asian Network (ASAN)

Beyond the Hype: Voices from the Future of Humane AI – Short Film Screening and Panel Discussion: Hosted by Building Humane Tech

Ping Pong After Boards: Hosted by Scrut Automation

TechCrunch Disrupts the Unofficial Welcome Party: Up or Down? AI Rooftop Debate with Baseten, Premji Invest and Treble PR: Hosted by Treble PR

Founder Happy Hour & Fireside Chat: Avoiding Identity & Compliance Domain Creep 👻: Hosted by Descope & Delve

JetBrains Night in San Francisco: Hosted by JetBrains

Night Zero: TechCrunch Disrupt Week’s unofficial kick-off party: hosted by Fox Rothschild and Silicon Valley Bank

There’s still time to join Disrupt 2025

Think it’s too late to join? Not a chance. Get your ticket here. There is still a lot to experience TechCrunch disabled 2025 – Including more Startup Battlefield demos, game-changing sessions, and unforgettable connections. Tickets are available until the last day. Secure yours now and be part of the future of technology.