Five venture capital leaders are stepping into the judging lineup for Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Aditi Maliwal, Michael Palank, Nell Daly, Grace Ge, and Crystal Huang will bring experience from five investment firms to the event, where emerging companies will take the spotlight.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 takes place October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco. The event will bring together more than 10,000 tech leaders, VCs, and founders, creating a major setting for the Startup Battlefield 200 contenders and the people evaluating them.
Five Investors, Five Venture Firms
The judging panel connects Startup Battlefield 200 with leaders from Upfront Ventures, MaC Ventures, Revenge Capital, Amplify Partners, and Google Ventures. Each judge holds a senior role at an investment firm, giving the panel a strong concentration of venture capital experience.
- Aditi Maliwal is General Partner at Upfront Ventures, an investment firm.
- Michael Palank is General Partner at MaC Ventures, a venture firm.
- Nell Daly is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Revenge Capital, an investment fund.
- Grace Ge is Partner at Amplify Partners, an investment firm.
- Crystal Huang is General Partner at Google Ventures, an investment firm.
That lineup gives Startup Battlefield 200 five distinct leadership perspectives across firms with different names and structures. General partners, a managing partner, a co-founder, and a partner will come together to judge the companies competing at Disrupt 2026.
The panel’s composition makes the competition’s central question impossible to miss: which startups can capture the attention of experienced investors when the entire event places new companies in front of a major technology audience?
A Platform With More Than 15 Years Of Momentum
Startup Battlefield has helped launch companies that went on to define entire markets for more than 15 years. That history gives the Startup Battlefield 200 stage a clear connection to the companies and markets that shaped technology over time.
At Disrupt 2026, the judging lineup will put five venture capital leaders at the center of that continuing story. Maliwal, Palank, Daly, Ge, and Huang represent the announced VCs judging in Startup Battlefield 200, giving the competition a focused group of decision-makers from across the venture landscape.
The timing also matters for founders and investors watching the event take shape. With 10,000+ tech leaders, VCs, and founders expected at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, the Startup Battlefield 200 contenders will enter an environment built around technology companies, venture capital, and founder connections.
Disrupt 2026 Builds Toward October
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is happening October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco. The event combines Disrupt and Startup Battlefield 200, placing the competition inside a larger gathering of tech leaders, VCs, and founders.
Tickets are now available with 25% off, and attendees can save up to $300 on Disrupt. The discounted rate lasts through September 25, with savings of up to $200 on a ticket before rates increase on September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. September 25 is the last day to book a ticket at the discounted rate.
That deadline arrives before the October event, giving founders, investors, and tech leaders a clear date to keep on the calendar. The article announcing the judging lineup was published September 16, 2026, one day before the final stretch toward the discounted-ticket deadline begins.
The judges are now named, the venue is set, and the dates are locked. As October 13 approaches, Startup Battlefield 200 will carry the weight of more than 15 years of company launches into a room filled with the next group of founders ready to define what comes next.
