TechCrunch Disrupt 2026’s second day brings founders, investors and technology leaders together at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Attendees can explore more than 300 startups, hear pitches and join conversations spanning AI, robotics, public safety and venture investment.
The program combines an Expo Hall with stage sessions, breakout discussions and networking. Attendees can use the day to discover companies, compare business solutions or gather ideas for their teams.
Explore startups and hear their pitches
The Expo Hall is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Level 2. Startups, technology partners and solution providers will be on hand to demonstrate products and talk with visitors.
For founders and startup teams, the pitches offer a chance to see how other companies explain their products and make a case for their value. Investors can scout opportunities, while business leaders can compare tools and meet potential partners or customers.
The event encourages visitors to look beyond their usual areas of interest. A conversation with a company outside your immediate field may surface a useful approach or a connection worth following up.
AI, robotics and investment take the stage
Day 2’s sessions cover both the business of building startups and the technologies they are developing. On the Disrupt Stage, topics include AI and public safety, startup investing, and the design of AI hardware.
Startup Battlefield continues with companies in healthtech and life sciences, enterprise and security. Contenders are competing for a place in the final and $100,000 in equity-free funding. The sessions offer a view of how founders respond to investor scrutiny and present their businesses.
The Builders Stage turns to fundraising, customer acquisition and company growth. Sessions include “The Series A in 2027,” “How to Win When You’re Not Building AI,” and “The Zero-to-1K Playbook: How to Get Your First 1,000 Customers Without a Marketing Budget.” Together, these topics address how startups can find funding and customers while making decisions about their next stage.
AI and physical products feature prominently on the Real World AI Stage, which includes a live robot demonstration. Discussions look at deploying AI in real environments, robots, and the path from prototype to production.
The AI Stage examines questions around agent security, enterprise adoption and the changing software business model. Its sessions also address what comes after chatbots and how companies can judge whether AI is ready to do a job.
Use smaller sessions to test ideas
Breakouts and roundtables offer attendees a chance to bring questions into the conversation. Breakout topics include fundraising preparation, infrastructure, space and sovereign AI. Audience Q&A can help connect those themes to decisions facing a company or investment.
Roundtables focus on specific challenges, including AI for the physical world, decision-making with agentic AI, growth and financial planning, and raising venture capital. These smaller discussions can help participants compare approaches with people working through similar questions.
For attendees evaluating a company or planning a product, the value of a session may be as much in the practical questions it raises as in the headline topic. Taking notes and following up with speakers or fellow attendees can turn a broad discussion into a useful next step.
Make time for networking
The Networking Lounge, powered by Signify Business Cash World Elite Mastercard® by Wells Fargo, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The TechCrunch Events app offers AI-powered matchmaking to help attendees schedule meetings with people relevant to their goals.
Founder Pass and Investor Pass holders can also use the Deal Flow Cafe for dedicated networking. Investor Pass holders have access to StrictlyVC sessions on IPOs, family offices and limited partner priorities.
Evening side events extend the opportunity to meet people beyond Moscone West. Listings include Ecosystem Mixer, hosted by Peak XV; Liquid Assets, hosted by Augment and Mintz; and The Afterburn, hosted by Backblaze and Flamethrower. Entry requirements and RSVP details vary by event.
With an Expo Hall, multiple stages and ways to meet other attendees, Day 2 offers several routes through the startup ecosystem. Visitors can focus on finding a company to follow, a solution to explore or a conversation to continue after the conference.