Here are the VCs judging in Startup Battlefield 200 Disrupt 2026 | TechCrunch

TechCrunch has officially revealed a prominent lineup of venture capital judges for its highly anticipated Startup Battlefield 200 competition, set to take place at the Disrupt 2026 conference in San Francisco.

Scheduled for mid-October at Moscone West, the multi-day gathering serves as a major hub for thousands of technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors looking to identify the next generation of industry-defining companies. Rather than focusing merely on well-rehearsed presentations, the newly appointed judging panel will task themselves with uncovering the fundamental viability, execution strategies, and long-term sustainability of the participating early-stage startups.

The newly announced group of judges represents a diverse cross-section of the modern investment landscape, with expertise spanning software-as-a-service, fintech, and artificial intelligence. Among those selected are Aditi Maliwal from Upfront Ventures, who concentrates on seed-stage enterprise tools, and Michael Palank of MaC Ventures, who champions early-stage investments through a culturally driven perspective. Nell Daly, co-founder of Revenge Capital, intends to leverage her background in psychotherapy to support historically overlooked founders. Rounding out the panel are Grace Ge of Amplify Partners and Crystal Huang of GV, both of whom focus heavily on developer tooling, data infrastructure, and emerging artificial intelligence applications. These experienced professionals will provide critical feedback to help determine which startups possess the potential to lead their respective categories.