Tag: disrupt sf 2018

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Sign up for the Disrupt SF Virtual Hackathon today

Developers and creators, this is your shot to flex your technical building skills for a chance to win free passes to Disrupt SF 2018 — and maybe even $10,000! Sign up today to participate in the TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018 virtual hackathon!

Here’s how the virtual Disrupt SF Hackathon works. Our expert judges will review, evaluate and score every eligible submitted hack. The 70 highest-scoring teams will each receive 5 Innovator passes to TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018, where they’ll get to check out hundreds of early-stage startups in Startup and Hardware Alley, hear from several entrepreneurs, investors and innovators in a series of interviews and fireside chats and take in the illustrious Startup Battlefield competition. Plus, you’ll be able to attend all the parties and after-parties that take place during Disrupt, and keep the networking going long into the night.

Of that group, the top 30 teams will exhibit their hacks in our Hackathon Demo area at Disrupt SF to more than 10,000 attendees and another round of judging will determine the 10 teams that get to demo their creation on The Next Stage. Out of those 10, the judges will choose one winner to be our very first Virtual Hackathon Champion. And oh yeah — the winner gets the $10,000 cash prize.

Now, a Disrupt Hackathon, virtual or otherwise, wouldn’t be a hackathon without lots of sponsored prizes, cash and swag. You won’t be disappointed on that front, trust us. We have some great APIs and prizes from Visa, TomTom, HERE Mobility, BYTON and Viond on tap so far, and many more to be announced in the coming weeks.

So get those crazy ideas floating around in the backs of your heads, sign up to participate and get hacking! All hacks must be submitted by August 2!

We can’t wait to see what you all come up with.

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Meet founders and investors at Disrupt SF 2018 with CrunchMatch

In only a few short months — on September 5-7 — TechCrunch will play host to more than 10,000 members of the tech startup community at Disrupt San Francisco 2018. Our flagship event draws the best and brightest early-stage founders looking to launch, and investors to fund, their companies. Making the right connections in just three program-packed days can be a challenge, which is why we created CrunchMatch, a curated business match-making service that helps connect the founders with investors who share similar business goals.

Here’s how CrunchMatch works.

When founders register for Disrupt SF, they’ll get access to the CrunchMatch platform and provide information about their company — its tech category, funding stage, where it’s located and its current funding status.

When investors register for Disrupt SF, they’ll also get access to the platform to create a profile specifying their investment categories, the funding stage they’re looking for and their preferred geographic locations. CrunchMatch, powered by our partner Brella, uses algorithmic magic to match suitable founders and investors based on the profile information they provide.

The CrunchMatch platform then suggests meetings, and it even sends out the invitations, which you can easily accept or decline as you please. What’s more, you can use CrunchMatch to reserve a meeting space in our CrunchMatch area on the Disrupt show floor. CrunchMatch is the most efficient way to cut through the clutter and get to the people who are most likely to meet your business criteria.

Last year, CrunchMatch produced more than 1,300 meetings. We estimate that number will easily triple at Disrupt SF 2018. Now, big numbers are all well and good, but it’s the results that matter. Is the service helpful? We asked for feedback from both sides of the founder/investor coin.

Michael Kocan, an early-stage investor at Trend Discovery, appreciated the service’s efficiency:

I can quickly schedule a meeting for later that day. I had over 35 meetings with startups that I pre-vetted using CrunchMatch, and I made a significant investment in one.

As an early-stage founder, Luke Heron, CEO of TestCard.com, used the service to schedule a full day’s worth of meetings:

We used the CrunchMatch platform to schedule a bunch of meetings on our second day of the show. We met with six or seven VCs and, by and large, they were very positive meetings.

Stroll through Startup Alley — the heart of Disrupt with more than 1,200 pre-series A startups and sponsors — to see what’s new, but with this match-making tool in your networking arsenal, you’ll save time — and shoe leather — by targeting the right companies or investors for your specific needs.

Disrupt SF 2018 takes place in San Francisco on September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. Don’t miss out on the most efficient way for founders and investors to network and connect. Buy a Founder, Investor, Startup Alley Exhibitor Package or Insider Pass to Disrupt SF and you’ll be invited to fill out a CrunchMatch profile.

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Your second chance for Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF

If you missed the deadline last week to apply for the renowned Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF, have no fear. There is still one more chance at being part of the action!

Out of all of the early-stage companies exhibiting at Disrupt, three Startup Alley companies will have the opportunity to be selected as one of the “Wild Card” winners. You might be wondering, “what is Wild Card”? Wild Card is a Startup Alley exhibiting company that is selected by our TechCrunch editorial team to participate in the celebrated Startup Battlefield competition. This year we’re selecting three, and if you are exhibiting in Startup Alley, you could be one of the lucky winners.

Last year at Disrupt NY 2017, RecordGram got a table in Startup Alley, where they ended up being selected as one of the Wild Card companies and ultimately went on to win the Startup Battlefield competition — and took home $50,000. Guess what? This year, the grand prize of Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF has been doubled to $100,000!

Plus, you’ll have all the benefits of being a Startup Alley exhibitor, including access to CrunchMatch, Disrupt’s matchmaking service between startups and investors. So far, the investors coming to Disrupt SF this year have investment funds in excess of $4 billion, and we’re expecting more to sign up in the coming weeks. Also, over the course of the three-day conference, there will be curated tracks of content across four unique stages in 12 different verticals, plus tons of educational workshops and a plethora of networking opportunities.

So, if your company is pre-series A, Startup Alley at Disrupt SF is the place for you. Secure your exhibitor package here before we sell out!

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Beat the clock and apply for TC Top Picks at Disrupt SF 2018

Time is running out on one of the best ways for an early-stage startup to experience Disrupt San Francisco 2018, September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. We’re designating 60 pre-Series A companies to be a TC Top Pick. If we select your company, you get to experience Disrupt SF in all its techno-glory for free. That’s right, people: F-R-E-E. Applications close on June 29, so get a move on and apply right now.

Here’s the low-down on how the TC Top Pick program works. First off, it’s a highly competitive process. The TechCrunch editorial team carefully evaluates every application before selecting the winning startups to represent each of these 12 tech categories: AI, AR/VR, Blockchain, Biotech, Fintech, Gaming, Healthtech, Privacy/Security, Space, Mobility, Retail or Robotics.

Each TC Top Pick finalist receives a free Startup Alley Exhibitor Package. The package includes a one-day exhibit space in Startup Alley and three Founder passes (good for all three days of the show). You’ll get to participate in CrunchMatch — our investor-to-startup matching platform — to simplify finding and making appointments with potential investors, and you’ll have access to the full event press list.

Earning a TC Top Pick designation also gets you a three-minute interview on the Showcase Stage with a TechCrunch editor — and we’ll promote that video across our social media platforms. That’s promotional gold right there, my friend.

One of the other fabulous opportunities for any startup exhibiting in Startup Alley (including Top Picks) is the chance to be voted the Startup Battlefield Wildcard by Alley attendees and TechCrunch editors. If that happens, you get to compete for the $100,000 Startup Battlefield prize. Yowza! Wait, you don’t think that could happen? Guess again. After being voted the Wildcard at Disrupt NY 2017, RecordGram won the Startup Battlefield.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place on September 5-7. The TC Top Pick deadline is June 29. Don’t miss your opportunity to exhibit in Startup Alley for free. Apply for TC Top Picks today.

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Execs from DJI, 3DR and Skydio to discuss drones at Disrupt SF 2018

Just how big are drones? According to Gartner, industry revenue topped $6 billion last year and is on track to hit $11.2 billion by 2020. Unmanned aerial vehicles are a huge industry with a broad swath of applications, from hobbyists to agriculture to the military.

At Disrupt SF in September, we’ll be bringing together executives from some of the biggest names in the industry, including enterprise drone software maker 3D Robotics, startup Skydio and the industry leader in commercial and consumer drones, DJI.

Chris Anderson is the CEO of 3DR, the creator of drone analytics enterprise software platform Site Scan. Prior to cofounding the company as a resource for drone hobbyists, Anderson was the long-time editor-in-chief of Wired. 3DR was an early entrant into the consumer drone space but recently left the market and started building software for commercial drone use.

Adam Bry is the found and CEO of Skydio, a Bay Area-based startup that has generated considerable excitement — and funding — with a drone that sports impressive motional tracking for action shots. Bry is a graduate of MIT’s CSAIL program, who previous worked on Google’s Project Wing fixed-wing drone program.

Arnaud Thiercelin is the head of U.S. R&D for DJI. DJI overwhelming dominates making and selling drones and Thiercelin leads teams tasked with implementing technology for developers and enterprise.

We’re excited to have these industry leaders speak at Disrupt. There are countless opportunities in the drone space right now and these leaders are best positioned to discuss to the challenges facing founders entering the market.

Disrupt is September 5-7 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Get your tickets today.

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Showcase your country or state’s startups at Startup Alley

Disrupt SF is just a few months away (September 5-7 at Moscone Center West) and we’re looking for delegations of international startup groups, government innovation centers, incubators and accelerators to organize a country, state or regional pavilion in Startup Alley. Are you ready to step on a world stage, show off your emerging companies and be recognized as a leader in tech innovation?

Startup Alley is prime real estate, where hundreds of founders from everywhere in the world — and investors looking to fund them — gather to meet, connect and network. And maybe even produce a unicorn or two.

If you want to exhibit in Startup Alley as part of a country, state or region, your delegation startups must meet one requirement only: they must be Pre-Series A startups. If so, shoot our Startup Alley manager, Priya, an email at priya@techcrunch.com. Tell us about your delegation and where you’re from, and we’ll provide more information about the application process.

Regions that have participated in previous TechCrunch events include St. Louis, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Caribbean, Catalonia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Lithuania, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uruguay. We believe that innovation and great ideas know no geographical boundaries, and we strive to increase the diversity within our regional pavilions at every Disrupt.

Organize a minimum of eight (8) startups in your region and you’ll receive a discount off each Startup Alley company’s exhibitor package — and you’ll get organizer passes to the event. Plus, if you book your pavilion before July 25, your startups will receive one additional Founder ticket to attend Disrupt SF. Email startupalley@techcrunch.com for more pricing information.

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Catch these biotech investors speaking at Disrupt SF (Sept. 5-7)

TechCrunch’s Disrupt SF (Sept. 5-7) will be one for the record books, with twice the attendees and twice the programming sessions compared to past Disrupts, which means we can tackle emerging, super exciting categories like biotech with both great speakers and a section of Start Up Alley devoted to biotech startups. (Pssst biotech founders…there is still time to win a free TC Top Picks exhibition spot in Startup Alley complete with three Founder Passes to take in all of Disrupt SF.  Apply here.)

Today we’re delighted to announce a panel of three top biotech investors, who will share their perspectives on key in key trends biotech and where they are looking to make their next investments.

Laura Deming is the founder and partner in the $26 million Longevity Fund, a venture capital firm focused on biological research to reduce or reverse the effects of aging. Deming was accepted to MIT at age 14, but later dropped out to accept the $100,000 Thiel Fellowship and start a venture capital firm. Deming believes that before long we’ll retire the idea of growing old. So far, Deming has backed Unity Biotechnology, Precision Biosciences, Metacrine, Navitor, and Alexo Therapeutics. 

Nina Kjellson is a general partner at Canaan Partners, where she invests in biopharma and digital health companies that serve unmet needs. Kjellson serves as a mentor to Blueprint Health and Springboard Life Sciences and on the boards of Essential Access Health, and the Oliver Wyman Health Innovation Center. She holds a B.A. in human biology from Stanford University, and her recent investments Annum Health, Dauntless, PACT Pharma, Tizona Therapeutics, and Vineti. 

Arvind Gupta is a general partner at SOSV, a $150 million early stage venture capital fund, where he founded IndieBio, a biotech accelerator based in San Francisco. IndieBio focuses on startups that will either touch a billion people or create a billion in value. Arvind received his B.S. in Genetic Engineering from UCSB and has invested in  like Memphis Meats, Synthex, Medel.AI and Catalog. 

And that’s not all – we have a lot more coming in health and biotech, plus 23andMe’s Ann Wojcicki, whom we have already announced.

Get your passes now!

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24 hours left to apply for Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF ’18

This is it, the absolute last chance for the professional-grade procrastinators out there. It’s do-or-die time. If you’re an early-stage founder who dreams of launching your business to the world, you have 24 hours left to stop dreaming and take action. Get your keister in gear and apply to Startup Battlefield right now.

Startup Battlefield, the premier startup-pitch competition and the best platform for launching your company to the world, takes place at Disrupt San Francisco 2018 on September 5-7. This year we’re producing our biggest, boldest, most ambitious Disrupt ever, with three times the floor space, more than 10,000 attendees and more than 400 accredited media outlets.

Yeah, that’s a big deal, and we’ve doubled the Startup Battlefield prize to match this super-sized event: $100,000 (we’re talking equity-free cash, folks). Don’t pass up this opportunity to compete with the very best. Yes, it’s a competitive vetting process. TechCrunch editors will review all applications and select between 15-30 of the top early-stage startups. Our acceptance rate ranges from three to six percent. But hey, if you’ve got the stuff, it won’t matter. We’ll see it.

It won’t cost you a thing to compete or to participate, and every team gets free pitch coaching from our Startup Battlefield-tested TechCrunch editors. Each team gets six minutes on the Disrupt Main Stage to pitch their company to a panel of judges — consisting of well-known investors, entrepreneurs and technologists — and then answer any questions they may ask. The judges will choose five teams to enter a second and final round of pitching to a fresh team of judges.

That panel of judges determines the overall winner, who will claim the largest Startup Battlefield prize in TechCrunch history — along with the Disrupt Cup, bragging rights and an enormous amount of investor and media interest.

Every moment of Startup Battlefield takes place in front of a live audience numbering in the thousands, and it’s also live-streamed around the world (and available later on demand) on TechCrunch.com, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Every competing team receives an inordinate amount of exposure.

You’ll get even more exposure exhibiting in Startup Alley — our exhibition hall will showcase more than 1,200 early-stage startups — for all three days of the conference. It’s free for Startup Battlefield competitors, and it’s a huge networking opportunity.

And, of course, you can take advantage of Disrupt’s three content-packed days of exciting and inspiring tech programming, world-class speakers, Q&A Sessions, the Virtual Hackathon and world-class founder-to-investor networking made easy with the CrunchMatch platform.

So much potential. So many benefits. So little time left to apply. Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place on September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. You have just 24 hours left. Apply to Startup Battlefield right here.

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Only two days left to apply to Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF ’18

“Time Is on My Side” may be true for the Rolling Stones (seriously, Mick and the boys have defied time), but we’re here to tell you that time is most definitely not on your side if you want to compete in Startup Battlefield at Disrupt San Francisco 2018, which takes place September 5-7.

You have a mere two days left before the application window to Startup Battlefield — and your shot at winning $100,000 — slams shut. Drop whatever you’re doing and apply to Startup Battlefield right now.

Startup Battlefield is one of the tech industry’s leading startup pitch competitions and, without a doubt, it’s the best launching pad for early-stage startups. If you want to introduce your pre-Series A company to the world, attract investor interest and receive intense media coverage, Startup Battlefield delivers the goods.

True fact. Even if you don’t win, merely competing in Startup Battlefield can have a profound effect on your business. Don’t just take our word for it. Consider Riminder, an AI-based recruitment service, that participated in Disrupt NY 2017 but did not make the final cut. Don’t shed any tears, because the company just received a round of funding totaling $2.3 million.

The Startup Battlefield vetting process is highly competitive. Our discerning team of editors reviews each application and accepts between 15-30 startups to compete in the first round. The acceptance rate ranges from three to six percent.

The Startup Battlefield takes place live in front of an audience of thousands, including the aforementioned investors and media. It’s your time to shine. Don’t worry though, each team receives expert pitch coaching from seasoned TechCrunch editors. You’ll be ready to step onto the Disrupt Main Stage and knock the socks off our panel of judges, which consists of notable tech and VC industry experts.

Those judges will select approximately five teams to move to the finals and a second round of pitching. From that select cohort comes the grand-prize winner to claim bragging rights, the Disrupt cup and, yes, our biggest equity-free cash award ever: $100,000. Someone has to win the $100,000 prize, and it might very well be your company.

Let’s take a minute to talk about other benefits of competing in Startup Battlefield. Applying and participating doesn’t cost you a thing, and each team gets to exhibit in Startup Alley for all three days of the conference — for free. The Alley’s where you’ll join more than 1,200 early-stage startups showcasing their very best tech, products and talent. It’s one of the most inspiring networking opportunities going.

Compete in the Battlefield, and you also join the Startup Battlefield alumni community — which consists of more than 800 companies and has collectively raised more than $8 billion in funding and produced more than 100 exits. That’s another magical networking community. You might recognize a few names, like Mint, Dropbox, Yammer, Fitbit, Getaround and Cloudflare.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place on September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. You have 48 hours left to apply. You are not Mick Jagger. Time is not on your side. Apply to Startup Battlefield today.

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Dr. Kai-Fu Lee is coming to Disrupt SF to talk about how AI will eat everything, especially jobs

At our upcoming TechCrunch Disrupt SF (September 5-7), TechCrunch committed to go deep on artificial intelligence, and we’re pleased to announce a speaker who has few peers in that realm as a technologist or investor. Dr. Kai-Fu Lee is the CEO and chairman of Sinovation, a venture firm based in the U.S. and China, and he has emerged as one of the world’s top prognosticators on artificial intelligence and how the technology will disrupt just about everything. Dr. Lee wrote in The New York Times last year that AI is “poised to bring about a wide-scale decimation of jobs — mostly lower-paying jobs, but some higher-paying ones, too.”

In his forthcoming book, AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order, Dr. Lee expands on his AI thesis to argue that China has caught up to the United States in AI technology and that the two countries will dominate the AI globally, even as AI radically transforms the work world, necessitating dramatic new social programs.

That’s one seriously disruptive investment thesis, and it’s central to Sinovation’s 300 investments in the U.S. and China. Given Dr. Lee’s background, there is good reason to pay careful attention.

Equally at home in Taiwan, where he was born, Beijing where he lives and the United States, where he was educated and worked for many years, Dr. Lee completed his PhD in computer science at Carnegie Mellon by developing the world’s first speaker-independent, continuous speech recognition system. Dr. Lee went on to work for Apple, SGI and Microsoft, and in 2005 became the founding president of Google China. He launched Innovation Works (later re-named Sinovation) in 2009. In China and Taiwan, Dr. Lee is a business celebrity, thanks to the 50 million followers on his Sina Weibo micro-blogging profile, as well as his education projects, including Sinovation’s AI Institute, the firm’s Beijing-based lab of AI research and talent development.

Dr. Lee will also be on our Q&A stage (after his interview on the Main Stage) to take questions from attendees. You’ll need to grab your Innovator, Founder or Investor pass to take part in Dr. Lee’s Q&A session, as well as all of the other fantastic content exclusive to Disrupt SF attendees this September. Get your pass today and save with our early-bird discounts.