Tag: TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2018

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One week left: Apply for Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF

One week, seven days or 10,080 minutes. No matter how you slice it, time is running short if you want to compete in Startup Battlefield — the premier startup-pitch competition taking place at Disrupt San Francisco 2018 on September 5-7. Applications close in just one week, so get yourself together and apply right now.

Why wouldn’t you? It won’t cost you anything to apply or to participate. No fees, that’s our motto. And because this is our biggest Disrupt event ever, we celebrated by supersizing the grand prize to a very hefty $100,000 (that’s equity-free cash, folks).

Still need not sure the benefits of competing outweigh the effort of applying? Startup Battlefield is the best platform for launching your company to the world. And that’s not just our opinion. Cathy Han is the CEO of 42 Technologies, an online retail analytics platform. Here’s what she says about her company’s Startup Battlefield experience.

“Launching on Battlefield helped us rise above the noise, and it put us on the radar of customers, investors and talent early on. We also met a community of amazing founders and the family at TechCrunch, who have helped us grow ever since. If you’re launching a new company or product, this is the stage you want to be on.”

If you’re selected by our team of highly discriminating editors, you’ll receive expert pitch coaching to get you primed and ready to do battle. Teams get six minutes to make their pitch to an expert panel of judges — and then answer any questions the judges may have for them.

The Battlefield stage has a live audience packed with literally thousands of entrepreneurs, tech founders, investors and media. We also live-stream it to the world on TechCrunch.com, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. And it’ll be available later, on demand. It’s the kind of exposure startup founders dream of experiencing.

And if you do compete, your company becomes part of a very exclusive club: The Startup Battlefield alumni community. This group of more than 800 companies has collectively raised more than $8 billion in funding and produced more than 100 exits. You may recognize a few of them: Mint, Dropbox, Yammer, Fitbit, Getaround and Cloudflare. That’s some rarified company.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place on September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. You have just one week left to apply. Why not take your shot? Apply to Startup Battlefield today.

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Apply now: Startup Battlefield San Francisco ’18 applications end in less than 2 weeks

Less than two weeks.That’s all that stands between you and your chance to compete in Startup Battlefield at Disrupt San Francisco 2018 on September 5-7. If you think your pre-Series A company has what it takes to go head-to-head against some of the top early-stage startups, both domestic and international, then don’t delay. The application window for this potentially life-altering startup pitch competition slams shut in — you guessed it — less than two weeks. Apply right now.

Disrupt SF ’18 is without doubt our largest and most ambitious Disrupt ever. Our new venue, Moscone Center West, provides three times the floor space, offers four unique stages, and we expect more than 10,000 attendees over the course of three program-packed days. Clearly, we needed a Startup Battlefield suitable for an event of this magnitude. So how does a $100,000 equity-free cash prize grab you?

That kind of cheddar will go a long way to help you realize your startup dream, but you have to take the first step and apply. Here’s how it all works.

Our team of pitch-savvy TechCrunch editors will scrutinize every Startup Battlefield application. As vetting processes go, it’s highly competitive with an acceptance rate somewhere between 3 and 6 percent. We look at the team, the product and the market potential before ultimately selecting 15-30 pre-Series A startups in the final cut. Keep in mind that competing in Startup Battlefield doesn’t cost a thing; we don’t charge any fees or take any equity.

Remember those pitch-savvy TechCrunch editors? They’ll provide the competing teams with free pitch training to prepare for the big day and round one of the competition. Teams have just six minutes to pitch and demo in front of an expert panel of judges. Judges follow each pitch with questions for the team.

Those judges select approximately five teams to advance to round two for a repeat pitch performance in front of a fresh set of judges. And from that impressive cohort will come Disrupt Startup Battlefield’s first-ever $100,000 champion.

The whole thrilling shebang takes place in front of a live audience that numbers in the thousands. We also live-stream it to the world on TechCrunch.com, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. And it’ll be available later, on demand.

Just being a Startup Battlefield competitor can reap significant benefits — whether you win or not. You’ll receive investor interest and media opportunities from more than 400 accredited outlets at the show. Just consider Aircall, a company that competed back in 2015. It just received $29 million in another round of funding.

And every Startup Battlefield team gets to join the ranks of the Startup Battlefield alumni community. This group of more than 800 companies has collectively raised more than $8 billion in funding and produced more than 100 exits. You may recognize a few of them: Mint, Dropbox, Yammer, Fitbit, Getaround and Cloudflare. That’s some rarified company.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place on September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. Startup Battlefield is an outstanding opportunity to launch your company to the world. Don’t pass up your chance to go big — $100,000 big. Apply to Startup Battlefield today.

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Mobility startups: Apply to exhibit for free as a TC Top Pick at Disrupt SF ‘18

Mobility is one of the most rapidly advancing technologies going, and we’re searching for the rising stars of early-stage mobility startups to apply as a TC Top Pick for Disrupt San Francisco 2018 on September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. It’s a competitive application process, but if TechCrunch editors designate your company as a Top Pick, you get to exhibit for free in Startup Alley — the show floor and heartbeat of every Disrupt event. Besides, who doesn’t love free?

Mobile tech is on the cusp of a revolution, and we’re interested in startups focused on everything it entails — autonomous vehicles, sensors, drones, security — or something else altogether. Flying cars, anyone? Exhibiting in Startup Alley will expose your startup to more than 10,000 attendees, including potential investors, customers, partners and more than 400 media outlets.

Here’s how the TC Top Pick process works. First things first: apply now. Our expert team of editors will review each application and choose only five mobility startups as TC Top Picks. They also will select five startups for each of the following tech categories: AI, AR/VR, Blockchain, Biotech, Fintech, Gaming, Healthtech, Privacy/Security, Space, Retail or Robotics. A total 60 companies will exhibit in Startup Alley as a TC Top Pick.

If your mobility startup makes the cut, you receive a free Startup Alley Exhibitor Package, which includes a one-day exhibit space in Startup Alley, three founder passes good for all three days of the show, use of CrunchMatch — our investor-to-startup matching platform — and access to the event press list.

In addition to all the other potential media opportunities, TC Top Picks also get a three-minute interview on the Showcase Stage with a writer — and we’ll share the heck out of that video across our social media platforms. That’s promotional gold right there, folks.

And who knows? As a Startup Alley exhibitor, your company might even get selected as the Startup Battlefield Wildcard — if they do, you get to compete in Startup Battlefield for a shot at the $100,000 prize.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place on September 5-7. Don’t miss your opportunity to exhibit in Startup Alley for free. The TC Top Pick deadline is June 29, and we have special offers for early applicants. Does your startup have what it takes to be one of the five mobility TC Top Picks? Apply today to find out.

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AI startups: Apply to exhibit for free as a TC Top Pick at Disrupt SF ‘18

Heads up, startup fans. One of the best ways to experience Disrupt San Francisco 2018 is for free — and who doesn’t love free? Right now, we’re hunting for the best early-stage AI startups to apply as a TC Top Pick. If your company earns that designation, you get to exhibit for free in Startup Alley at Disrupt SF 2018, which takes place September 5-7 at Moscone Center West. Apply today.

AI will be a big focus at Disrupt SF ’18, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Oil fueled the 20th century, but data, AI and machine learning fuel the 21st. Where once mobile strategy reigned, “AI first” is the new rally cry across nearly every industry, and it will only continue to grow.

If you want to get your AI startup in front of literally thousands of tech influencers, investors and media, Startup Alley at Disrupt SF ’18 is where you need to be. If you want to do that for free, here’s what you need to know.

Our seasoned — and highly discerning — TechCrunch editorial team will evaluate every TC Top Pick application and select 60 companies — five startups representing each of these 12 tech categories: AI, AR/VR, Blockchain, Biotech, Fintech, Gaming, Healthtech, Privacy/Security, Space, Mobility, Retail or Robotics.

If your AI startup earns a TC Top Pick designation, you will receive a free Startup Alley Exhibitor Package, which includes a one-day exhibit space in Startup Alley, three founder passes good for all three days of the show, use of CrunchMatch, our investor-to-startup matching platform, access to the event press list and a chance to be chosen as Wildcard company — which means you could potentially compete in Startup Battlefield for this year’s supersized $100,000 prize.

Remember we mentioned media coverage? In addition to potential coverage from any of the 400 media outlets roaming Startup Alley, each TC Top Pick also gets a three-minute interview on the Showcase Stage with a TechCrunch editor — and we’ll promote that video across our social media platforms. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

TC Top Pick applications close on June 29, and only five AI startups will make the cut. Will yours be one of them? You have nothing to lose (and we have special offers for early applicants). Take your shot, and apply today.

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Disrupt SF ‘18 super early-bird prices disappear in three days

Don’t let procrastination drain your time and productivity — or your wallet. You have exactly three days left to save up to $1,800 on Super Early-Bird pricing for Disrupt San Francisco 2018 — the premiere tech conference related to all things startup. Disrupt SF takes place September 5-7 at Moscone Center West, and it’s one of the most productive ways early-stage startup founders, investors and technologists can spend their time. How much you spend to get there is up to you. Get your tickets today.

This year we’re building out Disrupt SF 2018 to be our biggest Disrupt ever. Our new venue offers three times the floor space, which will accommodate more than 10,000 attendees including over 1,200 startups and exhibitors. You can expect three jam-packed days of programming across 14 tech tracks and some of the top tech titans, movers, shakers and speakers to grace the Disrupt stage.

We’re still finalizing our list of speakers, but here’s a prime example. Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe, and John Riccitiello of Unity will be joining us. Wojcicki’s an expert at pivoting and navigating the tricky waters of regulatory approval. And, according to DFJ Growth partner Barry Schuler, an investor in Unity, Riccitiello’s mobile gaming software company stands to become one of the most important technology companies of the next decade.

So many great speakers can’t help but generate the desire for more conversation, and that’s why we created Q&A Sessions. These are smaller, moderated panel discussions with curated questions from the audience. It’s the perfect opportunity to follow-up on any questions that came up during Main Stage interviews.

We’re taking Startup Battlefield to new heights this year, too. The best little startup pitch competition for launching your company on a global stage now boasts a grand prize of $100,000. What’s stopping you from applying? Do it right here, right now. Even better, you can use the same application process for Startup Alley and TC Top Picks.

If you want to exhibit your company in Startup Alley — and really, why wouldn’t you — there are two ways to exhibit and both require an application.

You can buy a Startup Alley Exhibitor Package, which includes one exhibit day, three Disrupt SF Founder passes, access to CrunchMatch (our platform that makes it easy for investors and founders to meet), use of the Startup Alley exhibitor lounge, access to the Disrupt press list and a chance to be voted as a Startup Battlefield Wildcard.

The other way to get in the Alley is to be chosen as a TC Top Pick and receive one free Startup Alley Exhibitor Package. TechCrunch editors will select a total of 60 startups — five from each of these 12 tech tracks: AI, AR/VR, Blockchain, Biotech, Fintech, Gaming, Healthtech, Privacy/Security, Space, Mobility, Retail or Robotics.

Here’s a big media-exposure bonus: TC Top Picks also get a three-minute Showcase Stage interview with a TechCrunch editor and coverage across our social media platforms.

Be sure to sign up for alerts about how you can participate in our Virtual Hackathon. Join forces with thousands of tech developers, designers and dreamers from around the world and build something new to solve real-world problems.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place September 5-7. Why pay more than you have to for all of this amazing startup goodness? Early-bird pricing flies away on May 3 — just three short days away. Get your tickets right here.

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Only two weeks left to score the best pricing for Disrupt SF passes

Entrepreneurs know the stress that comes from bootstrapping a tech startup on a shoestring budget — and a frayed one at that. That’s why we’re reminding you that you can still save big bucks on passes to San Francisco Disrupt 2018, which runs from September 5-7. The Super Early Bird price offers up to $1,800 in savings, but it all disappears on May 3 — just two short weeks from now. Go get your passes right here.

Entrepreneurs also know good ROI when they see it. Disrupt attracts some of the greatest minds, movers, shakers and makers on the frontier of technology. Whether you’re looking to secure funding, find collaborators, meet a new co-founder or invest in a startup, the networking opportunities alone make Disrupt a must-attend event.

TechCrunch Disrupt is known for debuting tech innovations that change the way we live, work and play. And, in case you haven’t heard, Disrupt SF 2018 will be our biggest, most ambitious event ever. What does that mean?

Let’s start with the new venue — Moscone Center West — with three times more floor space. And we’ll need it to accommodate the more than 10,000 people attending three full days packed with the best tech programming around. We’re talking four different stages — including the Main Stage showcasing emerging tech — interactive workshops, Q&A Sessions, 12 different category tracks and more than 1,200 startups and exhibitors.

You’ll find those 1,200 pre-Series A startups exhibiting in Startup Alley, the very soul of TechCrunch Disrupt. Companies in just about every vertical you can think of will showcase their best tech, talent, products, platforms and services.

Did we mention our incredible speakers? We’ll have more announcements to come, but we’re off to an exciting start because GirlBoss Media CEO Sophia Amoruso, Carbon CEO Dr. Joseph DeSimone and Adidas CMO Eric Liedtke will be gracing the Disrupt SF stage.

Disrupt wouldn’t be Disrupt without the Startup Battlefield, the best pitch-competition platform for launching your startup to the world. Again, this year we’re going bigger and better. The grand-prize champion scores a very cool $100,000 (folks, that’s not a typo). Think your startup has what it takes to win the Disrupt Cup? You have nothing to lose and 100,000 things to gain. Apply today at our new TechCrunch Application Hub.

And for the first time ever, we’re taking the Hackathon global. Yup, now thousands of devs, hackers, coders and programmers from around the world will compete in our Virtual Hackathon. Sign up here to receive updates on how you can participate.

Disrupt San Francisco 2018 takes place September 5-7, 2018. It’s bigger, better and value-packed. Don’t miss your chance to get in at the lowest price. Buy your passes now before May 3 and save.