Tag: TechCrunch Disrupt

Posted on

Paradigm’s CEO dives into diversity on the Builder Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Despite current culture wars turning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies into a political punching bag, most business leaders understand that they’re very good for business. Yet in a more conservative VC market, the discussions focus more on financials than on how to construct an intentional culture.

However, younger generations are bringing updated values and an expectation of DEI to the workplace, which means tech startups can’t afford to ignore how their company culture evolves.

It’s an important issue for startup success, and we’re thrilled to tell you that Joelle Emerson, co-founder and CEO of Paradigm, will join us for a fireside chat on the Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, which takes place on September 19–21 in San Francisco.

Paradigm’s data-driven DEI software tools place the company at the center of this conversation, and Emerson is well-known for her perspective on corporate culture. We’re looking forward to hearing how the savviest startups are leaving old, ahem, paradigms in the rearview mirror and building for the future — despite political perceptions of inclusion.

Joelle Emerson: Paradigm co-founder and CEO

Joelle Emerson partners with leaders of some of the world’s most innovative companies to consult and advise on diversity and inclusion strategies. She has written extensively about diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Harvard Business Review, Fortune and on the cover of The Atlantic. She has been named to Recode’s list of the 100 most influential people in business, Marie Claire’s New Guard list of 50 women changing the world, and The New York Times’ Groundbreakers.

Before founding Paradigm, Emerson was a civil rights lawyer. Her legal background highlighted the consequences that can result from companies failing to consider diversity and inclusion early, and inspired her to found Paradigm. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School.

You’ll find more conversations with leading experts on the Builders Stage, which features topics like operations, hiring, fundraising and more. Don’t forget to check out our six new stages for six breakthrough sectors at Disrupt.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Posted on

First sneak peek at the judges for Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

The Startup Battlefield pitch competition is the crown jewel of Disrupt, and we can’t wait to see which of the Startup Battlefield 200 companies will be selected to pitch to panels of top-tier VCs at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 on September 19–21 in San Francisco. It’s always epic, and every contender is on the road to making a huge impact on the world.

We’re thrilled to reveal our first group of investors who will judge the startups and follow up each pitch with an intense, revealing Q&A. Be on the lookout for more names being announced soon!

The judges’ feedback provides insight into the criteria they use to determine whether a company is viable or not. Watch and learn what investors look for, what motivates them and what pushes them to schedule a meeting.

Okay, let’s get to it. Here are the first four VCs ready to help decide the next Startup Battlefield champion.

Meet the first round of judges for Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Morgan Beller, general partner, NFX

Morgan Beller is the co-founder of Libra and was head of strategy for Novi, Facebook’s digital wallet for the Libra payment system. She originally joined Facebook as part of the corporate development team in 2017, where she worked on defining Facebook’s strategy around blockchain, cryptocurrencies and decentralized technology.

Prior to Facebook, Beller ran corporate development at Medium, where she led the Embedly acquisition and played a key role in developing Medium’s subscription strategy. She began her career on the deal team at Andreessen Horowitz.

Beller joined NFX in 2020 to invest in networks and marketplaces across a wide spectrum of sectors, most actively in web3. She loves working with technical founders who are creating new markets.

Priti Youssef Choksi, partner, Norwest Venture Partners

Priti Youssef Choksi brings more than 20 years of corporate and business development experience to her role as a partner on Norwest’s consumer internet team.

Prior to Norwest, Youssef Choksi spent nine years at Facebook in executive roles in corporate development and business development. She led M&A efforts for the company, negotiated key partnerships and served as a strategic adviser to product leadership teams across Facebook.

Youssef Choksi previously spent six years at Google in strategic partnership roles. As director of distribution partnerships, she led deals for Google applications such as Toolbar and Chrome and negotiated transformative search partnerships with companies such as Apple and Mozilla. Top-line revenue from these deals grew from $0 to $4 billion under her stewardship.

Earlier in her career, Youssef Choksi earned her startup chops in strategy and management roles at two fast-growth companies — one went public in 1997, and the other was acquired by Inktomi in 2001.

Youssef Choksi holds an MBA with honors from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in architecture and communications.

Rebecca Liu-Doyle, managing director, Insight Partners

Rebecca Liu-Doyle joined Insight in 2016. Her focus areas include high-growth software, marketplaces and consumer internet.

Previously, she spent time on Insight’s on-site team, where she worked closely with portfolio executives on growth strategy. Liu-Doyle started her career as a management consultant in McKinsey & Company’s New York office, advising clients in the technology, financial services and consumer goods industries. Her work at McKinsey spanned a number of topics, including M&A, product development and frontline transformation.

Liu-Doyle graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a BA in ethics, politics and economics. She mentors at 1776, is a member of the Acumen Junior Council and helped launch the Parity Professional Program. She grew up bouncing between states and has lived in Louisiana, Missouri, Wisconsin and Utah. In her spare time, she enjoys eating and shopping her way through the city, cycling, watching Marvel superhero movies and taking in art history. She is fluent in Chinese and has a black belt in tae kwon do.

Dana Settle, co-founder and managing partner, Greycroft

As a member of Greycroft’s management committee, Dana Settle is responsible for the firm’s operations, investment strategy and vision. Settle is on the investment committee for all Greycroft funds and has been involved in all phases of Greycroft’s growth.

Settle’s active investments include Acorns, Anine Bing, Avaline, Bird, Citizen, Cloud Paper, data.ai, Goop, HamsaPay, Happiest Baby, Merit Beauty, Mountain Digital, Pacaso, Seed Health, Tapcart, Thrive Market and Versed. Her notable exits include Bumble (IPO), Maker Studios (acquired by Disney), Pulse (acquired by LinkedIn), The RealReal (IPO), Trunk Club (acquired by Nordstrom) and WideOrbit (interest sold to company management).

Settle is a board director to IMAX Corporation and the National Venture Capital Association. She is a founding member of the nonprofit Baby2Baby and the female mentorship collective, All Raise. She is also a member of the Fast Company Impact Council.

Prior to Greycroft, Settle spent several years as a venture capitalist and adviser to startups in the Bay Area, including six years at Mayfield, and investment banking at Lehman Brothers.

Settle holds a BA in finance and international studies from the University of Washington and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 takes place on September 19–21 in San Francisco. Buy your pass now and save up to $600. Student, government and nonprofit passes are available for just $195. Prices increase August 11.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2022? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Posted on

Rick Fox gets concrete about planet-friendly cement at Disrupt 2023

The modern world is a concrete jungle, and cement — a binding agent — is concrete’s key ingredient. It’s also one of the least climate-friendly materials. Used for housing, transportation and commerce, it produces nearly 10% of the world’s carbon pollution. But concrete that removes CO2 from the atmosphere could change all that.

We’re excited to announce that Rick Fox — three-time NBA champion, philanthropist, serial entrepreneur and now startup founder — will join us on the Sustainability Stage for a session called “Doing Something Concrete on Climate,” at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, which takes place September 19–21 in San Francisco.

You might know Rick Fox from his role playing small forward for the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers — or from his many acting roles in movies and television. Now, in his role as founder and CEO of carbon-negative concrete startup Partanna, he is focused on “leaving something behind” by making a dent in climate change.

We’re looking forward to learning more about Fox’s journey as a startup founder, Partanna’s genesis and why he chose concrete. We’re also curious to hear about how the company plans to use the $12 million in pre-seed funding it recently received from Cherubic Ventures, its current product demand, its timing for a Series A and what future growth looks like.

Clearly, we have a lot to talk about. Don’t miss this session with a startup that could potentially turn the concrete jungle into a giant carbon sponge.

Rick Fox: Partanna founder and CEO

After retiring from the NBA, Rick Fox pursued a career in television and entertainment, bringing championship-level leadership to the acting and business worlds. He has more than 200 movie and TV episode credits to his name, as either an actor or a producer.

In 2015, Fox became a pioneer in esports, establishing the Echo Fox gaming franchise, which played a major role in shaping the industry.

Earlier in his career, Fox worked with Fortune 500 brands, including American Express, Asus, AT&T, Comcast, Ford, Hewlett-Packard, Pepsi, T-Mobile, Verizon and Walt Disney across their global growth initiatives.

Currently an ambassador at large for the Bahamas, Fox helped create the Bahamas Relief Foundation, and he brings real-estate development opportunities to the region.

Hear more conversations with leading experts on the Sustainability Stage, which topics like cultured meat, energy, fast fashion, green infrastructure, sustainable agriculture and more. It’s just one of the six new stages for six breakthrough sectors at Disrupt.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Posted on

Announcing the Hardware Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

In the 7.5 years I’ve served as TechCrunch’s hardware editor, I’ve been struck by just how profoundly deep and wide this category can be. Scope is one of the most fulfilling and frustrating parts of the gig — all at the same time. So when the powers that be told me that we were doing a full day of hardware programming at Disrupt, I was simultaneously excited and overwhelmed.

I love that we’re finally giving hardware its time to shine on its very own stage. When the time came to start proposing panels, however, it was suddenly less a question of what to include and more about what we’d have to leave out. Hardware is such an embarrassment of riches. On any given day, you’ll find me writing about phones, 3D printing and manufacturing, to name a few.

Ultimately, our goal with the stage is to offer a broad scope of topics, representative of the state of hardware in 2023, while offering some insight into where things are headed. We still have a couple panels we’re not quite ready to announce, but I think you’ll find the current lineup to be a solid cross section of categories, including robotics, crowdfunding and extended reality.

Seems like everyone is talking about VR and AR these days. Few are better equipped to discuss the space’s ups and downs than Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson. We’ll also be discussing where crowdfunding is headed with new Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor.

On the robotics side, we’ve got Wendy Tan White, the CEO of Alphabet’s Intrinsic, in conversation with Brian Gerkey, CEO of Robot Operating System (ROS) steward Open Robotics, which Intrinsic acquired at the tail end of last year.

Agility Robotics CEO Damion Shelton and CTO (and former Fetch CEO) Melonee Wise will also join us, along with a few of their bipedal Digit robots. Meanwhile, Farm-ng’s Claire Delaunay, Dusty Robotics’ Tessa Lau and Diligent’s Andrea Thomaz will be discussing the next big category for the space after fulfillment. Between construction, agtech and healthcare, we should have that covered.

Like I said, we’re not done yet. We still have a few more sessions I can’t wait to tell you about. The Hardware Stage is set for September 21 — day three of Disrupt. Buy your pass now, and you can save up to $600. Student, government and nonprofit passes are available for just $195. Prices go up on August 11 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Check out the agenda below, and we’ll see you in San Francisco.

The Hardware Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Mixed Reality Finds Its Focus

with Peggy Johnson (Magic Leap)

Even the most impressive technology can struggle to find its market. One of hardware’s most well-funded startups, Magic Leap, didn’t take the consumer world by storm. Since signing on as CEO, Peggy Johnson has led the company’s pivot into industrial applications. With Meta, HTC and now Apple vying for a piece of the market, has mixed reality’s moment finally arrived?

Crowdfunding the Future

with Everette Taylor (Kickstarter)

For more than a decade, Kickstarter’s name has been synonymous with crowdfunding, but the last few years have brought their share of challenges for the platform. Everette Taylor, who stepped into the CEO role at the end of 2022, will discuss how the company is adapting to face the future.

Automation Education

with Brian Gerkey (Open Robotics) and Wendy Tan White (Alphabet and Intrinsic)

Alphabet X graduate Intrinsic was founded with a lofty goal: making programming robots accessible. The company is far from the first to tackle the problem, but it has a lot going for it, including Google’s immense resources. Founder and CEO Wendy Tan White joins us, along with Brian Gerkey, who joined the team when Intrinsic acquired Open Robotics in December.

Getting a Leg Up

with Damion Shelton (Agility Robotics) and Melonee Wise (Agility Robotics)

Agility cracked the code on bipedal robots with its Digit system. Now it’s looking to push its technology to work. CEO Damion Shelton and CTO Melonee Wise will discuss why the company is taking a different approach to the wheel-dominated world of warehouse robotics.

What’s Next in Robotics?

with Claire Delaunay (Farm-ng), Tessa Lau (Dusty Robotics) and Andrea Thomaz (Diligent)

After conquering warehouses during the pandemic, what comes next for automation? Agriculture, construction and healthcare are all safe bets. Farm-ng’s Claire Delaunay, Dusty Robotics’ Tessa Lau and Diligent’s Andrea Thomaz will discuss where robots go from here.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 takes place September 19–21 in San Francisco. Buy your pass now, and you can save up to $600. Student, government and nonprofit passes are available for just $195. Prices go up on August 11 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Posted on

Team up with TechCrunch: Host an After Hours event at Disrupt

Looking for a creative way to connect with a specific community at TechCrunch at Disrupt 2023? Our After Hours initiative is a great way to network in a relaxed, fun and meaningful way. Plus, we’ll help promote your event for free!

Throw your own After Hours event at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

What’s an After Hours event? It’s a chance to grow your brand by hosting, in affiliation with TechCrunch, an in-person, tech community–focused event in San Francisco from September 18–21 during Disrupt 2023. These side events will take place — you guessed it — after hours in the late afternoon and evening after each day of the conference. It costs nothing to apply and there’s no participation fee.

Apply to host an event of your own design and engage with more than 10,000 Disrupt attendees, as well as with your networks and the Bay Area tech community. You could host a happy hour, a career fair or a speaker panel.

Host a branded activity — from mini golf and food trucks to sunset cruises and silent discos, we’re always looking to bring the fun to Disrupt. Create an event specifically for Disrupt or submit an event you’ve already launched occurring during those days. It’s your After Hours party!

Applications are open now through August 31 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. We’ll review and approve applications on a rolling basis, so submit your event for approval today! The sooner you get approved, the sooner you (and we) can start promoting your event.

Approved After Hours events will receive free promotion across TechCrunch.com and the Disrupt 2023 website and will be promoted to Disrupt 2023 attendees through various channels like emails, posts, and agenda.

It costs nothing to apply and there’s no participation fee. Please note that hosts are responsible for managing all costs, promotions and operations associated with their event. You’ll find detailed instructions, planning information and the fine print in our After Hours Event Guide.

Get your host on at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 and get ready to build your brand, expand your network and connect with the tech community in a meaningful way. Apply to host an After Hours event, and let’s get this party started!

Don’t miss out on the After Hour events, not to mention the incredible Disrupt programming — including six new industry-specific stages. Why wait? Buy your pass now, and you’ll save up to $600.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Team up with TechCrunch: Host an After Hours event at Disrupt by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch

Posted on

Amit Serper locks up IoT security flaws at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

What do doorbells, smart plugs and pet feeders have in common? They’re just some of the billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices vulnerable to hacks. These popular, often minimally protected, devices expose consumers to cyberattacks and data theft.

IoT security is a huge and growing problem, which is why we’re excited that Amit Serper, director of security research at Sternum IoT, will join us for a fireside chat on the Security Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, which takes place September 19–21 in San Francisco.

In a session called “Exploring the Insecurity of Things,” we’ll discuss what can go wrong with smart-home tech and internet-connected devices and what it takes to secure them.

An international cybersecurity expert, Serper recently discovered a flaw in a popular internet-connected smart plug that was serious enough for the company to issue a patch. In 2017, Serper found a way to block the NotPetya ransomware attack, stopping a major cyberattack targeting Ukraine in real-time — with a tweet.

We’ll look at how and why hackers target IoT devices and, given the prevalence of internet-connected devices — from washing machines to cars to sex toys — we’ll talk about the major threats that take advantage of IoT ubiquity and what it takes to stop them.

Serper has a daily, front-row seat to the IoT threat landscape. How bad is it, and what can be done to improve security? Will efforts by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), designed to encourage manufacturers to take responsibility for their internet-connected devices, make a difference?

Whether you’re building a security or hardware startup, or you use smart tech devices in your home, this session will help you understand and mitigate the risks of using or building these products.

Learn more about our speaker — and his qualifications for tackling this challenging topic — below.

Amit Serper: Sternum IoT director of security research

A seasoned cybersecurity professional, Amit Serper’s role at Sternum, an IoT security firm, involves leading a team of experts in research aimed at transforming the IoT defense paradigm​ by conducting cutting-edge vulnerability and security research.

Prior to his work at Sternum, Serper led research roles at Akamai, Guardicore, and Cybereason, as well as in the Israeli government. Throughout his career, he has published numerous research papers about malware, vulnerability research and exploitation and security flaws in Windows, Linux, macOS and IoT platforms. Serper is a frequent speaker at cybersecurity conferences, and his work has been covered frequently by the media.

Hear more conversations with leading experts on the Security Stage, which features topics like data protection, privacy regulations, information sharing, risk management and more. It’s just one of the six new stages for six breakthrough sectors at Disrupt.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Amit Serper locks up IoT security flaws at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 by Zack Whittaker originally published on TechCrunch

Posted on

Announcing the Sustainability Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Keeping apace of the latest trends and innovation in climate tech and sustainability — an area that touches every industry and city — is nearly impossible. It’s why we created the Sustainability Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 and invited the best and brightest minds to share their insights.

The dedicated Sustainability Stage will cover the headwinds and challenges for startups seeking to raise capital, how cities are turning to innovation to adapt to and mitigate climate change, and the progress and opportunities within the world of fast fashion, energy and sustainable agriculture.

We’re even getting beer involved.

Climate change is already affecting the way we live. As a result, a new crop of startups are popping up with products and services aimed at climate mitigation and, increasingly, adaptation. We’ve tapped venture capitalists who have their fingers on the pulse of climate tech and sustainability, as well as founders and industry experts. We’ve also invited U.S. mayors — who are at the center of climate change, innovation and policy — to participate.

Here’s a first look at our agenda! TechCrunch Disrupt will be at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from September 19–21.

Lots more to come, but we’re excited to share this first look at the Sustainability Stage!

The Sustainability Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Raising in a New Climate

with Arvind Gupta (Mayfield), Libby Wayman (Breakthrough Energy Ventures)

Hear from investors about the current headwinds facing climate tech, where they’re finding new opportunities, areas that are overlooked, areas they wish more startups would enter, and more.

Clearing the Air on Tech and Cities

with Mayor Andre Dickens (city of Atlanta) and Mayor Kate Gallego (city of Phoenix) 

Fast-moving tech, slow-moving government. Or so the story goes. In the era of climate change, city leaders are more eager than ever to embrace new technologies to promote sustainability. But that doesn’t mean everything is always rosy. We’ll hear from city leaders on the highs and lows of bringing sustainable tech to urban spaces.

Doing Something Concrete on Climate

with Rick Fox (NBA champion and CEO, Partanna)

Nearly 10% of the world’s carbon pollution can be found right under our feet — literally. Cement is one of the least climate-friendly materials, yet it’s also one that the world depends on for housing, transportation and commerce. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Three-time NBA champion Rick Fox will be joining us to discuss his carbon-negative concrete startup Partanna, the role of teamwork in startups and his desire to make a dent in climate change.

 Is Sustainable Fast Fashion Possible?

with Jim Ajioka (Colorifix), Elizabeth Esponnette (Unspun), and Julie Willoughby (Circ)

Giants in fast fashion know the greenwashing game like the backs of their hands, yet the industry’s actions speak louder than words. As brands cash in on TikTok-fueled microtrends and embrace their products’ shrinking life spans, their dependence on fossil fuel ingredients, toxic dyes and worker exploitation harms people and the planet. Can the industry address its toll while still attracting customers with the latest looks and ultra-low prices? Join us as three trailblazers weigh in on the future of circular fashion, sustainable materials and the roles they believe emerging tech will play in decarbonizing the industry.

The Upside (and Downside) of Cultured Meat

with Uma Valeti (Upside Foods)

In the fight to reduce our carbon footprint, there is perhaps no bigger challenge than food, or more specifically meat. Raising, processing and distributing cattle, chicken and pork products are among the largest contributors to greenhouse gasses. So what if we grew it in the lab? Uma Valeti, founder and CEO of Upside Foods, aims to do just that. Come to the Sustainability Stage to learn the obstacles that stand in Valeti’s way — including getting consumers to literally take a bite — and if this nascent industry stands a chance.

Beer, Lab Meat and Climate Chaos

with Charles Denby (Berkeley Yeast), Matthew Walker (S2G Ventures)

As climate awareness and anxiety grows, so too has the proliferation of loosely defined terms like regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Yet, what matters most is relatively straightforward. We know business-as-usual isn’t working in virtually any industry as far as the climate goes, and that includes agriculture. Enter startups such as Berkeley Yeast and S2G-backed Future Meat; these and other emerging tech firms are developing new ways to deliver the same (or even better) foods and drinks we love, ideally without wreaking havoc on the planet that makes such foods possible. Join us as key figures in agtech dish on the greatest obstacles and opportunities they see in the sector, from the future of beer and lab-grown meat to the ways supply chains can evolve to meet environmentally conscious consumers’ demands.

Decentralized, Decarbonized and Fully Electrified — Tomorrow’s Grid

with Donnel Baird (BlocPower), Piyush Mathur (Odyssey Energy Solutions)

Electrify everything: It’s one of the leading solutions to the climate problem. But doing that isn’t as easy as simply swapping smoke stacks for solar and wind power. It’ll require an entirely new electrical grid that’s ready for new ways of generating and using power. Join us to hear how innovative startups are working to remake the grid from the bottom up.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 runs September 19–21 in San Francisco. Buy your pass now! Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Announcing the Sustainability Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 by Tim De Chant originally published on TechCrunch

Posted on

Volunteer your way to attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 for free

It takes a small army to produce a world-class tech conference, and we’re searching for a battalion of smart, eager volunteers to lend a hand at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 on September 19–21 in San Francisco. If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and help us make Disrupt an amazing experience for more than 10,000 attendees, we want to hear from you!

Volunteer and get a free pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Lend us a hand and you’ll not only get a behind-the-scenes look at how to produce a major event, but you’ll also earn a free full-access pass to all three days of the show. When your shift ends, you can take in all the action on the Disrupt Stage, the Builders Stage and our seven new industry-specific stages, too.

Plus, you can attend breakout sessions and roundtable discussions — some of the most popular draws at Disrupt — or hit the expo floor to meet and greet the Startup Battlefield 200 companies exhibiting their game-changing tech. And don’t forget about networking. You’ll have time and opportunity to network with prominent people and companies attending the show.

We’re accepting applications now through September 5. But these slots fill up quickly, so submit your application here ASAP!

What volunteers do at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Volunteers handle a variety of tasks to help make this startup conference an unforgettable experience for everyone. At any given time, you might:

  • Help with registration check-in.
  • Wrangle speakers.
  • Direct attendees.
  • Provide customer support.
  • Place signage.
  • Scan badges.
  • Support vendor setup.

Please note: Work-exchange volunteers are responsible for their own meals, housing and travel expenses, and you must attend a mandatory orientation meeting on Monday, September 18, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. PDT. All volunteers work a minimum of 8 hours during the conference. Due to the high volume of applications, we will notify only the selected applicants.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 takes place on September 19–21 in San Francisco. Lend us a helping hand, and we’ll hand you a free ticket to the Super Bowl of Silicon Valley. Apply to volunteer before September 5 to get your free pass. We want to see you in San Francisco!

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2022? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Volunteer your way to attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 for free by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch

Posted on

Upside Foods shares its recipe for scaling cultivated meat at TC Disrupt 2023

How far are carnivorous people willing to go to fight climate change and reduce inhumane factory-farming conditions? That’s a huge question when you’re a player in the lab-grown meat industry. How do you overcome the initial “ick factor,” and what will it take to bring the cost of lab-grown meats in line with the conventional hooved or feathered variety?

These are just three of the many topics we’ll discuss with Uma Valeti, founder and CEO of Upside Foods, when he joins us on the Sustainability Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, which takes place on September 19–21 in San Francisco.

Upside Foods, a leading cultivated meat company and the first to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell lab-grown — or cell-cultured — meat in the U.S., has received nearly $600 million from high-profile investors. Just some of them include the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund, Bill Gates, Cargill, Norwest, SoftBank, Temasek and Tyson Foods.

Yet, the challenges of commercializing cultivated meat at scale — while keeping the price down — are daunting. The cost of the cell culture medium alone can run from hundreds to thousands of dollars per liter. It’s a long bet in terms of cost and the time needed to build out a scalable infrastructure.

We have questions. Why, for example, would people buy expensive lab meat when they can buy the conventional meat they like for less? Are concerns about climate change and animal suffering enough to move the masses beyond their deep emotional and cultural attachment to conventional meat?

We’re eager to hear how Upside plans to win the hearts, minds and stomachs of consumers, as well as Valeti’s plan and timeline to bring mass product to the people at a price that competes with conventional meats.

Upside’s first product is chicken, which will be available in restaurants initially. We’ll check in to see what other lab-grown meats are on the table, what else the company’s working on and whether Valeti has any interesting or unexpected challenges on his metaphorical plate.

Upside may be a major player, but it is by no means the only one. There’s a herd of other interesting startups attempting to prove that a big market for cell-cultured meat exists. Valeti and others in the lab-grown meat industry have their work cut out for them, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.

Dr. Uma Valeti: Upside Foods founder and CEO

Dr. Uma Valeti founded Upside Foods in 2015 and serves as its CEO. The company has achieved notable milestones, from being among the first companies to produce multiple species of cultivated meat, to partnering with the existing meat industry, to receiving the first green light from the FDA for a cultivated meat, poultry or seafood product.

Valeti’s vision is to enable people around the world to eat the meat they love, while transforming the food system to become more sustainable and humane.

Valeti has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Aspen Ideas Festival and SXSW. In 2019, he was named a “Global Thinker of the Decade” by Foreign Policy magazine. Valeti is a Mayo Clinic–trained cardiologist and an adjunct professor in cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University.

Hear more conversations with leading experts on the Sustainability Stage, which features topics like urban mobility, sustainable fashion, green infrastructure and new mobilities. It’s just one of the six new stages for six breakthrough sectors at Disrupt.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Upside Foods shares its recipe for scaling cultivated meat at TC Disrupt 2023 by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch

Posted on

Announcing the SaaS Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has become something akin to the default model for software distribution. But it’s more than a business model. It’s also a way of developing and managing software throughout its life cycle — and that means its underpinnings are forever changing.

We decided to host a special SaaS Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 to dig deeper into the current state of SaaS, especially now that AI is changing the software landscape once again. We announced the new stage a few weeks ago, and today we’re excited to provide a first look at the agenda. Stay tuned — we’ll add more in the weeks to come!

We’ll examine the current state of SaaS of course but, more importantly, the agenda explores what comes next. We’ll talk to some of the sharpest minds and professionals in the industry — executives from early- and late-stage SaaS companies, leaders from the infrastructure companies that power the industry and the venture capitalists who fund them. The agenda is about 80% complete, so make sure to check back for more updates!

We hope you’ll join us at TechCrunch Disrupt on September 19–21 in San Francisco.

The SaaS Stage Agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Selling Your SaaS Startup: The VC View

with Whit Bouck (Insight), Megan Reynolds (Vertex) and Cathy Gao (Sapphire Ventures)

There are many reasons to sell your SaaS startup, but what is the investor perspective? This panel looks at why VCs might support your move to sell, and when they might encourage you to keep going.

What’s Next for GitHub?

with Thomas Dohmke (GitHub CEO)

GitHub has long been at the core of developer workflows, but over the course of the last few years, the company started going well beyond being a code repository and collaboration service. To a large degree, that’s thanks to its Copilot code completion service. In this session, we’ll talk about what’s next for GitHub as it expands beyond its core service under the ownership of Microsoft.

Cloudflare’s Journey from TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield to Public Company

with Michelle Zatlyn and Matthew Prince (Cloudflare co-founders)

Cloudflare launched onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2010. Today it’s a public company. We will chat with the co-founders about their journey and the challenges they face in today’s investment climate.

AI for SaaS

with Ines Chami (Numbers Station AI), David DeSanto (GitLab) and Navrina Singh (Credo AI)

The use cases for generative AI are endless, so it’s no surprise that virtually every new and existing SaaS startup now wants to make it part of their core product. In this session, we’ll talk about how to best do that, no matter whether you have an established product or you’re just starting out — all while doing so responsibly.

The State of Quantum

with Itamar Sivan (Quantum Machines)

Quantum computing is quickly moving from a science-fiction concept to a technology that has the potential to change the state of computing. In this session, we’ll talk about the state of the industry, the challenges ahead and the potential risks involved.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 runs September 19–21 in San Francisco. Buy your pass now! Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.

Announcing the SaaS Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 by Frederic Lardinois originally published on TechCrunch