Five more investors join judging panel for TechCrunch's startup competition
TechCrunch has announced five additional venture capitalists who will judge the Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2026, taking place October 13-15 in San Francisco. The new judges include Aditi Maliwal of Upfront Ventures and Michael Palank of MaC Ventures, among others. They will evaluate early-stage companies across industries, focusing on business viability and founder execution rather than presentation polish.
The new judges bring varied investment lenses to the competition. Maliwal targets early-stage fintech and enterprise software, with a notable prior investment in Chime. Palank's firm emphasizes cultural relevance in seed-stage deals, drawing on his entertainment industry experience. Daly's unconventional background as a psychotherapist informs her support for underrepresented founders across the US and UK.
Ge concentrates on the infrastructure connecting AI models to business applications, while Huang prioritizes product-led growth in enterprise tech. The competition runs October 13-15 at Moscone West, with early-bird ticket savings ending September 25. Their collective expertise spans fintech, AI, and developer tools, reflecting the event's focus on substantive business evaluation.
The composition of this judging panel may signal a broader industry shift toward valuing diverse founder perspectives and fundamental business health over pitch theatrics. By including investors who specifically back overlooked entrepreneurs and culturally-driven theses, the competition could influence which startups gain visibility and funding. This may lead to more innovative solutions for underserved communities, though the direct societal impact remains limited to the startups that emerge from this event.