New Judges Announced for Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Five new judges have been revealed for the Startup Battlefield 200 competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. These venture capitalists will evaluate startups based on their potential to solve real problems and become market leaders, rather than on presentation skills alone.
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- The Startup Battlefield competition has been a platform for launching companies that define markets for over 15 years.
- The newly announced judges include: - Aditi Maliwal, General Partner at Upfront Ventures, focuses on fintech, enterprise SaaS, AI applications, and developer tools. - Michael Palank, General Partner at MaC Ventures, invests in seed-stage companies with an emphasis on cultural relevance in sectors like AI and healthcare. - Nell Daly, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Revenge Capital, supports overlooked founders across various demographics. - Grace Ge, Partner at Amplify Partners, specializes in AI and modern SaaS investments. - Crystal Huang, General Partner at Google Ventures, concentrates on enterprise SaaS and AI infrastructure.
- The judges aim to assess startups on conviction, clarity, and execution to identify potential category leaders.