A boundless expanse of tables came into view, each with its own company and demonstration among the vast sea of startups. Every corner brimmed with innovation, a smiling face behind what could very well be the next Apple or Google.
TechCrunch Disrupt is a technology conference that takes place every September in San Francisco. The three day long event hosts upwards of 13,000 people yearly, boasting venture capital firms, presentations from some of the top individuals in technology, and startups from around the world.
Initially launching in 2010, Disrupt has become one of the leading ways for emerging businesses to market themselves to investors and the tech community.
The Startup Battlefield is the competitive highlight of the event, in which 200 select startups from around the world compete against each other for a grand prize of $100,000. Before the conference, these businesses pitch their product on a preliminary stage, where they attend masterclasses, receive feedback, and engage with investors.
From these 200 preliminary startups, the top 20 competitors are selected to pitch on the main Disrupt stage of the conference. These companies present in front of the conference attendees, and are judged live by a panel of industry experts and representatives from Venture Capital firms, with the top company winning the grand prize.
A key feature of the 2023 Startup Battlefield was its focus on AI, with more than half of the 20 finalists using machine learning in some way to improve issues currently facing our society.
Tech conferences can be great ways for High School students to get a peek at the newest technology and innovations coming out of Silicon Valley, and get a chance to meet with professionals in the field. (pg. 11) Among the technological innovation, events like Disrupt also hold a variety of workshops catered towards individuals emerging in the tech sector. These are designed to quickly educate and inspire attendees in a variety of different fields, no matter skill level.
This year, Disrupt hosted multitudes of these workshops, with talks including, “How to Found Your First Startup,” “Automation Education,” and, “How to Build an Inclusive Startup — And Why It Matters.” These workshops allow attendees to directly connect with successful entrepreneurs and mentors, who have already experienced much of the hard work associated with the industry.
These keynotes cover a variety of different topics, and take place on one of eight stages at the conference which change per year, depending on the relevancy or novelty of a topic. At Disrupt 2023, the eight different session stages covered topics including AI (Artificial Intelligence), SaaS (Software as a Service), financial technology, security, hardware, sustainability, Space Exploration , and entrepreneurship.
