Your quest for VC access, global exposure, TechCrunch coverage, and $100,000 in equity-free funding will be gone in a week.
Battlefield 200 Startup Apps close on May 27. If you’re building a startup — or know a founder who is — now is the time to act.
Apply today for the chance to take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, taking place October 13-15, alongside 200 of the world’s most promising startups.
The clock is ticking for early stage founders
Pre-Series A founders, consider this your final countdown reminder: The strongest startups are already entering the arena, and The application window closes quickly.
If your startup is already set, don’t wait to complete your application. This final week is moving quickly and last-minute submissions are at risk of being buried as applications pile up before the deadline.
Know a startup that deserves the spotlight? Recommend them now so they still have time to apply until May 27th.
Category-defining companies rarely start out shiny
Some of the most important companies in tech history didn’t start with explosive fundraising announcements. They started with a pitch.
Dropbox was introduced to a room full of skeptics. Cloudflare came on the scene before most people understood what edge networking meant. Discord was still a scrappy gaming startup called Hammer & Chisel.
They all went through the same crucible: Startup Battlefield 200. This is no accident – it’s a pattern. And it starts with an app.
Startup Battlefield 200 there has never been a competition for the most sophisticated companies. It is a competition for the most promising. Preboot is fine. No income is good. What matters is whether what you build actually changes something — not incrementally, but fundamentally.
If you or a founder you know is building something impactful, then the app itself becomes the first step. Applications until May 27.
More than a pitch competition
Startup Battlefield 200 it’s where breakout companies are discovered.
Selected startups will pitch live on the Disrupt Stage in front of 10,000+ attendees, top VCs, global media and the wider TechCrunch audience. This is your chance to gain investor exposure, get direct VC feedback, and prove that your company is among the next generation of category-defining startups.
Each of the 200 selected companies receives:
- A fully funded three-day trade show booth at Disrupt.
- Free passes for the team.
- Special training on the field.
- Founding masterclasses with world-class VCs and operators.
- A selected launch profile in the event app.
- Press list access and lead generation opportunities.
- Opportunities for editorial coverage, podcasts, and speaking engagements at TechCrunch as the company grows.
And each featured company plays, either on the Disrupt Stage or the Pitch Showcase Stage. Both put founders in front of investors, media and partners attending Disrupt specifically to find out what’s next.
You don’t have to be in the top 20 for this experience to change your trajectory. Get started by nominating and applying here.
Startup Battlefield 200’s track record speaks for itself
More than 1,700 companies have competed in the Startup Battlefield 200. Together, they have raised over $32 billion and spawned more than 250 exits, including acquisitions by Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Uber and Amazon.
The network is so deep that alumni have even acquired each other: Dropbox acquired fellow Battlefield 200 alum DocSend in 2021.
This is also the same startup platform that helped accelerate companies like Fitbit, Trello, and Mint.
Behind each of these results was a founder willing to bet on himself publicly, in front of people who were paying attention. Apply and learn more here.
Who should apply?
We are looking for ambitious early-stage startups creating innovative products that are potentially category-defining.
Applications are open worldwide in all industries. Most selected companies are pre-Series A, although selected Series A startups may qualify on a case-by-case basis.
To apply, startups should have:
- Founders with vision, execution and real traction.
Thousands of applications every year. Only 200 are selected. Only 20 finalists perform live on the Disrupt Stage. One startup takes the crown and wins $100,000 in equity-free funding.
One week left to make your move
Founders who wait until they feel ready often wait too long. You don’t need to be polished. You must be promising.
If you’ve sat it out, here’s the reality: The worst outcome is that you don’t get selected this cycle — and you’ll come back next year with a stronger application because you went through the process.
The scene matters. Community lasts. The milestone is real. But the deadline is now a week away.
If you’re building something class-defining — or know a startup that deserves the spotlight — submit your nomination and complete your application before May 27.
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