TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Summit

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, the premier event in the world of startups and technology, is set to host an elite group of industry leaders and investors from October 27 to 29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. This prestigious conference gathers thousands of founders, investors, engineers, technologists, and professionals, aiming to showcase the latest innovations and discover promising opportunities in building and scaling startups [Source]. The "Builders Stage" will particularly focus on the practical aspects of transforming innovative ideas into successful and sustainable tech companies. The list of prominent speakers includes influential figures such as Elad Gil, Dick Costolo, and Ryan Petersen, in addition to the new addition, Jason Citron from Discord. The summit will also feature new sessions and live demonstrations of the latest robots. The summit's activities cover a wide range of vital topics, from strategies for closing the first funding round to developing effective marketing engines and integrating artificial intelligence into various aspects of business.

Speakers and Experts at Disrupt 2025 Summit

• Elad Gil: CEO of Gil & Co., a renowned investor in leading tech companies such as Perplexity, Character.AI, Harvey, Airbnb, Airtable, Coinbase, and Figma.
• Adam Bain and Dick Costolo: Co-founders of 01 Advisors, along with David Fischer, Partner at the same firm, will provide deep insights into the fundamentals of building and funding early-stage startups.
• Navin Chaddha and Charles Hudson: Managing Partner at Mayfield, and Charles Hudson, Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, will discuss effective strategies for attracting initial investment even without a final product or user base.
• Gabby Cazeau, Marlon Nichols, and Maria Palma: Gabby Cazeau, Partner at Harlem Capital, Marlon Nichols, Co-founder and Managing General Partner at MaC Venture Capital, and Maria Palma, Partner at Freestyle Capital, will offer practical advice for closing initial funding rounds for startups.
• Thomas Krane, Katie Stanton, and Sanjeen Zeeb: Managing Director at Insight Partners, Founder and General Partner at Moxxie Ventures, and General Partner at GV, will reveal the key criteria and factors that drive them to make well-valued and rewarding funding offers.
• Medha Agarwal, Jyoti Bansal, and Jennifer Neuendorffer: General Partner at defy.vc, CEO and Co-founder of Harness, and General Partner at January Ventures, will share expert tips on how to prepare impactful and attractive presentations for investors.
• Erik Allebest, Kai Makeshi, and Gail Wilkinson: Co-founder and CEO of Chess.com, Kai Makeshi from Lupoff/Stevens Family Office, and Managing Partner at VITALIZE Venture Capital, will explore alternative and innovative ways to raise funding beyond traditional venture capital.
• Leila Preston, Andrea Thomaz, and Zeeya Young: Head of Growth Equity at Generation Investment Management, CEO and Co-founder of Diligent Robotics, and Partner at IVP, will provide guidance and effective strategies for raising funding in the later stages of company growth.
• Nina Achadjian, Jerry Chen, and Viviana Faga: Partner at Index Ventures, General Partner at Greylock, and General Partner at Felicis, will share their insights on investment priorities for 2026 and promising sectors with the greatest growth potential.

Smart Scaling Platform: Strategies for Sustainable Growth

• Ryan Petersen: Founder and CEO of Flexport, will offer strategic insights on effectively building and growing companies during times of economic uncertainty.
• Jason Citron: Founder and former CEO of Discord, and Tad O'Hare, Founder and Advisor to Campus, will discuss the importance of building digital communities and sustainable companies that thrive in the long term.
• Rajat Bagaria, Anne Bordetsky, and Murali Joshi: Founder and CEO of Chef Robotics, Partner at NEA, and Partner at ICONIQ, will provide valuable advice on how to achieve product development that perfectly aligns with market requirements and customer needs.
• Randy Jacobowitz, Rebecca Lee Whiting, and Yin Wu: Head of Operations and Talent at 645 Ventures, General Counsel for early-stage startups at Epigram Legal P.C., and Founder and CEO of Pulley, will address how to design and build attractive and motivating compensation packages for early employees in startups.
• David Cramer, Lori Moore, and Zack Lloyd: Co-founder and Executive Product Director at Sentry, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, and Founder and CEO of Warp, will discuss the impact of modern "fiber coding" tools on the recruitment process for specialized engineers.
• Jasper Carmichael-Jack, Sarah Franklin, and Caleb Beaver: Co-founder and CEO of Artisan, CEO of Lattice, and Co-founder and CEO of Firecrawl, will explore the pros and cons of hiring AI agents as early employees within teams.
• Ann To Chung, Tony Kranz, and David Hall: Co-founder and CEO of Lago, Operating Partner at SignalFire, and Managing Partner at Rise of the Rest seed fund, will discuss the continuing importance of Silicon Valley as a hub for innovation for startup success in today's technological landscape.
• Max Altschuler, Mark Manara, and Alison Wagonfeld: Founder and General Partner at GTMfund, Head of Startups at OpenAI, and VP of Marketing and Executive Marketing Director at Google Cloud, will explore effective marketing strategies and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in driving growth and expansion.
• Diligent Robotics Demo: Diligent Robotics will present a live demonstration of the humanoid robot "Moxie" used in hospitals to efficiently perform routine tasks, illustrating the wide opportunities and potential challenges of socially integrating smart robots in the healthcare sector.

Disrupt 2025 Summit is an invaluable opportunity to gain deep insights from industry leaders, learn from their lessons and experiences, and build a strong network with over 10,000 startup and technology leaders and venture capitalists.