Startup Battlefield 200 Returns With a New Lineup of Venture Capital Judges for Disrupt 2026
A polished pitch can grab attention, but it takes a strong company to win Startup Battlefield 200.
That is what makes the judging panel so important. The investors evaluating each startup are not simply looking for slick slides, memorable demos, or perfectly rehearsed answers. They are searching for founders who understand their market, solve urgent problems, and show the resilience needed to build a lasting business.
Every question from the judges is designed to reveal what a pitch deck cannot always show: founder conviction, business clarity, execution ability, customer demand, and the potential to become a category-defining company.
For more than 15 years, Startup Battlefield has helped introduce early-stage companies that later became major players in their markets. Each year, a new class of ambitious founders steps onto the stage hoping to join that legacy.
Disrupt 2026 will take place October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, bringing together founders, investors, operators, and technology leaders from across the startup ecosystem. One of the biggest highlights will be Startup Battlefield 200, where rising startups compete in front of experienced venture capitalists and a live audience.
For founders, investors, and anyone interested in how early-stage companies are evaluated, Startup Battlefield offers a rare look at what top VCs really look for before placing a bet.
Meet the next five VC judges for Startup Battlefield 200
Aditi Maliwal, General Partner at Upfront Ventures
Aditi Maliwal is a general partner at Upfront Ventures, where she focuses on pre-seed and seed investments across fintech, enterprise SaaS, AI applications, and developer tools.
Her portfolio includes companies such as Clair, Writer, Arcade, and General Translation. Before joining Upfront Ventures, Maliwal held roles at Google and Deutsche Bank. She also led the Series A investment in Chime while working at a previous firm.
Maliwal is also notable for being Upfront Ventures’ first San Francisco-based partner, giving her a close view of one of the world’s most active startup markets.
Michael Palank, General Partner at MaC Ventures
Michael Palank is a general partner at MaC Ventures, a majority Black-owned venture capital firm investing in seed-stage consumer and enterprise startups.
The firm takes a culturally informed investment approach, with interest in sectors such as artificial intelligence, fintech, healthcare, media, entertainment, aerospace, and defense.
Before entering venture capital, Palank worked in Hollywood talent representation, including roles at William Morris and Overbrook Entertainment, the production company founded by Will Smith. His background gives him a unique perspective on storytelling, culture, and consumer behavior, all of which can play a major role in startup growth.
Nell Daly, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Revenge Capital
Nell Daly is the co-founder and managing partner of Revenge Capital, an evergreen, sector-agnostic fund focused on backing overlooked founders.
The fund invests across the United States and the United Kingdom, with a mission to support entrepreneurs from communities that have historically received less access to venture funding, including women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodiverse founders.
Before launching Revenge Capital, Daly worked as a psychotherapist. That experience shapes her founder-first investing style and gives her a distinct lens on leadership, resilience, decision-making, and the emotional demands of building a company.
Grace Ge, Partner at Amplify Partners
Grace Ge is a partner at Amplify Partners, where she invests in AI, developer tools, data infrastructure, and modern SaaS companies.
Her work focuses especially on the emerging layer between foundation models and enterprise applications, a fast-growing area as businesses look for practical ways to deploy artificial intelligence at scale.
Ge’s portfolio includes Pinecone, Eppo, Vivun, Orb, and Avoca. Amplify Partners’ broader portfolio includes companies such as Datadog, Fastly, Temporal, dbt, and Modal. Ge has also been recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Venture Capital.
Crystal Huang, General Partner at GV
Crystal Huang is a general partner at GV, where she invests in enterprise SaaS, AI infrastructure, and fintech.
Her investment approach pays close attention to product-led and developer-led go-to-market strategies, which have become increasingly important for modern software companies seeking rapid adoption.
Her portfolio includes Typeface, Pecan AI, Sardine, Cacheflow, PostHog, Roboflow, and Sift. Before joining GV, Huang was an investor at NEA and GGV Capital. She also worked in technology mergers and acquisitions at Blackstone, giving her experience across investing, scaling, and market strategy.
Why Startup Battlefield 200 matters
Startup Battlefield 200 is more than a pitch competition. It is a high-pressure proving ground for early-stage startups looking to show that they can compete in crowded markets, attract customers, and build durable businesses.
For founders, it is an opportunity to gain visibility in front of venture capitalists, potential partners, customers, and the broader tech community. For attendees, it is a chance to see the future of technology before it becomes mainstream.
The judges play a central role in that process. Their questions can reveal a startup’s strengths, expose its weaknesses, and highlight the difference between a promising idea and a venture-scale business.
Disrupt 2026 and Startup Battlefield 200
Disrupt 2026 is set to bring more than 10,000 founders, investors, and technology leaders to San Francisco from October 13-15. The event will feature startup showcases, investor insights, networking opportunities, and live conversations about where the tech industry is headed next.
Startup Battlefield 200 will remain one of the most anticipated parts of the event, giving attendees a front-row look at emerging companies and the investors evaluating them.
Ticket prices are scheduled to increase after September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT, with savings of up to $200 available before the deadline. Group registration may offer additional savings for teams planning to attend together.
