The Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is approaching, and the pressure is greater than ever. With $100,000 at stake, the top 20 early-stage startups know they have to perform at their best at the Disrupt Stage, which will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone West from October 27th to 29th. Our VC judges, on the other hand, have the penetrating questions, deep experience, and insight to distinguish between the promising and the truly exceptional.
Founders can gain valuable insight into winning pitches and the secrets of sustainable startups from these experienced VCs. Investors can discover impactful startups that are ready to pitch and add them to their pipeline. Everyone else can witness the intense startup showdown as the top 20 startups vetted by TechCrunch pitch for equity-free prizes and the coveted Disrupt Cup.
Register now to watch and save up to $444 on passes, or bring your team or friends and save up to 30% with a bundle pass. Don’t miss this breathtaking World Series of pitch competition live.
Introducing the next judges for Battlefield 200
Today, we are pleased to introduce the fourth group of judges who will be participating in the contest. Only one more release left. Stay tuned to the Disrupt agenda to find out who the final five judges will be.
Allison Baum Gates, General Partner, SemperVirens Venture Capital
Allison Baum Gates is a general partner at SemperVirens, a venture fund that invests in healthcare, fintech, and enterprise SaaS. To date, she has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from LPs in the US, Europe and Asia, invested in more than 70 companies, including nine unicorns and 24 exits, and held 10 board positions.
Mr. Gates has been featured in major publications such as the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and TechCrunch, and has taught hundreds of business school students. She is a lecturer in business administration at Stanford GSB and the author of Breaking into Venture (McGraw-Hill, 2023), a comprehensive guide to navigating the VC industry. Her second book, Beyond the Pitch: The Psychology of Rasing VC Funding, is scheduled for release next year. She holds a BA in Economics with honors from Harvard University and is fluent in three languages.
Caitlin Holloway, SevenSevenSix Founding Partner
Caitlin Holloway is a founding partner of Alexis Ohanian’s early stage venture capital firm, SevenSevenSix. A veteran investor with more than 20 years of operating experience at companies such as Pixar and Reddit, Mr. Holloway supports innovative startups across a variety of sectors. She invests in solutions that expand human potential and resilience, promote health, break new ground, advance sustainability, foster creativity, and enrich the human experience.
tech crunch event
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October 27-29, 2025
At SevenSevenSix, Holloway brings his operational expertise and deep commitment to supporting founders as they navigate early-stage challenges and scale their vision. She is dedicated to reinventing venture capital by enabling generations of entrepreneurs to deliver extraordinary returns while tackling humanity’s greatest challenges.
Miloni Madan Pressler, Partner, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP)
Miloni Madan Pressler is passionate about partnering with companies that innovate with purpose – companies that solve real problems, not innovate for the sake of innovation. As a general partner at Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), I’m focused on supporting founders building products and solutions that people really need, not just want. She looks for companies that provide data-driven platforms that can bridge gaps in fragmented ecosystems, automate outdated processes, and transform industries. Madan is driven by the belief that these companies and their impact outlive a single investment, and the pursuit of lasting change drives her commitment and orientation in every partnership.
Sarah Ittelson, Accel Partner
Sara Ittelson joined Accel in 2022 and focuses on early stage consumer, enterprise, and AI companies. Prior to joining Accel, he was head of strategic partnerships at Faire and previously worked in global business development at Uber. Ittelson is a native of Chico, Calif., and a graduate of Northwestern University and Stanford University.
Rinki Sethi, Founding Partner, Lockstep
Rinki Sethi is the Chief Security Officer at Upwind Security and a founding partner at Lockstep. She previously served as vice president and chief information security officer at Twitter, BILL, and Rubrik, and held senior security leadership roles at Palo Alto Networks, IBM, eBay, and Intuit. Sethi brings deep expertise to both the private sector and corporate boards, shaping best-in-class security strategies.
Now is the time to save on your Disrupt Pass
Don’t miss this year’s Startup Pitch Contest live. With its electrifying energy, high-stakes stakes, and hard-hitting questions, the Startup Battlefield 200 has long been the launching pad for early-stage startups. Brands like Discord, Trello, and Mint broke out on the Disrupt Stage. To participate before ticket prices increase, register here.
