Startup Battlefield 200 applications close today: Nominate a founder or submit your startup

The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now. Get Disrupt Early Bird savings of up to $410 by May 29, 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now. TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo LatestStartupsVentureAppleSecurityAIApps EventsPodcastsNewsletters SearchSubmit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest Startup Battlefield 200 applications close today: Nominate a founder or submit your startup TechCrunch Events 7:15 AM PDT · May 27, 2026 Today is the final day to apply or nominate a startup for Startup Battlefield 200. Once the clock strikes 11:59 p.m. PT, the window closes on your chance to compete for $100,000 in equity-free funding, gain global visibility, connect directly with investors, and launch on the TechCrunch Disrupt stage. If you’re building a breakout startup — or know a founder who is — this is the moment to move. Apply now for the opportunity to join 200 of the world’s most promising early-stage startups at TechCrunch Disrupt. Founders, this is it. The application window closes tonight. The strongest startups are already in the arena, and applications always surge in the final hours. If your company has been nominated but you haven’t completed your application yet, don’t risk missing your shot by waiting until the last minute. And if you know a startup that deserves investor attention, media exposure, and a global stage, nominate them now while there’s still time to apply before the deadline. Some of the most influential companies in tech history didn’t begin with perfect pitches or massive funding rounds. They started by taking a chance. Dropbox demoed to skeptics before cloud storage was mainstream. Cloudflare pitched before most people understood edge infrastructure. Discord entered as a scrappy gaming startup called Hammer & Chisel. All of them came through Startup Battlefield. That’s because Startup Battlefield 200 has never been about rewarding the most polished companies. It’s about identifying the most promising ones. Pre-launch is fine. Early traction is fine. No revenue is fine. What matters is whether you’re building something that genuinely changes an industry. The application itself is your first pitch. And today is your final opportunity to make it. Startup Battlefield 200 is where breakout startups get discovered. Selected companies will showcase at TechCrunch Disrupt in front of 10,000+ attendees, leading venture capital firms, global media, and the broader TechCrunch audience. Founders gain direct investor access, live exposure, and the opportunity to prove they belong among the next generation of category-defining companies. Every selected startup receives: Every selected company pitches live, whether on the Disrupt Stage or the Pitch Showcase Stage. Both put founders directly in front of investors, media, customers, and partners looking for what’s next. You do not need to win the competition for this experience to change your company’s trajectory. The exposure you get from this alone could be what pushes the needle. More than 1,700 startups have participated in Startup Battlefield over the years. Together, they’ve raised over $32 billion and produced more than 250 exits, including acquisitions by Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Uber, and Amazon. Alumni include companies like Dropbox, Cloudflare, Discord, Fitbit, Mint, and Trello. Behind every one of those success stories was a founder willing to put their company forward before the rest of the world caught up. We’re looking for ambitious early-stage startups building innovative, potentially category-defining products. Applications are open globally across industries. Most selected startups are pre-Series A, though select Series A companies may qualify. To apply, startups should have: Thousands apply every year. Only 200 are selected. Just 20 finalists pitch on the main Disrupt Stage. One startup wins $100,000 in equity-free funding. The founders who change industries rarely wait until they feel completely ready. They apply before certainty exists. If you’ve been debating whether to submit, this is your final chance. The deadline closes tonight, 11:59 p.m. PT. If you’re building something category-defining — or know a startup that deserves the spotlight — submit your nomination and complete your application before time runs out. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. TechCrunch Events View Bio May 27 Athens, Greece StrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone. 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