Startups don’t construct themselves. The Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27-29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, is the place buyers, operators, and founders come to speak techniques — the nitty-gritty of getting one thing off the bottom and making it work. This yr, we’re bringing among the sharpest minds within the recreation to the stage, together with legendary investor Elad Gil, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, and Flexport founder Ryan Petersen. In the event you’re on the lookout for real-world insights from individuals who’ve really constructed and backed category-defining firms, that is the place it occurs.
Whether or not you’re wrestling together with your first time period sheet, constructing a GTM engine that really converts, or questioning if AI must be your subsequent rent, the Builders Stage has solutions. Anticipate candid conversations, contemporary methods, and no-fluff recommendation from the oldsters who’ve been by way of the fireplace — plus viewers Q&A throughout each session, so you may get your hardest questions answered, dwell.
Scale smarter with actionable insights from the leaders sitting entrance and middle on the Builders Stage. Register now and save as much as $675 in your ticket.
A primary have a look at the Builders Stage agenda
See under what’s locked in up to now, and keep tuned. The Disrupt 2025 agenda is simply getting greater, with extra prime names and daring conversations on the best way.
Elevating Sensible
A Dialog with Investor Extraordinaire Elad Gil
Earlier than a lot of the world had skilled ChatGPT, Elad Gil had already written seed checks to startups like Perplexity, Character.AI, and Harvey. That’s on prime of early bets on firms like Airbnb, Airtable, Anduril, Brex, Checkr, Coinbase, Deel, Figma, Flexport, GitLab, Gusto, Instacart, Notion, Opendoor, Pinterest, Rippling, Sq., Stripe… you get the concept.
Gil, who has additionally based a number of firms like Mixer Labs (purchased by Twitter) and Shade Health, all the time appears to know what’s subsequent. And he’s already engaged on the following issues coming for AI and investing.
Constructing What’s Subsequent with the Minds Behind Twitter and Meta
Adam Bain and Dick Costolo, co-founders and managing companions, and David Fischer, associate, at 01 Advisors
Be a part of these three powerhouse buyers from 01 Advisors for an insider fireplace chat on what it actually takes to construct, scale, and fund early-stage startups right now. From product to development to fundraising, you’ll get candid recommendation and contemporary views from trade veterans shaping the following wave of tech success.
Seed Cash Secrets and techniques Each Founder Ought to Know
Gabby Cazeau, associate, Harlem Capital, Marlon Nichols, co-founder and managing normal associate, MaC Enterprise Capital, and Maria Palma, associate, Freestyle Capital
Elevating your first spherical is hard, however removed from unattainable. This panel brings collectively skilled buyers to interrupt down what it actually takes to shut a seed spherical. From crafting the suitable pitch to making sure you might be greenlighting the suitable companions, get actionable recommendation to show investor curiosity into capital.
How you can Elevate a Collection A in 2026
Sangeen Zeb, normal associate, GV, and extra audio system to be introduced
On this unfiltered panel, prime VCs reveal what actually will get them to supply a time period sheet with a wholesome valuation — from metrics that matter to the pitch errors that kill offers. Discover ways to place your organization for its first priced, institutional funding.
What VCs Actually Wish to Hear in Your Pitch
Medha Agarwal, normal associate, defy.vc, Jyoti Bansal, CEO and co-founder, Harness, and Jennifer Neundorfer, normal associate, January Ventures
Buyers hear lots of of pitches, however only some stand out. Hear instantly from VCs on what they love, what makes them cringe, and the refined indicators founders typically miss. This panel reveals insider ideas that will help you craft a pitch that grabs consideration, builds belief, and wins the suitable checks.
Rethinking Startup Capital with out VCs
Erik Allebest, co-founder and CEO, Chess.com, Kay Makishi, Lupoff/Stevens Household Workplace, and Gale Wilkinson, managing associate, VITALIZE Enterprise Capital
VCs aren’t the one recreation on the town. Be a part of us as we discover different fundraising paths with an angel investor, a household workplace vp, and a founder who bootstrapped to success. Discover ways to faucet into capital that aligns together with your imaginative and prescient, retains you in management, and will get you to the following stage in your phrases.
Getting ready Now for Your Later Stage Elevate
Lila Preston, head of development fairness, Era Funding Administration, Andrea Thomaz, CEO and co-founder, Diligent Robotics, and Zeya Yang, associate, IVP
Elevating later-stage rounds takes greater than luck — it’s about technique from day one. Be a part of these two distinctive VCs and an skilled founder as they share methods to construct metrics, storytelling, and relationships that place your startup for future funding success. Be taught the important thing strikes that set you as much as shut greater rounds with confidence.
The place VCs Are Putting Their Bets in 2026
Nina Achadjian, associate, Index Ventures, Jerry Chen, normal associate, Greylock, and Viviana Faga, normal associate, Felicis
Curious the place the sensible cash is heading subsequent? This panel brings collectively prime VCs to share their 2026 funding priorities, rising sectors, and what improvements are catching their eye. Early-stage founders, this one is for you! Get a uncommon glimpse into the traits and applied sciences that would form your small business within the yr forward.
Scaling Sensible
Constructing in a Time of Uncertainty
Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO, Flexport
Uncertainty is the brand new regular, nevertheless it’s additionally a chance. On this fireplace chat, Ryan Petersen, CEO of worldwide logistics unicorn Flexport, shares his hard-won insights. With $2.3 billion raised, Flexport’s delivery know-how intersects worldwide enterprise and coverage, giving Petersen nearly prescient financial insights. He’s been vocal about all the things from tariff coverage to AI. He’s additionally skilled private volatility, famously leaving his CEO position after which returning lower than a yr later. Founders, take notes: That is the way you construct when the foundations preserve altering.
How you can Nail Product-Market Match
Rajat Bhageria, founder and CEO, Chef Robotics, Ann Bordetsky, associate, NEA, and Murali Joshi, associate, ICONIQ
Constructing a product is tough. Constructing one which prospects are champing on the bit to get, that’s priced proper, and delivers on its guarantees is even more durable, and it’s all the time messy. However when you hit the holy grail of product-market match, your startup is on a quick monitor to development, funding, and traction. Hear from a founder who’s lived it and two buyers who’ve helped many others get there. This panel breaks down methods to take a look at smarter and iterate with intention so you may cease guessing and begin rising.
How A lot Wage and Fairness Ought to You Actually Supply Early Staff?
Randi Jakubowitz, head of operations and expertise, 645 Ventures, Rebecca Lee Whiting, fractional normal counsel for early-stage startups, Epigram Authorized P.C., and Yin Wu, CEO and founder, Pulley
Early hires form your startup’s future, however provided that you may appeal to and preserve them. This panel dives into constructing fairness and advantages packages that compete with massive tech with out breaking your burn charge. Hear real-world methods to align incentives, enhance retention, and construct a staff that scales.
With Vibe Coding, Do Early-Stage Startups Nonetheless Must Rent 10x Engineers?
David Cramer, co-founder and CPO, Sentry, Lauri Moore, associate, Bessemer Enterprise Companions, and a speaker to be introduced
Vibe coding merchandise have utterly modified the velocity, price, and technical talent wanted to construct merchandise, from prototypes to delivery. That is very true for early-stage startups. Some makers of those merchandise have even declared that nobody must study to code anymore. In that case, meaning startups don’t have to fill their early rosters with the famed 10x coders. However how a lot of that’s hype and the way a lot is actuality? Our panelists will dive into how the developer instrument world is altering and what comes subsequent.
Ought to You Rent AI as Early Staff?
Caleb Peffer, co-founder and CEO, Firecrawl, and extra audio system to be introduced
Most startups right now are utilizing AI in some capacities: vibe coding prototypes or new options, deep analysis by way of their favourite chat earlier than gross sales calls. Many are additionally constructing AI merchandise, or a minimum of together with AI choices and options. So, do you have to embed AI on the root operations of your companies, like hiring AI brokers as a substitute of people for gross sales? For buyer assist? To automate your billing? Discover ways to decide the suitable use circumstances, construct smarter workflows, and get the most important affect with restricted assets.
Do Startups Nonetheless Want Silicon Valley?
Anh-Tho Chuong, CEO and co-founder, Lago, Heather Doshay, associate, head of expertise, SignalFire, and David Corridor, managing associate, Rise of the Relaxation seed fund, Revolution
Whereas Silicon Valley remains to be the startup capital, how necessary is entry to it anymore? This panel debates whether or not founders should plant roots within the Valley to succeed or if alternative is so sturdy elsewhere that they don’t want it. Hear views from buyers and founders redefining what it means to construct, scale, and fund an organization in right now’s decentralized tech world.
Constructing a GTM Engine that Truly Works
Max Altschuler, founder and normal associate, GTMfund, and extra audio system to be introduced
A killer product wants a killer go-to-market technique. This panel breaks down how early-stage startups can construct a GTM perform that drives development, wins prospects, and scales effectively. Hear from founders and GTM consultants on hiring, messaging, gross sales techniques, and the important thing metrics that show your strategy is working.
Wish to see extra?
Not solely will you achieve invaluable insights from these tech giants dwell at Disrupt 2025 alongside 10,000+ startup, tech, and VC leaders this October, however it’s also possible to save as much as $675 in your go right now. Register right here to lock in your financial savings.
