Summary:
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 features the Builders Stage with top speakers like Elad Gil and Ryan Petersen, offering practical advice on fundraising and scaling.
New additions include Discord's Jason Citron and live demos of AI robots, providing fresh insights on innovation and community building.
Panels cover seed to Series A fundraising, with VCs sharing secrets on pitching, term sheets, and alternative capital sources.
Sessions on product-market fit, hiring strategies, and the role of AI in startups help founders navigate growth challenges.
The event includes a live demo of Moxi the humanoid robot, highlighting advancements in AI and robotics for real-world applications.
Startups don't build themselves, and the Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — happening October 27–29 in San Francisco — is where founders, operators, and investors get real about the nitty-gritty of turning ideas into thriving businesses. This stage is packed with tactics, from fundraising to scaling, featuring heavy hitters like Elad Gil, Dick Costolo, and Ryan Petersen, plus new additions like Discord's Jason Citron and live robot demos.
Raising Smart
- Elad Gil, CEO of Gil & Co., shares insights on early investments in AI startups and what's next in the space.
- Adam Bain, Dick Costolo, and David Fischer of 01 Advisors discuss building and scaling startups with candid advice.
- Navin Chaddha of Mayfield and Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures reveal how to pitch at the inception stage with just a vision.
- Panels on seed money secrets, Series A raises in 2026, and what VCs really want in a pitch, featuring experts like Gabby Cazeau and Medha Agarwal.
- Exploring alternative funding with Erik Allebest and others on bootstrapping and non-VC capital.
- Strategies for later-stage raises with Lila Preston and insights on where VCs are betting in 2026 from Nina Achadjian.
Scaling Smart
- Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport, on building amid uncertainty and economic insights.
- Jason Citron of Discord and Tade Oyerinde of Campus on creating lasting communities and companies.
- Achieving product-market fit with Rajat Bhageria and investors, focusing on testing and iteration.
- Discussions on hiring early employees, including salary, equity, and the role of AI agents, with panelists like Randi Jakubowitz.
- Debates on the need for Silicon Valley, featuring Anh-Tho Chuong and others on decentralized tech building.
- Building effective go-to-market engines with Max Altschuler and leveraging AI for growth.
- A live demo of Moxi the humanoid robot by Diligent Robotics, showcasing AI in healthcare.
Join over 10,000 tech leaders at Disrupt 2025 to gain actionable insights and network with the best in the industry.
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