Meet the Distinguished Panel of Judges for Startup Battlefield 2025
The Startup Battlefield 2025 competition is set to feature an expanded panel of venture capital experts renowned for their strategic acumen and industry knowledge.Building on a foundation of experienced investors, this new group will rigorously assess founders’ pitches, challenge their business models, and ultimately determine who takes home the prestigious $100,000 prize at TechCrunch Disrupt, taking place October 27-29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West.
A New Wave of Venture Capital Leaders Driving Innovation Forward
This latest cohort continues a legacy of influential investors whose probing questions and insightful critiques have been pivotal in shaping startup trajectories. their expertise spans diverse fields such as cybersecurity, enterprise software, corporate venture capital strategies, and early-stage funding dynamics.
Thomas krane – Managing Director at Insight Partners
Since joining Insight Partners in 2012 as an analyst, Thomas Krane has advanced to managing director with a specialization in cybersecurity solutions, DevOps tooling, IT automation platforms, and application software. His portfolio includes five publicly traded companies like SentinelOne and Darktrace alongside notable acquisitions such as Recorded Future and Cylance. Thomas earned his master’s degree in astrophysics from the University of Pennsylvania with Phi Beta Kappa honors.
Charles Hudson – Founder & Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures
Leading Precursor Ventures with over $250 million under management across four funds focused on early-stage hardware and software startups, Charles Hudson emphasizes supporting visionary founders during their initial institutional financing rounds. He has invested in more than 400 companies-including Rad AI and Bobbie baby-and helped guide The Athletic to its $525 million exit while mentoring over 450 entrepreneurs throughout his career.
Nicolas Sauvage – President at TDK Ventures
Nicolas Sauvage oversees TDK Ventures’ $350 million investment mandate targeting digital transformation and energy innovation startups globally. Since launching the fund in 2019 under his leadership, TDK ventures has backed over 45 companies including three unicorns: ascend Elements (sustainable battery materials), Groq (AI accelerators), and Silicon Box (semiconductor technology).Recognized six consecutive years on the GCV Powerlist-most recently ranked #17-Sauvage is one of only two corporate VCs inducted into the elite Kauffman Fellows program.
Katie Stanton – Founder & General Partner at moxxie Ventures
Katie Stanton brings extensive operational leadership from executive roles at Twitter, Google, Yahoo!, plus service within both the White House Office under President Obama and State Department before founding Moxxie Ventures. She focuses on early-stage investments with a portfolio exceeding 100 companies including Coinbase (cryptocurrency exchange), Calm (mental wellness app), Airtable (collaborative database platform), Cameo (celebrity video messages), Carta (equity management), Modern Fertility (women’s health tech) among others.
Santi Subotovsky – General Partner at emergence Capital
Santi subotovsky has played a key role since joining Emergence capital in 2010 by leading investments like Zoom Video Communications when it was still emerging; today Zoom boasts a market capitalization near $24 billion. He serves on boards including Crunchbase data platform alongside innovative firms such as Logik.io AI solutions and Zipline drone delivery services while actively fostering Latin American entrepreneurship through partnerships with High Alpha startup studio and Quasar Ventures accelerator programs.
The Pulse of Innovation: TechCrunch Disrupt Returns bigger Than Ever
This autumn marks another landmark gathering for global innovation ecosystems as TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 draws more than ten thousand attendees-from ambitious startups unveiling breakthrough technologies to top-tier venture capitalists scouting tomorrow’s unicorns-all convening within San Francisco’s iconic Moscone West venue.
- Date: October 27-29
- Location: Moscone West Convention Center
- Total Attendees Expected: Over 10K innovators & investors
- Main Event: Live Startup Battlefield pitch competition showcasing cutting-edge ventures competing for recognition
This event remains one of the most eagerly anticipated stages where emerging technologies debut-impacting sectors ranging from artificial intelligence to sustainable energy-making it essential viewing for anyone tracking future-defining innovations firsthand.
Your Front-row access to Tomorrow’s Industry Leaders: Reasons to Participate
- Diverse Expertise: Interact directly with some of today’s most influential VCs who have guided numerous startups toward IPOs or lucrative acquisitions;
- Pioneering Startups: experience live pitches from hundreds of teams presenting innovations poised to disrupt markets;
- Ecosystem Networking: forge connections face-to-face with founders building next-generation products alongside industry leaders shaping investment trends;
- Tactical Insights: gain practical knowledge through panels addressing current challenges like scaling post-pandemic growth or navigating evolving regulatory environments affecting tech sectors;
- Catalyst For Growth: witness how critical feedback during Q&A sessions can dramatically alter startup trajectories toward success;
“TechCrunch Disrupt stands unrivaled as a launchpad where visionary entrepreneurs meet discerning investors ready to fuel transformative ideas.”
