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How to make the Startup Battlefield Top 20 — and what every company gets regardless
Every founder who applies to Startup Battlefield wants the same thing: the Disrupt Main Stage. Six minutes to pitch and demo live, in front of top-tier Silicon Valley investors. A dedicated TechCrunch article published as you present. A shot at the $100,000 equity-free prize and the Disrupt Cup.
And all of that could be yours, but every path to Startup Battlefield success begins with an application. And we actually have extended the deadline for this year’s cohort to June 8, so you only have a brief window to send yours in.
Head here to start up that application right now, but for a head start, we have some advice based on past competitions, and some detail on why participant perks start well before the main stage at Disrupt kicks off.
What it takes to make the Startup Battlefield Top 20
The Startup Battlefield Top 20 represents the best of the best from the Startup Battlefield 200. Companies with ideas that are meaningfully different, category-defining, and capable of making a major impact in their industry or geography. Selection comes down to which companies are the most compelling, differentiated, and ready for a global stage.
Your product and founder videos are everything. They are the first impression and play the most significant role in identifying which companies are ready for the Disrupt Stage. Show your product in action. Be specific about what makes you different. Let your conviction come through on camera, not just your metrics.
Selected companies work closely with the TechCrunch team on pitch preparation ahead of Disrupt. Each company pitches and demos live for six minutes on the Disrupt Stage, followed by a live Q&A with top-tier investors like Aileen Lee (Cowboy Ventures), Kirsten Green (Forerunner), Navin Chaddha (Mayfield), Chris Farmer (SignalFire), Dayna Grayson (Construct Capital), Ann Miura-Ko (Floodgate), and Hans Tung (Notable Capital).
Of the Top 20, five are selected to pitch again on the final day of Disrupt in front of a new panel of high-profile judges. The winner receives $100,000 in equity-free prize money and the Disrupt Cup.
Check out the Top 20 from 2024 and 2025.
Not selected for the Top 20 initially? You’re still in the running
The list isn’t final until Disrupt is underway. Every year, things change — founders drop out, schedules shift, and standout companies from the 200 rise quickly during the program.
We keep the Top 20 confidential until the event begins and maintain a shortlist of companies ready to step in. It happens every cycle.
And more importantly, being in the 200 is where the real opportunity begins. The stage is one moment. But the access, exposure, and network you gain as part of the cohort extends far beyond it.
What every Startup Battlefield 200 company gets
You don’t have to make the Top 20 for Startup Battlefield to change your trajectory.
Every selected company receives a fully funded demo booth at TechCrunch Disrupt; complimentary event passes for the team; access to a pre-event virtual program with world-class VCs, operators, and founders; dedicated pitch preparation; and an invitation to the private Startup Battlefield reception.
At Disrupt, all 200 companies present. Whether you’re on the Disrupt Stage competing for the $100,000 prize or on the Showcase Stage for Best in Industry, both are real opportunities to stand out in front of the investors, press, and partners who come to Disrupt to find what’s next.
On the editorial side, every company enters the TechCrunch ecosystem. Coverage isn’t guaranteed, but our editors actively track Startup Battlefield companies through articles, the Build Mode podcast, the Equity podcast, and future updates as you grow. Standout companies are often invited to pitch, speak, and return across TechCrunch platforms. It’s an opportunity that compounds over time.
Beyond that, you join the Startup Battlefield alumni community, which includes 1,700+ companies, such as Dropbox, Discord, and Cloudflare, which have collectively raised $32 billion and produced 250+ exits. This isn’t a mailing list — it’s a network of founders who’ve been through the same experience and continue to support each other.
Alumni receive ongoing opportunities to pitch and speak at TechCrunch events, discounted and complimentary access to future events, and exclusive perks from our partner network.
The stage is one moment. The network, visibility, and access are what last.
You get value just for applying to Startup Battlefield
Even if you’re not selected, applying has its upsides. Applicants receive exclusive discounts on Disrupt tickets and exhibit opportunities, along with resources from our partners, so you can stay close to the ecosystem and come back stronger next cycle.
If you’re on the fence about whether you’re ready, apply anyway. It’s free, it takes nothing off the table, and it’s our job to tell you if it’s not the right time. The founders who wait until they feel ready often wait too long.
While you’re preparing, check out Build Mode, TechCrunch’s podcast for early-stage founders featuring past Startup Battlefield companies, breakout founders, and top-tier investors. Consider it the inside track on what it takes to build a Battlefield-ready company.
Applications close June 8, 2026. TechCrunch Disrupt takes place October 13–15 in San Francisco.
Apply for Startup Battlefield 2026 if you think you have what it takes to make the Top 20.
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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to spread geographically, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting cases across 61 health zones in six provinces.
The WHO disclosed this in its latest outbreak situation update issued on Thursday, saying the outbreak had expanded to Kayna Health Zone in North Kivu.
The affected provinces are Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo.
Transmission remains a concern
According to the latest WHO update, transmission patterns remain variable, with evidence of continued geographical expansion and sustained increases in cases across some affected health zones despite ongoing response efforts.
The agency said delayed detection remained a major concern, increasing the risk of further transmission within households, communities and healthcare facilities.
It said limited access to early treatment and difficulties in interrupting transmission were also contributing to the challenges faced by the response.
In addition, the WHO said these challenges required strengthened surveillance, rapid response measures and early treatment to help interrupt transmission.
As of 7 September, the DRC had recorded 6,757 confirmed Ebola cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus, including 3,267 deaths.
The figures represent a crude case fatality ratio of 48.3 per cent, according to the WHO.
Outbreak challenges
The latest development comes less than a month after the WHO described the outbreak as the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
At the time, 4,449 confirmed cases had been recorded across 53 health zones in five provinces.
The WHO had also warned that the outbreak was spreading faster than previous Ebola outbreaks at the same stage and was on course to potentially surpass the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which remains the largest recorded Ebola outbreak.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus.
READ ALSO: UK increases Ebola response funding to £78.7m
Unlike the Zaire species, which has caused several previous Ebola outbreaks and for which the Ervebo vaccine is used, there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for Bundibugyo virus disease.
In August, the WHO said a high proportion of cases were being detected in communities rather than treatment centres and outside known contact lists, suggesting that some chains of transmission remained unidentified.
The agency had said response measures included contact tracing, treatment centres, safe burial teams, laboratories and community engagement activities.
The WHO said the continued geographical expansion of the outbreak highlights the need to strengthen surveillance and ensure early detection and treatment, particularly in affected communities and healthcare facilities.
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Nigerian striker Okiki Akinwande has earned a major opportunity to test himself in European top-flight football after completing a loan move to KFC Komárno in Slovakia from Czech side MFK Karviná.
The 19-year-old centre-forward has joined Komárno until the end of the 2026/27 season, with the Slovakian club confirming the arrival of the promising Nigerian attacker as part of their squad reinforcement.
Akinwande arrives in Slovakia after making a strong impression in the Czech youth system. The 1.92m striker scored nine goals in nine matches for Karviná’s youth side, underlining his finishing ability and providing the platform for his move into senior football.
He also made his senior debut for MFK Karviná B in the Czech third-tier MSFL, featuring in the 2025/26 campaign before making another appearance at the beginning of the current season. Official league records list him with four MSFL appearances and 154 minutes overall.
Now, Akinwande faces a significantly bigger challenge in the Niké Liga, Slovakia’s top division, where he will have the opportunity to compete against established professional teams.
His move to KFC Komárno is viewed as an important development step, allowing the Nigerian forward to gain valuable senior experience and adapt to the physical and tactical demands of first-team football.
Komárno, based in southern Slovakia, have strengthened their squad with young African talent ahead of the ongoing campaign, with Akinwande joining Ghanaian winger Emmanuel Oppong as the club’s latest additions.
For Akinwande, the loan represents a chance to turn his impressive youth-level scoring record into senior-level performances.
The Nigerian will now look to establish himself in Slovakia, compete for regular playing time and show that his goalscoring form in the Czech youth league can translate to the professional stage.
At 19, the striker has already taken an important step from academy football into senior European competition.
Nine goals in nine youth games earned him the opportunity — now Okiki Akinwande has Slovakia waiting.
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