Next wave of VCs judging Startup Battlefield 200 contenders at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 revealed

Startup Battlefield 200, the startup pitch competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, has revealed its latest roster of judges. These venture capitalists will scrutinize ambitious startups across various industries during the three-day event on October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco.

Aditi Maliwal, a general partner at Upfront Ventures, will be evaluating startups in fintech, enterprise SaaS, AI applications, and developer tools. Prior to joining Upfront, Maliwal held roles at Google and Deutsche Bank, leading the Series A investment in Chime.

Michael Palank, a general partner at MaC Ventures, focuses on AI, fintech, healthcare, media, entertainment, and aerospace and defense. Before entering venture capital, Palank worked in Hollywood talent representation at William Morris and Overbrook Entertainment.

Nell Daly, co-founder and managing partner of Revenge Capital, will also be judging. Daly focuses on overlooked founders, including women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodiverse entrepreneurs. Before founding Revenge Capital, Daly worked as a psychotherapist.

Grace Ge, a partner at Amplify Partners, invests in AI, developer tooling, data infrastructure, and modern SaaS. Her portfolio includes Pinecone, Eppo, Vivun, Orb, and Avoca. Ge has been listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Venture Capital.

Finally, Crystal Huang, a general partner at Google Ventures, focuses on enterprise SaaS, AI infrastructure, and fintech, with a particular emphasis on product-led and developer-led go-to-market strategies. Huang's portfolio includes Typeface, Pecan AI, Sardine, Cacheflow, PostHog, Roboflow, and Sift.