Go ahead and add “produce a world-class tech conference” to the long list of items that can complete the expression “It takes a village to…” TechCrunch Disrupt 2021 runs September 21-23, and we’d like to take a moment to give a major shout-out to a vital part of the TechCrunch village — our sponsors.
Admin Tip: Buy your pass to Disrupt before the price goes up on September 20.
TechCrunch sponsors don’t just write a check; they bring their deep knowledge and expertise to the party to help early-stage founders move their business to the next level and beyond. Michael McCarthy, the CEO of Repositax, attended Disrupt 2020 and shared his thoughts on the breakout sessions with us:
There was always something interesting going on in one of the breakout sessions, and I was impressed by the quality of the people participating. Partners in well-known VC firms spoke, they were accessible, and they shared smart, insightful nuggets. You will not find this level of people accessible and in one place anywhere else.
We have an impressive slate again this year, and our enormous thanks go out to our TC Disrupt 2021 sponsors: Aerospace Corporation, Cedar, Checkr, Connection, Foxxum, Google Cloud, hub.brussels, Mambu, rlaxx TV, SeedInvest, Sentry Software and Xero.
Let’s take a look at the sponsored breakout sessions scheduled over three days. You’ll find them, along with more than 50 other presentations, in the Disrupt 2021 agenda.
You Complete Me: In the age of the composable ecosystems, we’re all partners now — from frenemies to pure collaborations. So why is now, more than ever, the right time to invite friends and challengers to the table? The truth is we have to build for an unknown future, with a shared strategy and value outcome. Join Elliot Limb, chief customer offer at Mambu, to learn five ways to encourage more symbiotic relationships in the platform economy. Presented by Mambu.
So, You Want to Build a Space Business? The space industry is changing faster than ever, with new technologies and lower launch costs democratizing access to space and driving a new era of innovation. The opportunities to build the next great business are seemingly endless, but space can be a difficult and unforgiving place, especially for those new to the domain. This session will feature practical insights and advice from experienced space leaders for entrepreneurs looking to get their business off the ground. Presented by The Aerospace Corporation.
The Connection IT Superhero Awards: Connection and TechCrunch have teamed up to celebrate and recognize IT people who have gone the extra mile with the inaugural Connection IT Superhero Awards. Winners of the five category awards will be announced live, presented by Connection’s Chief Innovation & Growth Officer, Jamal Khan. These awards are about people, not products, for the many out there deserving recognition for their daily efforts. We think some well-earned awards are a great place to start. Nominate your IT Superhero here by August 24. Presented by Connection.
Demo Derby — How Startups are Disrupting the Status Quo with Innovative Data Analytics, AI and Modern App Development: Startups need to move quickly and focus limited resources on areas where they can differentiate. In this fast-paced session, learn from startups and Google experts how you can leverage Google technologies to serve customers better and get to market more quickly. In a series of short demos, see how innovative startups and Google experts have used Google compute, storage, networking and AI technologies to “disrupt” the status quo. Presented by Google Cloud.
How Circle’s $4.5B Public Listing will Change Startup Fundraising: Circle acquired SeedInvest in 2019, as a further step toward realizing its vision of a more open, global, connected and inclusive financial system. Fast-forward to today; Circle recently announced its plans to become a $4.5 billion public company, with more than $1 billion of fresh capital. In this session, Jeremy Allaire, Circle CEO and co-founder, and Ryan Feit, CEO and co-founder of SeedInvest, will break down the evolution of the two companies and how they plan to double down on online fundraising to make it faster and easier for entrepreneurs. Presented by SeedInvest.
Belgian Startup Pitch Competition: Join us for the seventh edition of our Belgian Startup Pitch Competition. We look forward to seeing you there! Presented by hub.brussels.
Illuminating the Next Great Entertainment Frontier — The Connected TV Metaverse: While the proliferation of operating systems and OTT platforms have made TV more convenient and accessible, the magnitude of players in this ecosystem have also made television more complicated to navigate — for programmers, advertisers and viewers. We all want our programming in each of its various delivery methods, provided in an easy-to-navigate, fast-to-discover, intuitive interface. Join an in-depth conversation with media industry veterans and technology futurists as they identify the outlook of the CTV world. Presented by Foxxum and rlaxx TV.
Achieve Sustainable IT with Prometheus, Grafana and Hardware Sentry: Implementing sustainability initiatives to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the data center is a vital challenge. Join Bertrand Martin, Sentry Software’s co-founder and CEO, as he presents Hardware Sentry Exporter for Prometheus. Measure the power consumption and temperature of more than 250 platforms with this unique pure-software solution. Report CO₂ emissions, electricity usage and costs of applications and services in Grafana. Reduce the carbon footprint of your data center with intelligent optimization of ambient temperature. Presented by Sentry Software.
Hacking U.S. Healthcare: How a Simple Platform Can Help Solve Some of America’s Most Complex Healthcare Problems: Few things conjure more negative emotions than navigating medical billing; Americans urgently need solutions that prioritize their needs, decrease costs and elevate the patient journey so they can focus on getting care. Fortunately, digital innovation can provide exceptional patient experiences that remove friction for payers, providers and consumers alike. Hear how digital health unicorn Cedar has engineered a complete consumer-first digital platform that’s revolutionizing the financial experience for the entire healthcare industry. Presented by Cedar.
Powering the Small Business Economy with Cloud Technology: Small business is a critical engine of job creation, economic growth and innovation and a driver in our efforts to recover from a global pandemic. Fifteen years ago, a startup company from New Zealand called Xero was founded with the purpose of making life better for people in small business and their advisors. Xero achieved this by shifting accounting practices to the cloud and providing an open set of APIs, which has enabled more than 1,000 application partners to build affordable tech solutions connected to the Xero platform. Steve Vamos, CEO, will discuss how Xero is revolutionizing the way small businesses do business by using cloud and its platform to connect real-time data with bespoke business solutions that help small business owners be more successful. Steve will speak to a number of key initiatives that will change the game for startups and entrepreneurs who want to innovate and collaborate on the Xero platform, and he will explain how Xero’s vision extends beyond just technology to galvanizing a global community of support and purpose to help small businesses everywhere. Presented by Xero.
Why Employers are Ignoring a Large Candidate Pool that’s Necessary for Growth Today: Hear directly from Checkr CEO Daniel Yanisse and DDI CEO Aaron Hageman about why this job market is fueling the gig economy growth, how to tap into fair chance hiring and how it will help your employee base. Learn about the benefits of fair chance hiring, its impact on your bottom line and organizations and allies that promote fair chance hiring and why this matters to DEI efforts. Presented by Checkr.
Connection IT Superhero Awards Announcement: Use this link to nominate someone for the Connection IT Superhero Awards. The nomination deadline is August 24. Presented by Connection.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2021 takes place September 21-23. Do not miss the invaluable information waiting for you in the sponsored breakout sessions — just some of the Disrupt programming designed to help you build a bigger, better and stronger startup. Get your pass today!
Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at Disrupt 2021? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.