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Introducing the 2023 Startup Battlefield Top 20 onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt

Neesha A. Tambe 7 months

I’m thrilled to announce the Startup Battlefield 20 companies, pitching at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. After last year’s big hit, TechCrunch editorial hand-selected 200 startups, out of thousands of applicants, to comprise the Startup Battlefield 200. This year, TechCrunch saw the highest number of applications across the largest spread of countries and industries. Of the 200, these top 20 companies will pitch on the Disrupt Stage. Come watch these companies compete for the Disrupt Cup and $100,000 equity-free grand prize.

Disrupt runs Tuesday through Thursday, September 19–21 in San Francisco. The agenda is filled with tech legends, newsmakers, innovators, founders and more. This year, Disrupt is supercharged with not two but seven industry stages — Disrupt, Builders, AI, Fintech, Hardware, Sustainability, and Security. Each stage is focused on highlighting the top news in each industry, with the Builders Stage focused on how-tos for founders looking to build and scale startups.

For the Startup Battlefield 200, TechCrunch hosts this curated cohort of founders at TechCrunch Disrupt, providing special programming and training in advance of and during the event. The top companies will follow in the footsteps of Startup Battlefield legends on the Disrupt Stage. With over 1,300+ alumni participating in the program, Startup Battlefield Alumni companies raised over $29 billion in funding with about 200 successful exits (IPOs or acquisitions).

The Startup Battlefield 20 companies solve critical technological and global problems. From agri-labor management tools to fintech platforms, sewage health trackers, and phage-based custom therapeutics, this cohort of startups is ready to impress. Founders solve critical world problems in the areas of disease treatment, blood testing, compostable batteries and even ethical social media platforms for youth. Plus, it wouldn’t be a TechCrunch event without developer tools, security infrastructure and hardware to round out the batch.

Starting today, the top 20 companies will pitch on the Disrupt Stage for six minutes followed by a six-minute Q&A with our expert panel of judges.  These top-tier VCs include folks like Mamoon Hamid (Kleiner Perkins), Dana Settle (Greycroft), Sam Blond (Founders Fund), Guru Chahal (Lightspeed), Po Bronson (SOSV), and Tess Hatch (Bessemer) to name just a few.

TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 20 schedule

Tuesday, September 19, Disrupt Stage

  • Semi-Finals (Session 1): 9:35 a.m.–10:45 a.m.
  • Semi-Finals (Session 2): 1:15 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 20, Disrupt Stage

  • Semi-Finals (Session 3): 10:05 a.m.–11:15 a.m.
  • Semi-Finals (Session 4): 1:15 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 21, Disrupt Stage

  • Alumni News Announcements: 11:10 a.m.–11:20 a.m.
  • Finals: 11:20 p.m.–12:50 p.m.
  • Winner Announced: 3:25 p.m.

If you can’t join us in person, tune into the livestream on TechCrunch.com.

Companies pitching in the Startup Battlefield 20

Tuesday, September 19, Disrupt Stage

Semi-Finals (Session 1): 9:35 a.m.–10:45 a.m.

  • In Diagnostics: Developed the first disposable spectrophotometer. Initially targeting the veterinary and animal testing industry, the first product is Quic ALT+AST, a 20 microliter liver enzymes test.
  • Narval: Uses artificial intelligence to design synthetic antibody mimetic proteins to replace conventional antibodies in novel first-in-class therapeutics.
  • Flint: Pioneering an ecofriendly, safer, and cost-effective alternative to lithium batteries using battery technology made from natural and nontoxic materials.
  • BioticsAI: Uses AI to detect fetal abnormalities in ultrasounds to solve fetal malformation misdiagnosis due to ultrasound operator error.
  • Electrified Thermal Solutions: Decarbonizes heavy industry with new electric heating and storage technology — the “e-brick.”

Semi-Finals (Session 2): 1:15 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

  • Avalo: Accelerates the creation of new crop varieties using machine learning, expediting the transition to a sustainable, climate-resilient food system.
  • Beyond Aero: Creates the first certifiable and profitable the business aircraft designed for hydrogen-electric propulsion.
  • Nolej: Generates personalized paths to any learning goal, together with bite sized educational content and networks of experts to learn from.
  • Phalanx: Lightweight data loss prevention (DLP) and document mapping solution that automatically secures and tracks sensitive documents in existing workspaces.
  • Magnestar: Prone to interference, space services rely on spectrum. This software platform for satellite operators, regulators and military will map and monitor all communications between Earth and space to predict interference and ensure clear pathways of communication in contested and congested environments.

Wednesday, September 20, Disrupt Stage

Semi-Finals (Session 3): 10:05 a.m.–11:15 a.m.

  • Untap Health: Detecting illnesses before symptoms in communities by remotely analyzing collective sewage.
  • Allie Systems: An industry 4.0 infrastructure company uses novel hardware and software to bring heavy industry and manufacturing in emerging markets into the connected world with predictive maintenance, asset management, and maintenance to increase productivity metrics and allow local manufacturers to capture the most value from near-shoring through efficiency increases. 
  • Mainstack: A no-code tool and API that enables entrepreneurs and creators to present and sell their work effortlessly with global payment options.
  • Parallel Health: A precision health company leveraging microbiome science, genomic sequencing, and big data, paving the way to personalized care and medicine.
  • Portable Diagnostic Systems: Makes an accurate and portable multidrug testing device for forensic testing and law enforcement with novel microfluidic hardware infrastructure.

Semi-Finals (Session 4): 1:15 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

  • Reekon Tools: Upgrades construction job sites with a suite of interconnected software and hardware tools designed to work seamlessly to streamline operations and maximize efficiency.
  • AppFactor: An intelligent, AI-powered modernization platform to empower architects and engineers to more rapidly and easily refactor and re-architect applications to solve legacy infrastructure problems and application delivery.
  • Agri-Trak: A software platform that manages farm labor and tracks productivity and harvest data, providing farmers with the data they need to stay in compliance with ever-changing federal programs.
  • MakersHub: A data-enriched accounts payable operation for companies that care about scaling accounts payable smarter; contextualizing all incoming bill information, down to the line item; eliminating manual data entry; and saving hours of time weekly.
  • Betweened: A responsible, empowered social media for kids to connect and create, as well as for brands and influencers to expand their family audience reach.

Thursday, September 21, Disrupt Stage

Alumni News Announcements: 11:10 a.m.–11:20 a.m.

  • Forethought.AI: A generative AI for customer support tool and the winner of Startup Battlefield 2018 at TechCrunch Disrupt. Presenting for Forethought is CEO and co-founder, Deon Nicholas.
  • AppMap: Delivers runtime analysis in the code editor and in CI and finalist of Startup Battlefield 2022. Presenting for AppMap is CEO and co-founder Elizabeth Lawler.

Finals: 11:20 p.m.–12:50 p.m.

Winner Announced: 3:25 p.m.