Side Events at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Keep the conversation going beyond the stages
While the Disrupt stages lead the discussion on tech’s future, Side Events keep it going. These gatherings bring the community together for panels, workshops, networking, and social events designed to spark conversations, make connections, and explore what’s next.
This is just the beginning. We’re adding more Side Events to the schedule as they’re confirmed, so check back regularly for new events and opportunities to connect throughout Disrupt Week, October 10–16.
Featured
A few of this year’s Side Events are hosted by TechCrunch partners, bringing the companies and communities behind some of the biggest conversations in tech into the Disrupt Week experience.
Serve, Swipe, & Settle: Mixer for SaaS leaders scaling into embedded payments
October 12 | 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PT
Join SaaS founders, developers, and technical leaders at SPIN San Francisco for conversations about turning embedded payments into a revenue stream. Over Ping-Pong, food, and drinks, compare notes on monetization, brand control, and scaling beyond basic payments.
Hosted by: NMI
RSVP↗
Korea–US Startup & Investor Networking Night
October 14 | 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. PT
Korean startups entering the U.S. market come together with investors, founders, corporate partners, and Bay Area ecosystem leaders for an evening of casual networking and meaningful connections around potential investment, partnership, and business opportunities. Registration is required.
Plus, this year’s Korea Pavilion will showcase cutting-edge technologies from 25 leading Korean startups. The Korean Pavilion, located in the TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Expo Hall, is pleased to offer a limited number of complimentary Expo+ Passes. Learn how to apply.
Hosted by: KOTRA Silicon Valley, in collaboration with the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT), Korea Tourism Organization, Seoul AI Hub, and Gimhae City Hall.
RSVP↗
The Afterburn: TechCrunch Disrupt Edition
October 14 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. PT
Take a break from the pitching, demoing, and networking at this evening mixer. Join founders, builders, investors, and other members of the tech community for cocktails, appetizers, and conversation.
No panels or presentations, just a chance to connect and unwind after a day at TechCrunch Disrupt.
Hosted by: Backblaze and Flamethrower
RSVP↗
Ecosystem Mixer
October 14 | 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. PT
Join Peak XV for a mixer with founders, operators, and investors building what’s next. Good drinks, better conversations, zero pitches required to join our mixer.
Hosted by: PeakXV Partners
RSVP↗
Liquid Assets: A Private Markets Cocktail Party
October 14 | 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. PT
Disrupt is three days of panels. This is not one of them.
Augment and Mintz are hosting a cocktail party Wednesday evening with drinks, light bites, and plenty of room for conversation. No programming or preset meetings, just an opportunity to connect with people across the private markets, technology, and venture ecosystem.
Hosted by: Augment and Mintz
RSVP↗
Sunday, October 11
| 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Happy Hour with AI created drinks by AI Barmen! RSVP Hosted by AI Barmen | Meet AI Barmen, a robotic bartender that creates personalized cocktails and mocktails through an interactive happy hour experience. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | EPIC SF Demo Night@Finding Next Moat RSVP Hosted by EPIC Connector Pte. Ltd. | Ten early-stage startups pitch their products and competitive moats to a hand-selected group of venture investors, followed by an open networking after-party. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | International Reception at the European Startup Embassy RSVP Hosted by Granite Landings LLC | Join us for an international startup evening at the European Startup Embassy for food, drinks, and networking to build better business relationships! |
Monday, October 12
| 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Serve, Swipe, & Settle: Mixer for SaaS Leaders Scaling into Embedded Payments RSVP Hosted by NMI | SaaS founders, developers, and technical leaders can compare notes on embedded payments, monetization, and scaling beyond basic payment infrastructure over Ping-Pong, food, and drinks. |
| 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | The Future of Work Social Mixer + Open Demos: Worktech, Robotics & Agentic AI RSVP Hosted by Ontology of Value | Explore work tech, robotics, and agentic AI through startup pitches, hands-on demos, and networking with founders, operators, and investors shaping the future of work. |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Open to Work: The Game Show RSVP Hosted by Khwajalabs | A live game show turns the job hunt into networking: compete using your real résumé, pitch yourself onstage, and let the audience decide who advances. |
Tuesday, October 13
| 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | SF Exclusive VIP Drinks for AI Founders (Seed to Series A+) and Accredited Investors RSVP Hosted by EQUITY X INVESTMENTS, LLC | An invite-only gathering for AI founders and accredited investors featuring drinks, direct introductions, and informal conversations with no pitches or panels. |
| 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Harvard Griffin GSAS Alumni Networking Mixer RSVP Hosted by Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) | Connect with Harvard Griffin GSAS alumni living and working in the Bay Area during an informal networking reception. Guests are welcome. |
| 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | South Asian Investor Founder Connect: TechCrunch Disrupt RSVP Hosted by American South Asian Network (ASAN) | Connect with South Asian founders, investors, operators, creators, and technology leaders through curated introductions and informal networking. |
| 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Attacks Never Arrive: Happy Hour RSVP Hosted by Trotta | Join AI founders, security leaders, and operators for food, drinks, and conversation around social engineering, deepfakes, prompt injection, and emerging AI security threats. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Content Creators Meetup @ TechCrunch Disrupt RSVP Hosted by Founder-Led Media | Founders and creators building in public come together to share practical lessons on content, hooks, distribution, and growing a founder-led audience. |
| 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | 『Shinhan Square Bridge』 (S2B) Meetup @ TechCrunch Disrupt RSVP Hosted by SWITH | Meet 10 startups from the Shinhan Square Bridge Global program in an intimate evening of founder conversations, networking, food, and drinks. |
Wednesday, October 14
| 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | NextGen — TechCrunch Disrupt Week 2026 RSVP Hosted by TradeIL | An invitation-only gathering bringing together Israeli founders, investors, technology executives, and strategic partners from across the Bay Area. |
| 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. | Love Soul AI Interactive Hologram Superfoods Happy Hour Salesforce Park! RSVP Hosted by Love Soul AI | Enjoy food and drinks at Salesforce Park while experiencing Love Soul AI’s interactive hologram technology. |
| 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Ecosystem Mixer RSVP Hosted by PeakXV Partners | Peak XV brings founders, operators, and investors together for an informal evening of drinks and conversation. No pitches required. |
| 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Liquid Assets: A Private Markets Cocktail Party by Augment & Mintz RSVP Hosted by Augment and Mintz | A private markets cocktail gathering with drinks, light bites, and informal conversation among founders, investors, and technology leaders. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. | Physical AI After Hours — See the World in 4D RSVP Hosted by NLINK INC | Explore physical AI, spatial intelligence, robotics, and world models through live 4D capture, demos, and conversations with founders, researchers, and investors. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | The Afterburn: TechCrunch Disrupt Edition RSVP Hosted by Backblaze and Flamethrower | Wind down after Disrupt with cocktails, food, and informal conversations among founders, builders, investors, and friends. No panels or presentations. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Hardtech After Party RSVP Hosted by Whipsaw | Connect with founders, engineers, investors, and design leaders building in robotics, wearables, connected devices, medtech, and other areas of hard tech. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Token Economics: From Cost per Token to Value per Outcome RSVP Hosted by Hellyeah ai | Founders, investors, engineers, and operators explore how AI companies turn inference costs into business value through pricing, routing, reliability, and token-level economics. |
| 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | AI Made Every Candidate Look Perfect. How Do You Find the Real Ones? RSVP Hosted by SLI.pro | Explore how founders, investors, and operators can identify meaningful talent signals when AI has made résumés, profiles, and interview answers increasingly polished. |
| 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. | Disrupt Week Arthaus After-Party RSVP Hosted by SignalFire | Spend the evening with founders, investors, journalists, and builders at an arts campus featuring live music, immersive art and technology, food, and drinks. |
Thursday, October 15
| 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | NachoThursday: TechCrunch Disrupt SaaS & AI Founder + Investor Happy Hour RSVP Hosted by NachoNacho | A rooftop happy hour for SaaS and AI founders, C-suite leaders, investors, and tech media. Attendance is screened and limited to approved guests. |
| 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Korea Emerging Tech Showcase RSVP Hosted by Brinc | Discover emerging Korean startups across AI, software, medtech, clean tech, digital platforms, and advanced industrial technology through rapid-fire pitches and networking. |
| 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | LP, VC & Funded Founder Networking + Demo RSVP Hosted by Founder Institute | An intimate networking evening for LPs, GPs, and funded founders focused on technology, venture capital, and new relationships. |
| 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Korea–US Startup & Investor Networking Night RSVP Hosted by KOTRA Silicon Valley | Korean startups entering the U.S. market come together with investors, founders, corporate partners, and Bay Area ecosystem leaders for an evening of casual networking and meaningful connections around potential investment, partnership, and business opportunities. Registration is required. |
| 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Curated Rooftop Party RSVP Hosted by Fynex and Orion VC | Fynex and Orion VC host a rooftop gathering for AI founders, operators, and investors focused on AI and infrastructure. We curate the guest list, so the room is the reason to come. |
Keep checking back
More Side Events will be added as we get closer to Disrupt. Bookmark this page and check back for the latest events, details, and ways to connect with the TechCrunch community throughout Disrupt Week.
Questions: side.events@techcrunch.com