TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is set to take place from October 13 to 15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, gathering over 10,000 founders, investors, operators, and tech leaders. Attendees will have access to more than 200 sessions across six industry stages, featuring discussions on AI, fintech, robotics, biotech, and more. The event provides opportunities for networking through AI-powered matchmaking and dedicated meetups, as well as exposure for startups in the Expo Hall and the Startup Battlefield 200 competition. Early ticket pricing, which offers savings of up to $200, ends on September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT, with prices increasing thereafter.

One highlight of Disrupt 2026 is a session with Jeff Lawson, co-founder and CEO of Inertia, a company focused on developing fusion energy. Following a $450 million Series A funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, Inertia is advancing key technologies such as laser systems and fuel-target manufacturing for grid-scale fusion power. Lawson will discuss the transition from software entrepreneurship at Twilio to tackling the capital-intensive challenges of fusion energy, providing insights into talent acquisition, milestone setting, and fundraising for deep tech startups.

Another key session will feature Nvidia executives Nader Khalil and Sydney Sykes addressing the critical decision startups face between building on open AI models versus proprietary ones. The panel will explore trade-offs including cost, control, speed, and competitive advantage in AI development. This discussion reflects the evolving AI landscape where hybrid approaches combining open and proprietary models are becoming common, making the choice a strategic imperative for founders, investors, and developers alike.

Fintech also takes center stage with Robinhood’s Abhishek Fatehpuria sharing how the platform is expanding beyond commission-free stock trading into banking, credit, crypto, retirement, and AI-powered investing tools. Robinhood now serves over 28 million funded customers and manages $384 billion in assets, highlighting the shift toward offering a comprehensive financial ecosystem. Fatehpuria will address how the company innovates while maintaining trust at scale, offering valuable lessons for anyone building or investing in financial technology products.