TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will feature a panel on securing early-stage funding even before building a product. The event, scheduled for October in San Francisco, addresses the rising difficulty for founders to attract investors in a competitive market dominated by AI startups.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is set to tackle a critical challenge for early-stage entrepreneurs: how to secure pre-seed funding when they only have a concept rather than a minimum viable product. As the investment market becomes increasingly crowded, particularly with AI-focused ventures, founders are finding it harder to attract capital without proof of execution. The upcoming session, titled 'Winning Pre-Seed Without a Product,' will offer tactical advice for navigating this tough environment.
Investors to Share Early-Stage Strategies
The panel brings together three investors with significant experience in backing early-stage ventures. Sandhya Venkatachalam of Axiom Partners, a $52 million venture fund dedicated to AI, will share insights from her background as an investor in companies like Groq and FirefliesAI. She will be joined by Puneet Agarwal, managing partner at True Ventures, a firm that has supported over 1,050 founders across more than 500 companies. His experience spans enterprise infrastructure and the evolving AI application space. Completing the panel is Austin Clements, managing partner at Slauson & Co., who brings a focus on economic inclusion and expanding the founder ecosystem. Clements is also the chair of PledgeLA, a group focused on diversity in the technology sector.
Focus on Fundraising and Operational Growth
The event, which will be held from October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, is designed to serve as a practical hub for startups. Beyond the pre-seed funding session, the event's Builders Stage will conduct various workshops. These sessions are intended to help attendees with the core aspects of building a business, including developing go-to-market strategies, managing operational decisions, and refining fundraising pitches. For investors and founders, the event acts as a networking platform to evaluate emerging trends in a market where capital is increasingly selective.
Understanding the Pre-Seed Environment
For investors following the startup ecosystem, this event highlights the current reality of early-stage financing. With interest rates and market sentiment influencing how venture capital is deployed, many funds have become more selective about the milestones they require before providing capital. While the panel focuses on 'idea-stage' pitches, the success of such founders usually depends on their ability to articulate a clear problem, a unique solution, and a scalable path to revenue. The key monitorable for attendees will be the specific criteria these venture capitalists emphasize as the most important factors when evaluating a business that lacks a tangible product or established user base.