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Samsung Forecasts Nearly Ninefold Profit Surge as AI Memory Prices Soar
Samsung expects a nearly ninefold profit increase as AI memory demand drives chip prices higher, putting pressure on enterprise hardware budgets.
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TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 brings founders, investors, operators, builders, and technology leaders to San Francisco from October 13-15. But the activity doesn’t stop when the conference floor closes.
Throughout Disrupt Week, startups and organizations from across the global tech ecosystem will host networking events, happy hours, showcases, demos, dinners, and more.
Here’s what’s happening around San Francisco from Saturday, October 10 through Friday, October 16.
Featured
Polish Innovation Evening: From Ideas to Connections — Poland Meets Silicon Valley
Hosted by Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) and Upper Silesian Fund
Join us aboard the Historic Klamath for an evening connecting Poland’s innovation ecosystem with Silicon Valley during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Meet Polish founders, investors, technology leaders, and ecosystem partners for a discussion followed by informal networking on the San Francisco waterfront.
Learn more & RSVP →
Silicon Valley – Pak US Tech Connect 2026
Hosted by Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB)
Pak-US Tech Connect brings together Pakistani technology companies, U.S. businesses, industry leaders, investors, partners, and ecosystem stakeholders to explore opportunities for business collaboration, technology partnerships, outsourcing, investment, and market expansion.
Learn more & RSVP →
Saturday, October 10
The First Principles Way to Find the Next 10x Opportunity Hiding in Your Product
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Hosted by PrincipiumX
Learn how to use first-principles thinking to uncover overlooked customer needs, differentiate your product, strengthen product-market fit, and identify opportunities for significant growth through a real-world case study.
Sunday, October 11
Happy Hour with AI Created Drinks by AI Barmen!
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by AI Barmen
Meet AI Barmen, a robotic bartender that creates personalized cocktails and mocktails through an interactive happy hour experience.
EPIC SF Physical AI Demo Night @ Finding Next Move
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
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.
International Reception at the European Startup Embassy
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Granite Landings LLC
Join an international startup community for an evening of food, drinks, and networking designed to build better business relationships.
Monday, October 12
The Partnership Exchange by onSpark
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by onSpark
The Partnership Exchange turns one evening into a live deal floor for founders who know partnerships drive growth. Walk in with your company, walk out with a real hit list. The onSpark team runs Hit List Live on the spot, mapping the exact partners who can move your revenue this year, then matching you with founders in the room who belong on each other’s lists.
Every attendee gets featured in One Golden Nugget, the co-published spotlight series from Disrupt Week.
Serve, Swipe, & Settle: Mixer for SaaS Leaders Scaling into Embedded Payments
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
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.
The Future of Work Social Mixer + Open Demos: Worktech, Robotics & Agentic AI
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
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.
Long Lead Time: A Hardware Happy Hour
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Syntro
Connect with founders, engineers, and operators building robotics, chips, rockets, and other frontier hardware over drinks and light bites in a casual setting.
Open to Work: The Game Show
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
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
The Irish Shark Tank
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Enterprise Ireland
Meet and mingle with Ireland’s hottest startups. Enterprise Ireland is back at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and will welcome old friends and new faces to The Irish Shark Tank at Ireland House for happy hour. Availability is limited.
SafetyWing Happy Hour at Harrington’s
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by SafetyWing
Meet founders and HR leaders over drinks while connecting with SafetyWing and discussing the challenges of navigating health benefits for startups and their teams.
SF Exclusive VIP Drinks for AI Founders and Accredited Investors
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
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.
Harvard Griffin GSAS Alumni Networking Mixer
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Connect with Harvard Griffin GSAS alumni living and working in the Bay Area during an informal networking reception. Guests are welcome.
South Asian Investor Founder Connect: TechCrunch Disrupt
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by American South Asian Network
Connect with South Asian founders, investors, operators, creators, and technology leaders through curated introductions and informal networking.
Real World AI: Connect, Invest & Scale in Taiwan
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs
Discover how Taiwan, a powerhouse behind the global AI revolution, is bringing AI into the real world through robotics, intelligent hardware, and advanced manufacturing, with startup pitches, investor connections, and networking over light fare and drinks.
Attacks Never Arrive: Happy Hour with Trotta
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
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.
Content Creators Meetup @ TechCrunch Disrupt
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
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.
Pets of Disrupt: Founders, Investors & Their Pets
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Omelo
Step away from the conference crowd for an informal evening with founders, investors, operators, builders, creators, and the pets that make San Francisco’s startup community more human.
K Tech Startup Networking Reception | TCD 2026
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by WayFounder
Meet 18 emerging Korean startups through quick founder introductions, curated conversations, and open networking with investors, operators, corporate leaders, and entrepreneurs.
EdgeM8: B2B Partnership Mixer
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by EdgeM8
Connect with founders, revenue leaders, and executives working across go-to-market, partnerships, distribution, and technology while building relationships across the Bay Area startup ecosystem.
Shinhan Square Bridge Meetup @ TechCrunch Disrupt
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
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
NextGen — TechCrunch Disrupt Week 2026
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by TradeIL
An invitation-only gathering bringing together Israeli founders, investors, technology executives, and strategic partners from across the Bay Area.
Fynex x Orion VC | Curated Rooftop Party
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Fynex
Join founders, operators, and AI-focused investors for a curated rooftop evening centered on networking, food, drinks, and conversations around AI and infrastructure.
Love Soul AI & WellGem: Interactive Hologram Showcase & Founder Networking
5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Hosted by Love Soul AI
The event takes place on the patio at Per Diem, beneath Salesforce Park and a short distance from Moscone West. Connect with fellow founders, investors, and members of the tech community while experiencing Love Soul AI’s hologram technology and enjoying superfood-inspired appetizers. All ages are welcome. Ticket required.
Korea–US Startup & Investor Networking Night
5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by KOTRA Silicon Valley
Connect Korean startups entering the U.S. market with investors, founders, corporate partners, and Bay Area ecosystem leaders for conversations around investment, partnerships, and business opportunities.
Scaling Nordic Fintech Globally
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Innovation Norway & Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco
An evening of fintech, global growth, and great conversations, celebrating Aparta’s selection for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
Ecosystem Mixer
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Peak XV Partners
Peak XV brings founders, operators, and investors together for an informal evening of drinks and conversation. No pitches required.
Liquid Assets: A Private Markets Cocktail Party by Augment & Mintz
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Augment and Mintz
A private markets cocktail gathering with drinks, light bites, and informal conversation among founders, investors, and technology leaders.
Watch It Run: Live Automation Meetup with Bolter
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Improbable
See business automation happen live as Bolter turns attendees’ most dreaded weekly processes into working automations during dinner, using plain-language descriptions instead of code.
Polish Innovation Evening: From Ideas to Connections — Poland Meets Silicon Valley
5:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Hosted by Polish Investment and Trade Agency and Upper Silesian Fund
Join us aboard the Historic Klamath for an evening connecting Poland’s innovation ecosystem with Silicon Valley during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Meet Polish founders, investors, technology leaders, and ecosystem partners for a discussion followed by informal networking on the San Francisco waterfront.
Rooftop Gathering: Pilaf Evening for Tech Founders and Investors
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Hosted by INNOVA × BeGlobe PR Agency
Join a private rooftop gathering built for tech builders, deep tech innovators, and investors for conversations over a shared meal. No standing around, no pitch decks — just real talk and a great view.
Worldmodels—See the World in 4D
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
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.
The Afterburn: TechCrunch Disrupt Edition
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
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.
Hardtech After Party
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Whipsaw
Connect with founders, engineers, investors, and design leaders building in robotics, wearables, connected devices, medtech, and other areas of hard tech.
Token Economics: From Cost per Token to Value per Outcome
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
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.
Vault & Verify: An Evening of Ping Pong, Cocktails & Conversation
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Descope
Bring together security, privacy, and identity leaders for food, cocktails, friendly competition, and conversations about managing sensitive data and identity as AI systems become more autonomous.
AI Made Every Candidate Look Perfect. How Do You Find the Real Ones?
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
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.
SQLDoom Deathmatch Night at Disrupt
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Hosted by CedarDB
Play SQLDoom deathmatch against the CedarDB team alongside arcade games, food, drinks, and conversations with database engineers and startup founders.
SignalFire’s Disrupt Arthaus After-Party
7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
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
NachoThursday: TechCrunch Disrupt SaaS & AI Founder + Investor Happy Hour
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
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.
Korea Emerging Tech Showcase
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Brinc
Join a curated group of venture and corporate investors for an intimate evening with Korean founders from 14 emerging tech startups over food and wine at a private members’ club in San Francisco’s Financial District. Curated guest list. Limited capacity. Approval required.
Fynex x Orion VC | Curated Rooftop Party
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
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. The guest list is curated to make the room itself part of the experience.
LP, VC & Funded Founder Networking + Demo
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Founder Institute
An intimate networking evening for LPs, GPs, and funded founders focused on technology, venture capital, and new relationships.
Korea–US Startup & Investor Networking Night
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
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.
Japan Startups Showcase
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by 500 Global
Meet 12 Japanese startups building for global markets across AI, enterprise software, health, biotech, defense, agtech, sports tech, and consumer technology, with live demos and direct conversations with founders.
Venture Night @ TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by TechEmbassy
Ten selected startups. Fast-paced pitches. Startup prizes. Venture Night brings founders, investors, and tech leaders together for a live pitch competition and Q&A, followed by a Founder Feedback Session, awards, and networking.
Friday, October 16
Silicon Valley – Pak US Tech Connect 2026
10:00 a.m.
Hosted by Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB)
Pak-US Tech Connect brings together Pakistani technology companies, U.S. businesses, industry leaders, investors, partners, and ecosystem stakeholders to explore opportunities for business collaboration, technology partnerships, outsourcing, investment, and market expansion.
THE RUNWAY: A Morning Founder Run
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Hosted by Handler
Start the day with a casual waterfront run along the Embarcadero, complete with startup-themed “runway” markers, followed by coffee and networking at the Ferry Building.
Funded Founders @ Alchemy Springs
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hosted by Press Club
Combine sauna and cold-plunge experiences with conversations and networking around startups competing in this year’s Startup Battlefield 200. Space is limited.
Find a Cofounder, Help or Join a Startup
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Startup Oasis
Hear startup pitches and then join breakout groups where attendees can offer feedback, make connections, or explore opportunities to work with the presenting teams.
Event details, availability and registration requirements are subject to change. Check each event’s RSVP page for the latest information before attending.
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You’ve built the product. Now you need customers. But when you’re starting from zero, there may be no marketing budget, established brand, or sales team to help you find them. So how do you get the first 1,000 people to take a chance on what you’ve built?
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Gamma CEO and co-founder Grant Lee, Engine founder and CEO Elia Wallen, and GV (Google Ventures) general partner Crystal Huang will take the Builders Stage for “The Zero-to-1K Playbook: How to Get Your First 1,000 Customers Without a Marketing Budget.”
They’ll break down how founders are using community building, product-led growth, founder-led sales, strategic outbound, and word of mouth to find those critical early customers.
Still working toward your first 1,000 customers? Secure your Disrupt pass now, save up to $100, and hear how founders are finding early customers when budget, brand, and scale aren’t available yet. Bring a co-founder, colleague, partner, or peer and save 50% on your pass.
From early users to nearly 100 million
Lee knows what it takes to grow well beyond those first customers. Before co-founding Gamma, he was COO of ClearBrain, which was acquired by Amplitude, and CFO of Optimizely. A Stanford-trained engineer with experience in finance and operations, he spent years creating the slide decks that eventually inspired him to rethink how people create and share ideas.
Gamma has since grown far beyond presentations. TechCrunch reported in March 2026 that the AI-powered visual communication platform was approaching 100 million users after reaching $100 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025. The company has continued expanding into websites, social content, and AI-generated marketing assets.
For an early-stage founder, the interesting part of that story starts well before 100 million users. How do you convince the first people to try a product from a company they’ve never heard of — and turn that early traction into momentum?
Get your ticket to Disrupt and hear Lee’s perspective on what it takes to start building a customer base from zero. Save up to $100 on your pass, and get a second pass at 50% off.
Building without an established brand
Wallen brings another founder journey to the conversation. He started Travelers Haven in 2008 and bootstrapped it into one of the country’s largest corporate housing companies. He raised Engine’s first outside capital in 2019 and later shifted his full attention to the travel platform.
Today, Engine has served more than 30,000 businesses and one million travelers and is cash-flow positive. Its growth continued in July when Engine acquired Options Travel, a travel management company with more than 30 years in the business, along with its group-flights product, TempoTrip.
Wallen’s experience spans the stages early founders are trying to navigate: starting without an established brand, finding customers, building around what those customers need, and scaling from there.
If your startup needs customers long before it has a large marketing operation, add this Builders Stage session to your Disrupt agenda. Register now and save up to $100, and get a second at 50% off.
What does an investor see in early customer traction?
Huang brings the investor’s view. As a general partner at GV, she concentrates on SaaS, infrastructure, and AI, with a particular interest in product- and developer-led adoption strategies. Before GV, she invested at NEA and Notable Capital and began her career in technology M&A at Blackstone.
She’ll also be evaluating startups firsthand at Disrupt as one of this year’s Startup Battlefield 200 judges.
Huang adds the investor lens: how early-stage companies approach product-led adoption and build momentum before they have the resources of an established business.
Want to hear how a founder’s early go-to-market strategy looks from both sides of the table? Secure your Disrupt pass and hear from founders who have built customer bases and an investor who evaluates how companies grow. Save up to $100 on your pass, and get a second of the same pass at 50%.
Make more early-stage connections at Disrupt
“The Zero-to-1K Playbook: How to Get Your First 1,000 Customers Without a Marketing Budget” is one of 200+ sessions across six industry stages, roundtables and breakouts at Disrupt, October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco. More than 10,000 founders, investors, operators, and tech leaders are expected, along with 250+ speakers and 300+ exhibiting startups.
And for founders trying to find customers, investors, partners, or simply other people who understand the zero-to-one grind, the conversations don’t end when the sessions do. Matchmaking, dealmaking, and ad hoc networking give attendees opportunities to make the connections that can move a young company forward.
You may not have a big marketing budget yet. At Disrupt, you can hear how founders are finding early customers through strategies that don’t depend on one — and meet thousands of people building, funding, and buying what comes next. Explore your ticket options and lock in up to $100 in savings. Plus, get a second pass at 50% off.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
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Four days. That’s all that stands between now and TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, when 10,000 founders, investors, and tech leaders descend on Moscone West in San Francisco on October 13-15. It’s also your final window to secure discounted online pricing.
Ticket savings of up to $100 will end when doors open on October 13 at 8 a.m. PT. Don’t forget to get a second pass of the same ticket types at 50% off. Or if you’ve been affected by a layoff, then grab your Expo+ Pass at just $75.
Your next opportunity could be one conversation away at Disrupt
Different people come to Disrupt looking for different outcomes. For founders, the Expo Hall or the founder-investor exclusive Deal Flow Café could mean meeting an investor, customer, or potential partner. For investors, it could mean spotting a company before it breaks through. For department heads, it could mean finding a product that solves a genuine business problem. For technology companies, it’s a chance to see where the market is moving and who is moving with it.
Others will come for the ideas and expertise across 200+ sessions led by 250+ tech leaders across six stages, plus focused roundtables, breakout sessions, and Startup Battlefield 200 pitch sessions.
Whether your priority is finding a solution, meeting the right person, discovering your next investment, or hearing directly from the people shaping technology, you can build your time at Disrupt around the opportunities that matter to you.
Grab your pass before prices jump to door rates
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is where the global startup ecosystem converges for three days of next-gen insights, meaningful connections, and a first look at what’s shaping the future of tech before it hits the headlines.
Whether you’re looking for your next investor, a co-founder, or insights into where the industry is headed, this is where you need to be.
Make one of your highest-ROI investments in Q4. Grab your pass now to save up to $100 before prices jump to door rates on October 13 at 8 a.m. PT. Plus, bring a co-founder, colleague, or industry peer for 50% off a second pass of the same ticket type. Recently laid off? Get in on the action with a special $75 Expo+ Pass.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
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