“The Social Reckoning,” Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to “The Social Network,” is on-track to make only $5.5 million at the domestic box office this weekend, according to Sunday estimates.

That means Sorkin’s new movie is unlikely to become a “Social Network”-sized hit. The earlier film had a $22 million opening weekend and made a total of $97 million domestically (and that’s at 2010 ticket prices). It also won Sorkin an Oscar and became one of most influential on-screen depictions of Silicon Valley and startup culture.

Beyond the fate of a single film, the weekend box office could also offer hints about audience excitement, or lack thereof, as we kick off a fall full of movies starring villainous, real-world tech CEOs. There’s Alex Gibney’s four-hour documentary “Musk” (which also opened this weekend), Nathan Fielder’s apparently uncategorizable Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything” (coming next weekend!), and the OpenAI boardroom drama “Artificial” (which has a new distributor after being dropped by Amazon).

Outside of theaters, Netflix also has a series called “The Altruists” coming in November, telling the story of Sam Bankman-Fried and the collapse of FTX.

As for “The Social Reckoning,” while “The Social Network” was a notable success, the theatrical landscape has changed significantly in the last 16 years. And where the first film focused on the excitement and drama of Facebook’s early days, the sequel is darker and heavier — it’s all about whistleblower Frances Haugen’s decision to leak what became known as the Facebook files.

So maybe a movie about Senate hearings and algorithm changes was never going to be a big hit. Or maybe “The Social Reckoning”’s real audience is among older moviegoers who have only returned sporadically to theaters. And I wonder if critiquing Facebook feels a bit less urgent to audiences who are more likely to be losing sleep over AI.

Maybe just as importantly, the new movie’s reviews just aren’t very good. (For what it’s worth, I enjoyed “The Social Reckoning” but will fully admit that it’s overloaded Sorkin’s trademark speechifying. And I couldn’t help dreaming about a version directed — like the original — by David Fincher, with a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.)

 “Musk,” meanwhile, made $69,000 during its opening weekend in four theaters. It will roll out more broadly in the coming weeks, but given its length and subject matter, the documentary will probably reach many more viewers once it starts streaming on HBO Max.

In less than 48 hours, the doors open for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Save up to $100 on your ticket before prices increase at the door. Don’t forget to get a second pass at 50% off. Register now.

On October 13-15, more than 10,000 founders, investors, and tech leaders will be showing up to make the connections that’ll change their trajectory. More than 250 speakers are getting ready to take the stage across 200+ sessions. Discover 300+ startups showcasing what’s next. Register now before rates hike at the door on October 13, 8 a.m. PT.

Hear the conversations shaping tech right now

If you’re coming for the conference program, 200+ sessions across six stages, roundtables, and breakouts will bring you closer to the people making decisions inside some of technology’s most talked-about companies.

Hear from leaders including RJ Scaringe of Rivian, Mark Wahlberg, Alexa von Tobel of Inspired Capital, Andrew Feldman of Cerebras Systems, Cat de Jong of Anthropic, Les Karpas of NVIDIA, and many more — with conversations spanning AI, robotics, infrastructure, investment, startup growth, fintech, climate, and the realities of building at scale.

Explore what will make waves in the tech ecosystem

If your priority is discovery rather than sessions, spend your time in the bustling Expo Hall, where you can see tomorrow’s breakthroughs, speak directly with the companies behind them, and find out where big ideas are already becoming real products and businesses. It’s here that you’ll also meet the top 200, hand-picked startups that made it into Startup Battlefield.

Disrupt gives you the flexibility to focus on the experience that matters to you — or mix both across three days.

Clock is ticking. Get your pass before Disrupt doors open.

The global startup ecosystem is gearing up for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, and the countdown is almost over. Will you be there?

Don’t miss your chance to save before door prices take effect! Grab your pass now to save up to $100 and get a second pass of the same ticket type at 50% off. Bringing a group of four or more? Unlock additional group discounts.

Recently laid off? Don’t miss out on the opportunities at Disrupt. Take advantage of our Layoff to Liftoff Ticket Program and get an Expo+ Pass for just $75.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is built around one question for founders: How do you build an enduring company in the AI era? For investors, it’s the opposite: How do you find that company before someone else does?

At Disrupt, the volume and competition are the point for investors, not a drawback. Year after year, investors who’ve explored the Expo Halls, met founders, and learned from peers at panels and Side Events have proven why you need to be on the ground to get ahead of the curve.

Consider that every founder pitching during the Startup Battlefield competition does so in front of a packed room of VCs. Why? Because they know their next cohort could be sitting right there. All it takes is making the trip to San Francisco this October 13-15.

This guide is for the investors who recognize that three days spent at Moscone West are well worth it and who plan to walk away with the insights and prospects that yield returns.  

And speaking of returns, we have up to $100 in savings with our current ticket tiers, which end Monday, October 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT, so act swiftly to get an even greater ROI on Disrupt. And if you’ve recently been laid off, we have a $75 Expo+ Pass offer to help you make more connections to find your next opportunity.

Let’s dive in!

How Disrupt works for different investors 

Disrupt features numerous tracks, depending on the check sizes you’re able to write and the stage of startup you specialize in.

Angel, pre-seed, scout

If you’re coming to build out your portfolio of early bets and get in on rounds before they’re priced, prioritize the Startup Battlefield 200 semifinalist pitches, the Builders Stage, and the Expo Hall.

Seed, Series A

Disrupt will be all about volume and speed of qualified deal flow. Prioritize the founder list, our curated 1:1 meetings, and the Deal Flow Café. 

Growth, late stage

This stage is best suited for those coming to the event as much for market intelligence and strategic partnership scouting as for deal sourcing. Prioritize the Smart Money and Smart Systems Stages, as well as the exclusive StrictlyVC investor-only session.

Why Disrupt? 

More than 20,000 curated meetings take place over just three days, within dedicated environments like investor receptions and structured networking sessions. Investor-founder connections aren’t hallway luck –they’re built into Disrupt’s infrastructure.

You get direct access to 200 pitch-ready, TechCrunch-vetted startups through Startup Battlefield 200. And we’ll put an emphasis on “vetted.” Our Startup Battlefield team, working alongside TechCrunch’s incredibly discerning team of editors and writers, has done a significant amount of diligence for you already.

Past speakers have included investors like Elad Gil and Vinod Khosla, and this year’s lineup puts you in the room with the operators you’re underwriting, too. We’re talking Rivian’s RJ Scaringe, Amazon’s Panos Panay, Replit’s Amjad Masad, and Cerebras’ Andrew Feldman, just for starters.

The Disrupt crowd is your signal. With a mix of 10,000 founders, investors, and operators filling Moscone West, the companies worth knowing will get discovered by someone. This is your chance to make sure it’s you.

Startup Battlefield 200 is a sourcing engine, not just a pitch competition 

For founders, Startup Battlefield is a visibility engine and a trial by fire. For investors, it’s a filtered shortlist that the TechCrunch team has spent months narrowing down for you.

Consider that:

• 200 pre-Series A startups, handpicked by our Startup Battlefield and editorial teams and sharpened through the SB 200 program, are competing for $100,000 in equity-free funding. 
• Battlefield alumni have collectively raised over $32 billion and produced 250+ exits, which is evidence we produce fundable companies. 

Startup Battlefield is intensely competitive. Thousands of global startups apply, while just 200 make the cut and only a handful reach the finals. That funnel is doing your top-of-pipeline filtering for you before you ever take a meeting. If you’re not circling around these startups, your competitors are.

The exclusive access that an Investor Pass grants 

We have several different passes for Disrupt, and by joining the community via an Investor Pass, you get access to perks like…

The Deal Flow Café

This is a space exclusively for founders and investors, fostering impromptu run-ins with founders actively seeking capital. Grab coffee or a beverage of choice, explore opportunities, and start conversations that can turn into your next deal.

The founder list

You’ll get early access to the full list of Disrupt founders looking for connections with investors. The next addition to your portfolio can be identified before the event even begins, giving you more time to find even more opportunities.

Curated meetings

Through the Disrupt app, you can schedule 1:1 and small-group meetings with founders matching your focus areas, with AI helping match you by mutual interests instead of waiting on fate.

The investors who make the most out of Disrupt don’t leave sourcing to chance — they’ve already scanned the available resources and set up their agendas in advance.

The Disrupt programming that matters most to Investors 

Our editorially curated programming, including all three days of sessions and panels, is available here, stretching across six stages, breakout sessions, roundtables, and Side Events. Here are some of the stages that might be of interest:

The Smart Money Stage: Interested in capital markets, embedded finance, and stablecoins? Everything within the fintech realm, especially within the intersection of AI, is included.

The Smart Systems Stage: It’s all about compute, infrastructure, and energy economics. If you need to build a justification for underwriting AI infrastructure bets, this is the place to start.

The AI Stage and Real World AI Stages: Get market intelligence on where the fastest-growing startups are deploying, not just building.

The Disrupt Stage: This is where operators and CEOs set the narrative your current and future portfolio companies will be measured against.

Is Disrupt 2026 worth it? 

Disrupt’s value isn’t found in the size of the crowd, though that certainly helps. It’s in the potential, the expertise, the value of that crowd and the feedback it gives you. With so much overlapping investor attention, the companies worth knowing are getting found fast — regardless of whether you’re in the room. The cost of attending is a ticket and three days of your time. The cost of not attending is finding out about your next portfolio company from someone else’s term sheet.

Disrupt 2026 logistics for investors 

We’ve gone in depth about the benefits to you, your portfolio, and the opportunities Disrupt offers you. But there are always matters of hotels, expenses, and travel to sort out. Our Disrupt site has the bulk of these issues covered, but to tackle some common questions and pressing opportunities:

Disrupt passes are discounted until October 13, after which we’ll have higher walk-up rates. That means up to $100 discounts on tickets relative to their final prices.

For your hotel needs, we have partnerships with several stellar hotels near Moscone West. You’ll get exclusive discounts, easy access to Disrupt and anything else you might want to explore in San Francisco, and yes, you’ll get points for your accommodations.

If you’re bringing a large cohort or are interested in having a company in your portfolio take part in our Expo Hall to get wider visibility, check out our bulk ticket options here and our Exhibit Table options here.

For all other questions, you can explore our full Disrupt page to find more specific FAQs, and we hope to see you in San Francisco this year!