VCs Reveal 2026 Investment Bets at Disrupt Builders Stage

VCs outline 2026 investment focus at Disrupt Builders Stage

Early-stage founders should mark their calendars. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025’s Builders Stage, three seasoned investors — Nina Achadjian of Index Ventures, Jerry Chen of Greylock, and Viviana Faga of Felicis — will share where their firms are placing bets for 2026 and beyond.

Expect a candid discussion on sectors they find most compelling: AI and data, cloud infrastructure and open source, robotics and automation, and vertical SaaS and category-building startups. This is a rare direct line to the "smart money" mindset and what types of product traction and narratives will resonate in 2026.

TechCrunch Disrupt runs October 27–29, 2025 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Save on tickets through September 26 before prices increase. Founders who want investor-facing clarity should attend and come prepared with clear GTM signals and defensible metrics.

Sectors the panel will spotlight

• AI and data: models, tooling, and verticalized ML that deliver measurable ROI.
• Cloud infrastructure and open source: foundational tooling that scales developer and enterprise adoption.
• Robotics and automation: practical deployments that automate overlooked industries and reduce operating cost.
• Vertical SaaS and category creation: deep domain products with defensible go-to-market motion.

What founders should do next

Hearing VCs explain their thesis is valuable, but action beats theory. Use what you learn from the panel to adjust three things quickly:

• Product roadmap: prioritize features that deliver measurable cost savings or revenue lift tied to the sector signals discussed.
• Traction metrics: surface metrics investors care about—retention, LTV/CAC, usage depth—so your pitch speaks their language.
• Narrative and GTM: craft a category or vertical story that explains why your timing and go-to-market will scale.

Think of this session as market reconnaissance. Investors will reveal not just technologies they like, but the business evidence they need to back an early-stage deal. Founders who leave with concrete metric goals and a tightened narrative will have a clear advantage in the months ahead.

At QuarkyByte we turn signals like these into operational guidance for startups and teams. By mapping investor attention to product roadmaps and traction benchmarks, organizations can prioritize features, craft pitch narratives with evidence, and set fundraising-ready milestones tied to real market demand.

If you’re attending Disrupt, come prepared: know your top three metrics, be ready to explain why your product is uniquely positioned in its vertical, and listen for the specific investor requirements the panel shares. Those details are the difference between a conversation and a term sheet.