The key facts
- Startup Battlefield 2026 winner — Intero Biosystems, receiving $100,000 and the Disrupt Cup; second place — Apate.
- Best Showcase Stage pitches: Lola Vision Systems, Krokos Bio, Rein Security, Lumai, Uhura Bionics, Maka.
- The Spirit of Disrupt award went to Shoger Atanesyan (Ardook Data); best booth — Legali AI.
Winner and Finalists
TechCrunch concluded Startup Battlefield 200 at the Disrupt 2026 conference. From thousands of applications, the editorial team selected 200 startups that pitched and demonstrated their solutions live over three days. From the top 20 finalists, the TechCrunch editorial team chose five companies competing for the $100,000 prize with no equity stake and the Disrupt Cup. Intero Biosystems won, and Apate took second place.
Best Showcase Stage Pitches by Industry
Built World: Lola Vision Systems — a fully functional AI platform with sensor fusion, secure communications, and real-time inference on existing hardware, with specialized chips on the horizon. Sustainability: Krokos Bio — growing valuable natural ingredients cheaper and more reliably, starting with saffron. Enterprise Group 1: Rein Security — a security layer for custom enterprise AI agents. Enterprise Group 2: Lumai — optical computing for scalable AI in the era of inference. Health: Uhura Bionics — a bionic larynx that allows singing, laughing, and conveying emotions. Consumer: Maka — AI-based shows for children, matched to age stages and trusted by parents.
Best Booth
The best booth prize went to Legali AI — a 'trauma-informed' AI legal companion for the middle class and AI-focused firms, with a focus on women survivors of violence. The pink booth attracted visitors: they wrote supportive notes for women and placed them on the company's banner. Founder Ira Puteri coordinated different pink outfits for the team every day.
Spirit of Disrupt Award
The Spirit of Disrupt award was unanimously given to Shoger Atanesyan, founder and CEO of Ardook Data. She first attended Disrupt in 2023 as a volunteer, then asked for a 'Social Impact' category to be added as a separate category in the event application — the editorial team agreed, and a few months later she applied and passed the selection on her own. Ardook Data collects real-world household training data through a paid network of caregivers and sells it to companies in the physical AI and robotics space. Atanesyan was recognized for her selflessness: she organized dozens of student volunteers to help startups at booths, accepted packages at her home to bypass high delivery costs, hosted a party for founders at her home, and constantly helped participants in Discord and on weekly calls.
Wrap-Up
TechCrunch emphasizes that Startup Battlefield is not only a pitch competition but also an opportunity to build connections with investors, potential customers, and other founders. The organizers congratulated all Startup Battlefield 200 participants and thanked the judges and sponsors for supporting Disrupt 2026.
