TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Finalizes Next Venture Capital Judges for Startup Battlefield 200

The judging panel for Startup Battlefield 2025 is becoming even more formidable. Our initial group of venture capitalists brought significant expertise, and now we are welcoming additional top investors who will challenge founders, explore critical questions, and help select this year's $100,000 winner at TechCrunch Disrupt, happening from October 27–29 at San Francisco's Moscone West.

Following in the footsteps of legendary past judges, this new cohort contributes the deep insight, seasoned experience, and sharp instincts capable of transforming a founder's path in a single Q&A session.

Meet the next set of investors preparing to pose their most incisive questions on the Disrupt Stage. Secure your pass now to save over $650 and experience the pitch competition live.

Welcome the latest additions to our SB 200 judges

Presenting the second group of five VCs who will help determine this year's Startup Battlefield champion—with more investor announcements coming. Visit the Disrupt speaker page to learn more about our judges.

Crissy Behrens, Principal, Insight Partners

Crissy Behrens became part of Insight Partners in 2021, concentrating on investments in high-growth software businesses spanning SaaS, DevOps, and infrastructure. Her previous experience includes roles as a seed investor at Primary Venture Partners and a growth investor at B Capital Group. Throughout her investing career, Behrens has collaborated with companies at various stages, from pre-seed rounds through to initial public offerings.

Prior to her investment career, Behrens held go-to-market positions at several B2B startups and developer platforms. These customer-facing roles equipped her with exceptional problem-solving abilities, making her a dedicated partner to the founders and entrepreneurs she supports.

Charles Hudson, Managing Partner, Precursor Ventures

Charles Hudson is the managing partner and founder of Precursor Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to investing in the first institutional funding round for the most promising software and hardware companies. He prioritizes investing in people over products during the earliest phases of their entrepreneurial path. Under his direction, Precursor has successfully raised four funds and manages over $250 million. He has invested in more than 400 companies and supported over 450 founders, including the teams behind Bobbie Baby, Carrot, Incredible Health, Juniper Square, Modern Health, Pair Eyewear, Rad AI, and The Athletic (acquired by The New York Times for $525 million in 2022).

Leading figures in tech and venture capital are joining the Disrupt 2025 program

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the influential names enhancing the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They are here to share the strategic insights that accelerate startup growth and refine your competitive advantage. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt and this opportunity to learn from premier voices in technology — secure your ticket today and save over $600 before rates increase.

Leading figures in tech and venture capital are joining the Disrupt 2025 program

Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the influential names enhancing the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They are here to share the strategic insights that accelerate startup growth and refine your competitive advantage. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt and this opportunity to learn from premier voices in technology — secure your ticket today and save up to $675 before rates increase.

Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures

Nicolas Sauvage serves as president of TDK Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of TDK Corporation, where he directs the firm's $350 million commitment to invest in early-stage startups advancing digital and energy innovation. Since its establishment in 2019, TDK Ventures has invested in 45 startups under his guidance, including three unicorns—Ascend Elements, Groq, and Silicon Box.

Globally recognized, Sauvage has been included in the GCV Powerlist for six consecutive years, recently securing the No. 17 position among the top 150 corporate venture leaders. He is also one of only two corporate VCs accepted into the prestigious Kauffman Fellows program.

Katie Stanton, Founder and General Partner, Moxxie Ventures

Katie Stanton is the founder and general partner of Moxxie Ventures, an early-stage venture fund. Before founding Moxxie, Stanton held senior executive positions at Twitter, Google, Yahoo, and Color. In addition to her Silicon Valley career, Stanton served in the Obama White House and the State Department, and began her professional journey as a banker at J.P. Morgan Chase. Stanton serves on the board of Vivendi, a French multinational media conglomerate based in Paris, and previously was a board member at Time Inc. She entered the venture capital field as a founding partner of #Angels and has invested in more than 100 early-stage companies, including Airtable, Calm, Cameo, Carta, Coinbase, Literati, Modern Fertility, and Shape Security.

Santi Subotovsky, General Partner, Emergence

Santi Subotovsky is a general partner at Emergence Capital, where he has been instrumental in several of the firm's standout investments since joining in 2010, such as Chorus and Openpath. He spearheaded Emergence's investment in Zoom (NASDAQ: ZM) when it was still an emerging company and continues to serve on its board as it thrives with a $24 billion market capitalization. He also holds board positions with leading firms such as Crunchbase, Logik.io, Zipline, Tundra, and Class, and collaborates closely with startup studio and accelerator High Alpha and Quasar Ventures, which assists Latin American entrepreneurs in realizing groundbreaking ideas.

Disrupt: Where technology innovation begins — and endures

The world’s premier pitch competition is set for this October 27–29. TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 will unite over 10,000 startup founders and venture capital leaders, transforming San Francisco’s Moscone West into the heart of the tech world. The startup landscape may evolve, but Disrupt continues to be the platform where founders introduce the next wave of innovation. Participate in the sessions, forge new partnerships, and watch Startup Battlefield unfold live. Secure your ticket now before prices increase.