The Startup Battlefield 2025 judging panel is getting even stronger. Our first wave of VCs introduced critical firepower, and now we’re including extra prime buyers who will grill founders, unpack the massive questions, and assist crown this 12 months’s $100,000 champion at TechCrunch Disrupt, going down October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West.
Just like the legendary buyers who’ve judged in years previous, this subsequent group brings the perception, expertise, and instincts that may change a founder’s trajectory in only one Q&A.
Right here’s the subsequent set of buyers able to carry their sharpest inquiries to the Disrupt Stage. Safe your ticket now to avoid wasting $650+ and to witness the pitch-off stay.
Meet the subsequent wave of our Startup Battlefield 200 judges
Introducing the second batch of 5 VCs who will assist crown this 12 months’s Startup Battlefield champion, with extra buyers on the best way. Verify the Disrupt speaker web page to get to know our judges.
Thomas Krane, Managing Director, Perception Companions
Thomas Krane is a managing director at Perception Companions and has been with the agency since 2012, when he joined as an analyst. As an investor, his focus areas embrace cybersecurity, DevOps, IT automation, and utility software program. 5 of his investments have gone on to appreciate an IPO (Tenable, JFrog, Darktrace, 1stdibs, SentinelOne), and extra have seen profitable strategic exits, together with Recorded Future, Adaptive Protect, Thycotic, Nearpod, Cylance, and QASymphony. Thomas studied astrophysics on the College of Pennsylvania, the place he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and earned his grasp’s diploma in 4 years.
Charles Hudson, Managing Associate, Precursor Ventures
Charles Hudson is the managing associate and founding father of Precursor Ventures, an early-stage enterprise capital agency centered on investing within the first institutional spherical of funding for essentially the most promising software program and {hardware} firms. He invests in folks over product on the earliest stage of their entrepreneurial journey. Underneath his management, Precursor has raised 4 funds and has $250+ million below administration. He has invested in over 400+ firms and has supported 450+ founders, together with the groups behind Bobbie Child, Carrot, Unimaginable Well being, Juniper Sq., Fashionable Well being, Pair Eyewear, Rad AI, and The Athletic (bought to the New York Instances for $525 million in 2022).
Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures
Nicolas Sauvage is president of TDK Ventures, the company enterprise capital arm of TDK Company, the place he leads the agency’s $350 million mandate to put money into early-stage startups driving digital and power innovation. Since its founding in 2019, TDK Ventures has backed 45 startups below its management, together with three unicorns — Ascend Components, Groq, and Silicon Field.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco
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October 27-29, 2025
Acknowledged globally, Sauvage has appeared on the GCV Powerlist for six consecutive years, most just lately rating No. 17 among the many prime 150 heads of company enterprise. He’s additionally one among solely two company VCs inducted into the distinguished Kauffman Fellows program.
Katie Stanton, Founder and Basic Associate, Moxxie Ventures
Katie Stanton is the founder and common associate of Moxxie Ventures, an early-stage enterprise fund. Previous to Moxxie, Stanton served in quite a few govt working roles at Twitter, Google, Yahoo, and Coloration. Along with working in Silicon Valley, Stanton served within the Obama White Home and State Division and commenced her profession as a banker at J.P. Morgan Chase. Stanton sits on the Board of Vivendi, a French multinational media firm headquartered in Paris, and beforehand served on the board of Time Inc. She began her enterprise profession as a founding associate of #Angels and has invested in over 100 early-stage firms, together with Airtable, Calm, Cameo, Carta, Coinbase, Literati, Fashionable Fertility, and Form Safety.
Santi Subotovsky, Basic Associate, Emergence
Santi Subotovsky is a common associate at Emergence Capital, the place he has been a driving power behind a number of the agency’s most profitable investments since becoming a member of in 2010, together with Refrain and Openpath. He led Emergence’s funding in Zoom (NASDAQ: ZM) when it was a little-known startup and stays on its board as the corporate stands as a $24 billion market cap large. He additionally serves on the boards of main firms like Crunchbase, Logik.io, Zipline, Tundra, and Class, and works intently with startup studio and accelerator Excessive Alpha and Quasar Ventures, which helps Latin American entrepreneurs carry disruptive concepts to life.
Disrupt: The place tech innovation launches — and lasts
The final word international pitch-off awaits. This October 27-29, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 brings collectively 10,000+ startups and VC leaders, turning San Francisco’s Moscone West into the tech epicenter. The startup area might have modified, however Disrupt stays the place founders launch tomorrow’s innovation. Be a part of the classes, make the offers, and witness Startup Battlefield stay. Safe your ticket now earlier than costs rise.
