TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 brings founders, investors, and operators together in San Francisco for official conference programming and a slate of independent side events spanning international startup showcases, security networking, and frontier hardware gatherings. The auxiliary meetups, scheduled around the main conference at Moscone West, offer targeted networking for specific tech sectors and geographic delegations.
International Startup Showcases and Cross-Border Networking
Several delegation-hosted events connect international entrepreneurs with the U.S. venture capital ecosystem. The Born2Global Founder Networking Night takes place on October 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT, featuring 18 emerging startups from the Republic of Korea. Hosted by WayFounder, the event includes founder introductions and networking with global investors and corporate leaders.
KOTRA Silicon Valley is organizing the Korea–U.S. Startup & Investor Networking Night on October 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PT as part of the Korea Pavilion’s programming. The gathering connects Korean startups entering the U.S. market with Bay Area investors and corporate partners. KOTRA is offering complimentary Expo+ passes to qualified applicants who lack a main conference ticket.
Enterprise Ireland brings back The Irish Shark Tank on October 13 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Ireland House. The happy hour event offers a venue for attendees to meet Irish startups, though availability is limited.
Security, Hardware, and Frontier Tech Gatherings
Industry-specific meetups focus on technical challenges ranging from autonomous systems to frontier hardware. Security firms Skyflow and Descope are hosting Vault & Verify on October 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT. The gathering brings together security, privacy, and identity professionals to discuss data protection challenges as AI systems become more autonomous.
For hardware engineers, Syntro is hosting Long Lead Time: A Hardware Happy Hour on October 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT. The presentation-free gathering connects founders and operators building robotics, chips, and rockets.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs is hosting Real World AI: Connect, Invest & Scale in Taiwan on October 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PT. The event features startup pitches and discussions spanning robotics, intelligent hardware, and advanced manufacturing.
Demos and Community Meetups
Additional programming highlights specialized product demonstrations and community gatherings. Uhura Bionics hosts Pursuit of Happiness on October 7 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PT, featuring a live U.S. demonstration of the Whitney Electrolarynx by co-founder Konrad Zieliński to showcase voice-restoration technology for cancer survivors.
PrincipiumX is hosting Find the 10x Opportunity Hiding in Your Product on October 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PT, focusing on first-principles thinking for product-market fit. SafetyWing is hosting a happy hour at Harrington’s Irish Pub on October 13 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT for founders, HR leaders, and members of the startup community. The side event calendar also includes Pets of Disrupt on October 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT for founders and investors.
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