With TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 just days away, we’re gearing up for an incredible three-day event packed with interactive sessions! From October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco, dive into Q&A conversations with a panel of industry experts around the most pressing issues and cutting-edge tech trends to help empower your growth.
Don’t miss your chance to save and engage in these first come, first served Breakouts! Register now to lock in up to $400 in savings on select tickets before door prices increase. Want to bring a friend? Take advantage of the Expo+ 2-for-1 Pass and bring a plus-one at half the cost of a single Expo+ Pass. These offers are valid through October 27.
Discover the complete roster of Breakout Sessions below, spread across two stages at Disrupt.
Breakout Session Agenda
The Future of High-Growth Tech: Beyond the Apple App Store
Led by Sofia Dolfe, Index Ventures; James Ding, DraftWise; Jordan Taylor, Vizcom
As the tech landscape evolves, the next wave of high-growth, high-impact companies may not emerge from the Apple App Store, but rather from the Microsoft app store. This shift signals a broader transformation in historically slow-moving industries like legal tech, where innovative solutions are challenging the status quo. Buyers in these sectors are increasingly open to embracing change, paving the way for a new era of technological advancement. Join our panel of experts as we explore how AI and other emerging technologies are driving this evolution, and what it means for the future of knowledge work in industries traditionally resistant to rapid change.
How AI Is Supercharging Tools for Knowledge Workers
Led by Harpinder Singh, Innovation Endeavors; Tanguy Chau, Paxton AI; Luke McGartland, Sequence; Dion Almaer, Augment Code
Advancements in AI are enabling new tooling that will 10x the productivity of knowledge workers by reducing monotonous, repetitive tasks. These advances have also unlocked opportunities for more creativity and experimentation. This panel explores the latest in professional services tooling and explores how companies can maximize performance and productivity. We will also explore the future of tooling for knowledge workers and how emerging breakthroughs might be applied. Let’s explore the future of work.
Generative AI: Beyond the Hype — Building Real-World Applications
Led by Priyanka Vergadia, Microsoft
Join this interactive session to explore the practical applications of generative AI. We’ll break down the different types of generative models, discuss their strengths and limitations, and showcase inspiring use cases across various industries.
Beyond Snowflake and Databricks: Insights from the Frontlines of Data Transformation Disruption
Led by Colin Zima, Omni; Toby Mao, Tobiko Data; Jordan Tigani, MotherDuck; Daniel Svonava, Superlinked; Tomasz Tunguz, Theory Ventures
By 2025, our global data volume will reach 175 zetabytes, a figure that is 50% more than 2023. But while the wealth of data grows, it remains unwieldy to use. Poor data quality costs organizations an average of $12.9 million annually. As organizations grapple with the exponential growth of data, they need better data transformation solutions to process it. The worldwide spending on such digital transformation solutions is forecasted to reach $3.9 trillion by 2027. In other words, the market is ripe for challenging the status quo, even despite the continued growth of data darlings Snowflake and Databricks. Tomasz can speak to the future of data in the context of SF and DB’s direct competition, and how startups are tackling these challenges head-on amidst the acceleration of two industry giants.
Navigating the Funding Landscape for Women
Led by Natalie Pan, Mariane Bekker, and Jeni Chang, Women Founders Bay; Aury Cifuentes, How Women Invest
Join us for an exciting panel discussion featuring three leading female venture capitalists from Progressive Ventures and How Women Invest. This session will provide you with essential insights into the funding world, focusing on the latest trends, what investors look for, and effective strategies for women founders to stand out.
Powering Ahead: The Future of Energy & Infrastructure
Led by Rachel Payne and Troy Helming, EarthGrid; Nicholas Larson, Silicon Zombies
Join us for “Powering Ahead: The Future of Energy & Infrastructure” featuring Troy Helming, a visionary leader in renewable energy and successful entrepreneur. In our breakout session, we’ll dive into the latest innovations shaping the energy sector, including advancements in renewable technologies, grid modernization, and sustainable infrastructure development. We’ll also share best practices for building a startup, offering practical advice drawn from Troy’s experiences. Attendees will gain insights into how these trends are transforming the way we produce, distribute, and consume energy, and how to capitalize on emerging opportunities. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an industry expert about the challenges and prospects that lie ahead in the quest for a cleaner, more efficient energy future.
IPO or Bust? Tactical Approaches for Late-Stage Success
Led by Jai Das, Sapphire Ventures; Karthik Subramanian, Goldman Sachs
With rising interest rates and stricter regulatory scrutiny on acquisitions, many growth and late-stage companies that once secured billions in funding are struggling to achieve a successful outcome. In this session, two experienced investors will debate the state of late-stage venture, what they’re seeing in terms of deal activity, if this market is actually coming back as significantly as some are reporting, and where they see the landscape headed in 2025. As part of this, they will dig into what’s going on with IPO markets, whether/when they will open back up, and how this is impacting exit strategies for founders.
The Future of Go-to-Market in the AI Era
Led by Jane Alexander, CapitalG; Chris Klayko, Databricks; Kareem Amin, Clay; Austin Hughes, Unify
From auto-generated outbound messages to AI-written blog posts, AI is fundamentally changing the way that companies go to market. Come discuss the tension between AI-powered automation and human creativity with the founders building these products and the leading practitioners who use them.
Secrets to Actually Being Good at Startup PR in 2024
Led by Turner Novak, Banana Capital; Kira McCroden, Forerunner; Emilie Gerber, Six Eastern; Jack Randall, Aetherflux
The communications and PR landscape has dramatically shifted in recent years: new mediums (Substack, podcasts) have spiked in influence and popularity, fueling new strategies (“going direct”) for shaping and amplifying public perceptions — all while an increasingly critical media landscape continues to hold all types of industry stakeholders accountable. How can early and growing companies responsibly navigate these changes and be successful in building an inspiring brand? This roundtable will dissect the growing breadth and importance of different comms functions: the under-appreciated, consequential nature of internal comms, the increasingly indispensable need for owned channels, the pros and cons of political takes amidst an election year, and how to actually get meaningful press coverage for a company. The tech communications industry has arguably never been more dynamic.
Beyond the Wrapper: Building and Raising Organically with AI
Led by Alessandra Andrenacci, Dropbox
Many startups today fundraise on the promise of being an “AI-first company.” But how do investors distinguish between companies that organically have AI at their core and those that are “GPT wrappers”? How can founders demonstrate that AI is intrinsic to their business and not an add-on intended to ride the wave of AI interest? This session addresses these and related questions by focusing on meaningfully incorporating AI into your startup and getting funded by investors. We use cutting-edge fundraising stats from DocSend to frame the conversation and ask founders and VCs how AI is changing fundraising expectations and how startups can organically incorporate AI into their businesses while staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated investor interest.
Smaller, Faster, Smarter: How Tiny AI Is Democratizing AI Technology Starting with the Smart Home Camera
Led by Roeland Nusselder and Tony Fadell, Plumerai
Nest founder, former SVP of Apple’s iPhone and iPod teams, and principal at Build Collective, Tony Fadell joins Plumerai’s co-founder and CEO Roeland Nusselder to discuss how Tiny AI is democratizing AI. By making AI smaller, efficient, and cost-effective, Tiny AI is paving the way for widespread adoption across industries, fostering innovation, and putting the power of AI into the hands of many. Tiny AI is shaping a future where intelligence is embedded all around us, enhancing our daily lives in ways we’ve only dreamed of. The future is here, and it’s smaller than you think!
Webby Talks: “It’s Giving Brainrot”
Led by Nick Borenstein, Webby Awards; Margaret Johnson, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners; Monica Khan, Bay Area Creator Economy; David Mogensen, Uber
In the Webby Awards’ annual thought leadership series focused on the trends and consumer insights shaping the internet, this year the leading award for internet excellence will explore how brands, marketers, digital creatives, and technologists are embracing chronically online culture to forge more creative and sustainable connections with audiences. The presentation, titled “It’s giving brainrot: How chronically online culture is taking us from the niche to the nonsensical—and why that can be a good thing,” will be led by the Webby Awards general manager Nick Borenstein and will feature insights and social listening data from Meltwater, along with trends from over 13,000 submissions to the 28th Annual Webby Awards. Following the presentation, Margaret Johnson (chief creative officer, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners), David Mogensen (VP of Global Marketing, Uber), and Monica Khan (co-founder, Bay Area Creator Economy) will join for a fireside chat to share their insights into this cultural moment.
Is Your AI Deployment an Advantage or an Embarrassment? Here’s How to Know
Led by Dane Sherrets and Marten Mickos, HackerOne
Rushed AI deployments can translate to embarrassing incidents, reputational damage, and financial loss. Brands like Adobe, Snap, and Anthropic have joined a growing list of companies embracing AI red teaming to deploy AI responsibly and find emerging threats before bad actors. HackerOne will share tales from the front lines of AI safety and security, so you know how to avoid AI embarrassments — from the circumvention of AI guardrails to harmful content generation. You’ll learn how top companies use AI red teaming and actionable ways to reduce AI risk that extend your AI advantage.
Scaling Technical Startups: Navigating Growth, Positioning, and Competitive Pressure
Led by Kevin Hu, Metaplane; Tobi Coker, Felicis
It’s a challenging time to scale a technical or data-focused startup — competition for customers, fundraising, and top talent continues to increase. This session will break down unique, timely challenges for technical founders and teams, and provide actionable advice to thrive in this highly competitive market. Attendees will take away best practices in product development, open source vs. closed source strategies, and how to position and message effectively —especially in pre-revenue stages for investor appeal. Technical founders will learn how to navigate the complexities of fundraising, with a focus on raising Series A for data-driven businesses, and why scaling technical or infrastructure companies requires a different playbook compared to traditional SaaS startups.
Deep Tech in Winter: How to Win Investors in 2024
Led by Po Bronson, Pae Wu, and Duncan Turner, SOSV
Venture’s deep chill has been extra frigid for deep tech startups due to their reputation for long timelines and big capital needs. But investors are still game for deep tech startups that are smart about balancing product scope and time to market. Vertical integration and industrial scale-ups are out; selling innovation into existing supply chains, now that’s smart. SOSV general partners Duncan Turner, Dr. Pae Wu, and Po Bronson help oversee the launch of about 75 deep tech startups a year and work with hundreds of deep tech co-investors. They will discuss what’s getting investors to “yes” to deep tech investments now, and take questions from the audience.
Bringing the Outside In: Connecting Startups with Large Banks to Power the Future of Finance
Led by Arvind Purushotham, Citi Ventures; Ari Tuchman, Quantifind; Kartik Mani, Citi
Arvind, along with Citi partners and portfolio company Quantifind, will discuss Citi Ventures’ approach to working with startups and how governance and risk management are essential to responsible innovation. He will also discuss how attendees can peer through their own crystal ball to predict the next big thing in tech and finance, from AI to the fintech revolution and beyond.
The Age of Technical Engineering Founders: How They Are Driving AI Innovation
Led by Christine Yen, Honeycomb; Anand Babu, MinIO; Prukalpa Sankar, Atlan; Karthik Ranganathan, Yugabyte
In the evolving AI landscape, innovation is being powered by solutions to deeply technical problems that require leaders to take on a much more hands-on, technical approach. We have moved away from the business founder/CEOs of the past and into a new age where engineering founders are increasingly more common. This panel, composed of leaders from Honeycomb, MinIO, Atlan, and Yugabyte will discuss why engineering skills are critical for the modern leader’s role. They will share specific examples of important skill sets, and how founders can position themselves for long-term success as technology leaders in the future.
Founder Mode: AI Startups in Learning, Health, and Autonomous Agents
Led by Amy Kelly, Miri AI; Shronit Ladhani, LearnTube; Div Garg, MultiOn; Jeremiah Owyang, Blitzscaling Ventures
Learn how today’s top founders are using AI to solve real-world problems. The panel experts will include MultiOn, which creates AI agents on the web to solve a variety of problems such as booking flights, shopping, and internet research; Miri.ai, which offers health and wellness AI coaches; and LearnTube, which uses generative AI to create instant learning courses, curriculum, quizzes, and certifications. Panel discussion and Q&A on how to launch, build, grow, and fund an AI startup.
How to Stand Out Amongst the AI Wave: Strategies for Success in Enterprise Sales
Led by Rudina Seseri, Glasswing Ventures; Marc Boroditsky, Cloudflare
Companies worldwide are actively investing in AI deployments across a wide range of use cases, and thousands of startups have emerged to fill these needs. This breakout session features Rudina Seseri, founder and managing partner of Glasswing Ventures, and Marc Boroditsky, president of Revenue at Cloudflare. They explore how AI has created a new paradigm shift in selling to enterprises, what the largest companies are using as criteria when considering their purchases, and how to avoid false indications of interest. Attendees will learn how to optimize scarce time and resources to build a truly valuable and viable product.
Building AI Agents — for Product Leaders & Founders
Led by Marily Nika, Meta
This is a live, hands-on workshop tailored for product leaders, aimed at providing a practical introduction to agentic products. You’ll gain a clear understanding of what AI agents are, how they function, and where they fit into product strategies. The workshop will guide you step by step through the process of building two AI agents from scratch, giving you a strong grasp of how to apply these tools to solve business problems, automate processes, and enhance user experiences. Bring your laptops to this interactive workshop!
Safety, Trust, and Profit: Anticipating Misuse to Build Safer Products and Attract Investment
Led by Megs Shah, The Parasol Cooperative; Chad Sniffen, National Network to End Domestic Violence; Sahab Aslam, Sukan Ventures
In today’s startup world, one data breach or safety failure can destroy your reputation and growth. For founders, the challenge is how to scale while ensuring user safety, privacy, and security, all within budget. VCs are focusing on startups with strong ESG practices, prioritizing those that address safety early. Failing to comply with data laws, such as COPPA, can result in penalties up to $170 million.
This session covers how to build safeguards to prevent tech misuse, like Apple AirTag’s misuse for stalking. With one in three women globally experiencing violence and 32 million child exploitation reports submitted to NCMEC in one year, tech’s role in abuse is a rising threat. We will also explore how open source security tools can cut costs by 55% and how addressing safety and security early prevents legal risks and attracts ethical investors, and most importantly protects the vulnerable.
Stablecoins: The Future of Fintech
Led by Nik Milanović, This Week in Fintech; Cuy Sheffield; Ben Milne
Why are stablecoins beginning to take off as a payments product? What are the most interesting examples and use cases? What technology will they replace — and where do they go from here?
Don’t miss these insightful Breakout Sessions
The only way to join these first come, first served Breakout Sessions is by registering for Disrupt 2024. Any pass grants you full access to these sessions. Register today and save up to $400 before prices rise at the door or get the Expo+ 2-for-1 Pass. Lock in your discounted ticket here.
