Beyond TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: The Side Events, Parties & Networking You Can’t Miss
Throughout Disrupt Week, startups and organizations from across the global tech ecosystem will host networking events, happy hours, showcases, demos, dinners, and more.
Here’s what’s happening around San Francisco from Saturday, October 10 through Friday, October 16.
Hosted by Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) and Upper Silesian Fund
Join us aboard the Historic Klamath for an evening connecting Poland’s innovation ecosystem with Silicon Valley during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Meet Polish founders, investors, technology leaders, and ecosystem partners for a discussion followed by informal networking on the San Francisco waterfront.
Learn more & RSVP →
Hosted by Innovation Norway & Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco
An evening of fintech, global growth, and great conversations, celebrating Aparta’s selection for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
Learn more & RSVP →
Hosted by Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB)
Pak-US Tech Connect brings together Pakistani technology companies, U.S. businesses, industry leaders, investors, partners, and ecosystem stakeholders to explore opportunities for business collaboration, technology partnerships, outsourcing, investment, and market expansion.
Learn more & RSVP →
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Hosted by PrincipiumX
Learn how to use first-principles thinking to uncover overlooked customer needs, differentiate your product, strengthen product-market fit, and identify opportunities for significant growth through a real-world case study.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by AI Barmen
Meet AI Barmen, a robotic bartender that creates personalized cocktails and mocktails through an interactive happy hour experience.
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Hosted by EPIC Connector Pte. Ltd.
Ten early-stage startups pitch their products and competitive moats to a hand-selected group of venture investors, followed by an open networking after-party.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Granite Landings LLC
Join an international startup community for an evening of food, drinks, and networking designed to build better business relationships.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by onSpark
The Partnership Exchange turns one evening into a live deal floor for founders who know partnerships drive growth. Walk in with your company, walk out with a real hit list. The onSpark team runs Hit List Live on the spot, mapping the exact partners who can move your revenue this year, then matching you with founders in the room who belong on each other’s lists.
Every attendee gets featured in One Golden Nugget, the co-published spotlight series from Disrupt Week.
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by NMI
SaaS founders, developers, and technical leaders can compare notes on embedded payments, monetization, and scaling beyond basic payment infrastructure over Ping-Pong, food, and drinks.
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Ontology of Value
Explore work tech, robotics, and agentic AI through startup pitches, hands-on demos, and networking with founders, operators, and investors shaping the future of work.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Syntro
Connect with founders, engineers, and operators building robotics, chips, rockets, and other frontier hardware over drinks and light bites in a casual setting.
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Khwajalabs
A live game show turns the job hunt into networking: compete using your real résumé, pitch yourself onstage, and let the audience decide who advances.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Enterprise Ireland
Meet and mingle with Ireland’s hottest startups. Enterprise Ireland is back at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and will welcome old friends and new faces to The Irish Shark Tank at Ireland House for happy hour. Availability is limited.
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by SafetyWing
Meet founders and HR leaders over drinks while connecting with SafetyWing and discussing the challenges of navigating health benefits for startups and their teams.
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by EQUITY X INVESTMENTS, LLC
An invite-only gathering for AI founders and accredited investors featuring drinks, direct introductions, and informal conversations with no pitches or panels.
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Connect with Harvard Griffin GSAS alumni living and working in the Bay Area during an informal networking reception. Guests are welcome.
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by American South Asian Network
Connect with South Asian founders, investors, operators, creators, and technology leaders through curated introductions and informal networking.
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs
Discover how Taiwan, a powerhouse behind the global AI revolution, is bringing AI into the real world through robotics, intelligent hardware, and advanced manufacturing, with startup pitches, investor connections, and networking over light fare and drinks.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Trotta
Join AI founders, security leaders, and operators for food, drinks, and conversation around social engineering, deepfakes, prompt injection, and emerging AI security threats.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Founder-Led Media
Founders and creators building in public come together to share practical lessons on content, hooks, distribution, and growing a founder-led audience.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Omelo
Step away from the conference crowd for an informal evening with founders, investors, operators, builders, creators, and the pets that make San Francisco’s startup community more human.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by WayFounder
Meet 18 emerging Korean startups through quick founder introductions, curated conversations, and open networking with investors, operators, corporate leaders, and entrepreneurs.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by EdgeM8
Connect with founders, revenue leaders, and executives working across go-to-market, partnerships, distribution, and technology while building relationships across the Bay Area startup ecosystem.
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by SWITH
Meet 10 startups from the Shinhan Square Bridge Global program in an intimate evening of founder conversations, networking, food, and drinks.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by TradeIL
An invitation-only gathering bringing together Israeli founders, investors, technology executives, and strategic partners from across the Bay Area.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Fynex
Join founders, operators, and AI-focused investors for a curated rooftop evening centered on networking, food, drinks, and conversations around AI and infrastructure.
5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Hosted by Love Soul AI
The event takes place on the patio at Per Diem, beneath Salesforce Park and a short distance from Moscone West. Connect with fellow founders, investors, and members of the tech community while experiencing Love Soul AI’s hologram technology and enjoying superfood-inspired appetizers. All ages are welcome. Ticket required.
5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by KOTRA Silicon Valley
Connect Korean startups entering the U.S. market with investors, founders, corporate partners, and Bay Area ecosystem leaders for conversations around investment, partnerships, and business opportunities.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Innovation Norway & Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco
An evening of fintech, global growth, and great conversations, celebrating Aparta’s selection for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Peak XV Partners
Peak XV brings founders, operators, and investors together for an informal evening of drinks and conversation. No pitches required.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Augment and Mintz
A private markets cocktail gathering with drinks, light bites, and informal conversation among founders, investors, and technology leaders.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by Improbable
See business automation happen live as Bolter turns attendees’ most dreaded weekly processes into working automations during dinner, using plain-language descriptions instead of code.
5:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Hosted by Polish Investment and Trade Agency and Upper Silesian Fund
Join us aboard the Historic Klamath for an evening connecting Poland’s innovation ecosystem with Silicon Valley during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Meet Polish founders, investors, technology leaders, and ecosystem partners for a discussion followed by informal networking on the San Francisco waterfront.
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Hosted by INNOVA × BeGlobe PR Agency
Join a private rooftop gathering built for tech builders, deep tech innovators, and investors for conversations over a shared meal. No standing around, no pitch decks — just real talk and a great view.
6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Hosted by NLINK INC
Explore physical AI, spatial intelligence, robotics, and world models through live 4D capture, demos, and conversations with founders, researchers, and investors.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Backblaze and Flamethrower
Wind down after Disrupt with cocktails, food, and informal conversations among founders, builders, investors, and friends. No panels or presentations.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Whipsaw
Connect with founders, engineers, investors, and design leaders building in robotics, wearables, connected devices, medtech, and other areas of hard tech.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Hellyeah AI
Founders, investors, engineers, and operators explore how AI companies turn inference costs into business value through pricing, routing, reliability, and token-level economics.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Descope
Bring together security, privacy, and identity leaders for food, cocktails, friendly competition, and conversations about managing sensitive data and identity as AI systems become more autonomous.
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by SLI.pro
Explore how founders, investors, and operators can identify meaningful talent signals when AI has made résumés, profiles, and interview answers increasingly polished.
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Hosted by CedarDB
Play SQLDoom deathmatch against the CedarDB team alongside arcade games, food, drinks, and conversations with database engineers and startup founders.
7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Hosted by SignalFire
Spend the evening with founders, investors, journalists, and builders at an arts campus featuring live music, immersive art and technology, food, and drinks.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by NachoNacho
A rooftop happy hour for SaaS and AI founders, C-suite leaders, investors, and tech media. Attendance is screened and limited to approved guests.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Brinc
Join a curated group of venture and corporate investors for an intimate evening with Korean founders from 14 emerging tech startups over food and wine at a private members’ club in San Francisco’s Financial District. Curated guest list. Limited capacity. Approval required.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Fynex and Orion VC
Fynex and Orion VC host a rooftop gathering for AI founders, operators, and investors focused on AI and infrastructure. The guest list is curated to make the room itself part of the experience.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Founder Institute
An intimate networking evening for LPs, GPs, and funded founders focused on technology, venture capital, and new relationships.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by KOTRA Silicon Valley
Korean startups entering the U.S. market come together with investors, founders, corporate partners, and Bay Area ecosystem leaders for an evening of casual networking and meaningful connections around potential investment, partnership, and business opportunities. Registration is required.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hosted by 500 Global
Meet 12 Japanese startups building for global markets across AI, enterprise software, health, biotech, defense, agtech, sports tech, and consumer technology, with live demos and direct conversations with founders.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by TechEmbassy
Ten selected startups. Fast-paced pitches. Startup prizes. Venture Night brings founders, investors, and tech leaders together for a live pitch competition and Q&A, followed by a Founder Feedback Session, awards, and networking.
10:00 a.m.
Hosted by Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB)
Pak-US Tech Connect brings together Pakistani technology companies, U.S. businesses, industry leaders, investors, partners, and ecosystem stakeholders to explore opportunities for business collaboration, technology partnerships, outsourcing, investment, and market expansion.
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Hosted by Handler
Start the day with a casual waterfront run along the Embarcadero, complete with startup-themed “runway” markers, followed by coffee and networking at the Ferry Building.
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hosted by Press Club
Combine sauna and cold-plunge experiences with conversations and networking around startups competing in this year’s Startup Battlefield 200. Space is limited.
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Hosted by Startup Oasis
Hear startup pitches and then join breakout groups where attendees can offer feedback, make connections, or explore opportunities to work with the presenting teams.
Event details, availability and registration requirements are subject to change. Check each event’s RSVP page for the latest information before attending.
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