TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Unveils 3-Person Pre-Seed Funding Panel as AI Raises Seed-Stage Demands
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jul 17
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Unveils 3-Person Pre-Seed Funding Panel as AI Raises Seed-Stage Demands
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jul 17
Summary
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will host “Winning Pre-Seed Without a Product,” a panel aimed at founders trying to raise before building an MVP as AI accelerates product development and investor expectations.
Three speakers will lead the session: Axiom Partners founder Sandhya Venkatachalam, True Ventures managing partner Puneet Agarwal, and Slauson & Co. managing partner Austin Clements.
Venkatachalam brings experience from Axiom’s new $52 million early-stage fund, while Agarwal represents True Ventures’ network of 12 funds, 500-plus companies, 1,050 founders, 60-plus acquisitions and seven IPOs.
The session is part of the Builders Stage at Disrupt 2026, which runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco and will focus on fundraising, operations and go-to-market strategy.