TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to Probe 2027 Series A Rules in 250-Session Event

1 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 8

$410 in ticket savings and a second pass at 50% off expire at 11:59 p.m. PT for a TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 session focused on what it will take to raise a Series A in 2027.
October 13-15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, the Builders Stage panel will argue the market has become slower, more selective and less forgiving, with founders still optimizing for outdated fundraising benchmarks.
Nina Achadjian of Index Ventures, Janelle Teng Wade of Bessemer and Shailendra Singh of Peak XV will outline which traction, growth, efficiency, product and go-to-market signals now define a fundable company.
The session is aimed at founders planning to raise in the next 12 to 24 months, as AI shifts investor expectations and misreading the market can delay a round or weaken leverage.

With VCs demanding extreme capital efficiency, what is the new growth playbook for founders facing a two-year runway to Series A?

As AI dominates VC funding, how can traditional SaaS founders prove their ventures are still worth a Series A investment?

Beyond the new $2.5M ARR benchmark, what single efficiency metric now separates the funded from the 'orphaned' startups?