Final days to apply for TC Top Picks at Disrupt SF 2019

Hey startup founders — don’t miss your opportunity to receive the VIP treatment and showcase your early-stage startup at Disrupt San Francisco 2019. Apply to be a TC Top Pick and exhibit in Startup Alley for free. But get moving and fill out the application before the July 19 deadline. It’s now o’clock, people.

Applying is simple, but earning a TC Top Pick designation is anything but. Here’s what you need to know. Qualifying startups must fall into one of these tech categories: AI/Machine Learning, Biotech/Healthtech, Blockchain, Fintech, Mobility, Privacy/Security, Retail/E-commerce, Robotics/IoT/Hardware, SaaS and Social Impact/Education.

After TechCrunch editors thoroughly review all qualified applications, they’ll select up to five startups to represent each category. If you make the grade, you’ll get a free Startup Alley Exhibition Package good for one full day of exhibiting in Startup Alley.

TC Top Pick designees also receive three Founder passes and access to CrunchMatch, our automated investor-to-startup matching platform that simplifies the networking process. Find the people you want to meet based on mutual business goals, interests and criteria. You’ll also have access to the complete Disrupt SF 2019 press list and invitations to VIP events at Disrupt SF — like the investor reception.

TC Top Picks exhibit in a dedicated space within Startup Alley, and they benefit from our pre-conference marketing. Everyone wants to meet the TC Top Picks, and that adds up to a boatload of influential media and investor attention.

Caleb John, co-founder of Cedar Robotics, had this to say about his Top Pick experience at Disrupt SF 2018:

“Being named a TC Top Pick validated our startup and gave us credibility. We got to demo our technology in front of hundreds of people. It opened doors to investors, customers and vendors. It helped our business gain traction. Overall, I’d say it’s one of the coolest things we’ve ever done.”

Here’s another perk that provides long-lasting exposure. A TechCrunch editor will interview each Top Pick — live on the Showcase Stage in Startup Alley. We’ll record the interviews and promote them across our social media platforms. That’s a gift that keeps on giving, according to Vadim Rogovskiy, CEO and co-founder of 3DLOOK:

“Our Showcase Stage interview video received more than 150,000 collective views, and it helped drive significant traffic to our website. We still use the video — and our Top Pick status — whenever we meet with VCs and potential enterprise clients.”

So many reasons to apply to be a TC Top Pick — and so little time. The application deadline is July 19. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your startup on a whole new trajectory at Disrupt San Francisco 2019. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Pro Tip: If you missed the deadline to compete in the Startup Battlefield, you have one last shot: Buy a demo table and exhibit in Startup Alley at Disrupt SF for a chance to win a Wild Card entry to Startup Battlefield.

Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at Disrupt San Francisco 2019? Contact our sponsorship sales team by filling out this form.