Looking ahead to 2026: What’s next for Startup Battlefield 200

Looking ahead to 2026: What’s next for Startup Battlefield 200

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 is the flagship early-stage startup competition held at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, spotlighting the world’s most promising young companies. Each year, thousands of applicants from around the globe vie for one of 200 slots in the cohort, which provides unparalleled visibility, access to top-tier investors, and opportunities to grow.  Early-stage startups from around the world…

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BioticsAI, which won Disrupt’s Battlefield competition in 2023, gains FDA approval for its AI-powered fetal ultrasound product 

BioticsAI, which won Disrupt’s Battlefield competition in 2023, gains FDA approval for its AI-powered fetal ultrasound product 

TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield 2023 winner, BioticsAI, announced on Monday that it has received FDA clearance for its AI software that helps detect fetal abnormalities in ultrasound images.  The product was envisioned by founder CEO Robhy Bustami, who was raised in a family of obstetricians, including his mother, aunt and uncle. He spent a lot of…

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Here are the 55 US AI startups that have raised 0M or more in 2025

Here are the 55 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2025

The AI industry entered 2025 with strong momentum.  There were 49 startups that raised funding rounds worth $100 million or more in 2024, per our count at TechCrunch; three companies raised more than one “mega-round,” and seven companies raised rounds that were $1 billion in size or larger.  The industry didn’t slow down in 2025. While less companies raised rounds larger than $1 billion, four — Anthropic raised…

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How YC-backed Bucket Robotics survived its first CES

How YC-backed Bucket Robotics survived its first CES

The weather in Las Vegas wasn’t looking good. The plan had been that each employee of YC-backed Bucket Robotics would carry parts of their booth in their luggage to the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show. But CEO and founder Matt Puchalski didn’t want to take the chance that one (or all) of their flights would be delayed. So he rented a Hyundai Santa Fe and packed it up.  “It was… it was tight,” he said with a laugh on the show floor.  …

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Snowflake, Databricks challenger ClickHouse hits B valuation

Snowflake, Databricks challenger ClickHouse hits $15B valuation

Database provider ClickHouse secured $400 million at a $15 billion valuation, Bloomberg reported, representing about a 2.5x increase from its $6.35 billion valuation last May. The round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, the startup said, with participation from investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, GIC, Index Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. ClickHouse, which…

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