TL;DR
TechCrunch named 26 consumer and edtech companies among the Startup Battlefield 200 selectees for Disrupt, highlighting ventures across accessibility, AI, consumer services and learning tech. The broader Startup Battlefield funnels thousands of applicants into 200 contenders, with the top 20 pitching for the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 prize.
What happened
TechCrunch published the consumer and edtech companies chosen as part of its Startup Battlefield 200 roster for Disrupt. From thousands of applicants, organizers narrowed the field to 200 noteworthy startups; a subset of 20 will advance to the main stage to compete for the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 cash award. The consumer/edtech list features a mix of hardware, software and AI-driven services: accessibility mapping for people with limited mobility (Ahoi); nanophotonic lenses for clearer extended reality experiences (AllFocal Optics); a light-up pool table gaming system (Billight); AI tools for founders (FounderWay.ai) and for classroom tutoring (Super Teacher); voice AI for monitoring women’s brain health (Prickly Pear Health); a peer-to-peer clothing rental marketplace (rax); and a brain-computer interface intended for hands-free interactions (Snap Discovery AG). Several entries emphasize personalization, inclusive design or generative-AI workflows across commerce and education.
Why it matters
- The selection highlights persistent investor and founder interest in AI-driven consumer and learning applications, spanning tutoring, personalization and creator tools.
- Accessibility and inclusive design appear repeatedly, showing startups targeting under-served user needs such as mobility access and cognitive health.
- Hardware and software are converging in the slate — from micro gimbal stabilization and brain-computer interfaces to computer-vision skincare recommendations — indicating multidisciplinary product approaches.
- The Battlefield process funnels early-stage visibility and competitive pitch opportunities toward a small number of stage finalists, concentrating attention and potential investment.
Key facts
- TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield receives thousands of applicants and trims that pool to 200 selectees.
- From those 200, the top 20 compete live for the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 cash prize.
- Ahoi offers tools to help people locate places accessible to those with limited mobility.
- AllFocal Optics Limited develops nanophotonic lenses designed to improve clarity and tolerate extended reality use.
- Billight markets a light-up pool table and accompanying gaming system.
- FounderWay.ai provides AI-assisted business guidance for startup founders on topics such as pitch decks and market targeting.
- Prickly Pear Health offers a voice AI companion intended to monitor brain health changes in women.
- rax is a peer-to-peer clothing rental platform noted as the winner of the top consumer pitch and expanding from Canada into the U.S.
- Super Teacher is an AI-powered tutor aimed at elementary school instruction with classroom and at-home access.
- ZoraSafe focuses on scam detection and prevention for families and seniors, including defenses against deepfakes and social engineering.
What to watch next
- Which startups from the 200 advance into the top 20 on the Disrupt main stage and who ultimately wins the Startup Battlefield Cup.
- Commercial rollout and user adoption of AI tutors and personalized learning platforms such as Super Teacher and Zezedu.
- Further developments in consumer-focused AI tools (e.g., AI video and generative design matching) and hardware integrations like brain-computer interfaces and embedded stabilization.
- not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- AI (Artificial Intelligence): Systems or models that perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as language understanding, vision, or decision-making.
- Brain-computer interface (BCI): Technology that enables direct communication between the brain and external devices to allow hands-free control or monitoring.
- Generative AI: A class of machine learning models that can create new content—text, images, audio, or video—based on learned patterns from data.
- Computer vision: A field of AI focused on enabling machines to interpret and process visual information from the world, such as images or video.
- Micro gimbal stabilizer: A small stabilization component designed to reduce camera shake and improve image clarity, often integrated into mobile devices or cameras.
Reader FAQ
How many applicants does Startup Battlefield receive and how are they narrowed?
The contest draws thousands of applicants; TechCrunch narrows them to the top 200 selectees and then selects 20 finalists to compete on the main stage.
What does the main-stage winner receive?
The winner of the Startup Battlefield main stage receives the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 cash prize.
Are these 26 companies the final winners?
No. These 26 are the consumer and edtech selectees within the Startup Battlefield 200; top 20 finalists from the broader pool will compete for the main prize.
Will these startups receive funding because they were selected?
not confirmed in the source
Where can I see more information about each startup?
TechCrunch published short descriptions for each selectee in the Startup Battlefield 200 list; contact details or further traction are not provided in full in the source.
Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the…
Sources
- The top 26 consumer/edtech companies from Disrupt Startup Battlefield
- Startup Battlefield
- TechCrunch Unveils 2025 Startup Battlefield 200
- Ecosystem Report 2025
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