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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →TechCrunch has named five investors who will judge the Startup Battlefield finalists and choose the 2026 champion: Stacy Brown-Philpot, Chi-Hua Chien, Dayna Grayson, Carter Reum and Alexa von Tobel. The contest is part of TechCrunch Disrupt, scheduled for October 13–15, 2026, in San Francisco.
Who are the five Startup Battlefield judges?
TechCrunch’s October 5, 2026, announcement identifies these five investors as the panel that will select the champion. Their backgrounds span several parts of the startup market, but TechCrunch has not published a formal scoring rubric for the judges.
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Stacy Brown-Philpot
Brown-Philpot is founder and managing partner of Cherryrock Capital. TechCrunch describes Cherryrock as a venture fund focused on Series A and Series B software companies built by Black and Latinx founders. The announcement names Coactive AI and Vitable Health among its portfolio companies. Brown-Philpot was previously CEO of TaskRabbit and held senior roles at Google for more than a decade, according to TechCrunch. TechCrunch’s judge announcement
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Chi-Hua Chien
Chien is co-founder and managing partner of Goodwater Capital. TechCrunch says the firm invests exclusively in consumer and prosumer technology, including fintech, e-commerce, social, healthcare, entertainment, digital utilities and education, in the U.S. and internationally. Portfolio examples in the announcement include Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, Square, Monzo, TikTok/Musical.ly, Fever and Weee! Chien was previously a general partner at Kleiner Perkins, TechCrunch reports.
#1 Best Overall
- "Startups" is the updated version of an older Oink Game which came out in 2015 and won the second prize at Game Market Tokyo: "Rights". We upgraded the rules, the design and it is even possible to play with more players now!
- Every player takes the role of an investor and needs to try to invest in at least one of six startup companies to get the biggest shares. Only the player with the most cards of one company can get money in the end, which is why you need to carefully watch the moves of your rival players and thus become the top investor.
- To make the original game even more interesting, we added "the market", the "Anti-Monopoly-Chip" and more. The rules are still as simple as they were, but if you have played "Rights" before you should notice a new depth to it.
- The logos of the six startup companies were designed by Kentaro "ANI" Fujimoto who is a famous typographer in Japan. We recommend talking about the different logos and about what kind of company stands behind it - it's fun!
Dayna Grayson
Grayson is co-founder and general partner of Construct Capital, which TechCrunch describes as a Washington, D.C.-based early-stage fund investing in foundational American industries such as manufacturing, logistics, transportation, supply chain and defense. The article names Veho, Hadrian, Copia Automation, Arkestro and Verve Motion as portfolio companies. Grayson previously was a partner at NEA and led early investments including Desktop Metal, according to TechCrunch.
Carter Reum
Reum is co-founder and managing partner of M13. TechCrunch characterizes M13 as a consumer-technology venture firm investing from seed to Series B in work, commerce, health and money. Its October announcement reports $1.9 billion under management and more than 200 investments, with Lyft, Pinterest, Ring, Daily Harvest and Tonal among the examples. Reum previously co-founded VEEV Spirit and co-authored Shortcut Your Startup.
Rank #2
- 🎓 Educational & Fun for All Ages: Dive into financial freedom with "Paycheck to Billionaire," a strategic board game that imparts skills in cost management and smart investing from startup to empire. Ideal for family game nights and educational play, this game is engaging for adults and kids ages 8 and up. 🌟
- 🎲 Interactive Family Game Time: Bring excitement to your family gatherings and game nights with this engaging board game that offers a fun way to learn about economics without the complexity of bankruptcy or monopoly rules. Ideal for kids, teens, and adults. 🎉
- 🎉 Perfect Party Game: Light up the party with "Paycheck to Billionaire," where young entrepreneurs aged 8-12 and older can strategize and compete to build their business empire. It's a hit at parties, fostering lively interaction and competitive spirit. 🏆
- 🍎 Teacher’s Educational Pick: A must-have for educational environments, this game allows teachers to introduce financial concepts and critical thinking skills in a fun, interactive manner. It's an excellent tool for classrooms and homeschool settings, encouraging students to engage with real-world economic strategies. 📚
- 🎁 Perfect for Building Business Mind: "Paycheck to Billionaire" is the ideal gift for minds keen on entrepreneurship. This engaging board game offers a fun and educational pathway to understanding business and finance, making it a superb choice for nurturing future business leaders during family game nights or as a thoughtful present. 🌐
Alexa von Tobel
Von Tobel is founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital, which she co-founded with Penny Pritzker, a former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. TechCrunch lists MosaicML, Chief, Finix and Dandy among the firm’s portfolio companies. Von Tobel founded LearnVest, later acquired by Northwestern Mutual, and is a certified financial planner, the announcement says.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat does “Startup Battlefield 200” mean?
The “200” refers to the selected Startup Battlefield cohort, not the number of companies competing for the championship onstage. TechCrunch says 200 startups were selected and 20 will pitch on the Disrupt Stage across the event’s three days. The five-person panel will decide which of those finalists becomes the champion. TechCrunch’s October 5 announcement
Rank #3
- Fast paced strategic card game where players build powerful number runs and sets while locked into their original hand order, creating tense turns and clever decisions in every 20 minute round.
- Innovative scout or show system lets you either add a card from the table to improve your hand or reveal your best combination to score, giving every turn meaningful choices and strong replay value.
- Compact small box design and minimal components make Scout an ideal travel game that fits easily in a bag or pocket, ready for family game night, cafes, conventions, or nights away from home.
- Designed for 2-5 players ages 9 and up, Scout scales smoothly from quick duels to full table sessions, working well for casual gamers, seasoned hobby groups, and mixed age gatherings.
- Clean graphic style and simple rules support fast teaching while the award nominated design delivers surprising depth, rewarding timing, risk management, and reading your opponents.
How the finalist competition is expected to work
TechCrunch’s September 24 event coverage says each selected founder gets six minutes to pitch. It points to questions investors may use to probe a company’s prospects: can the team execute, is the market large enough, why is now the right time, and what is defensible? These are useful lenses for understanding the pitches, not a published scoring system attributed to this panel. TechCrunch’s September 24 coverage
TechCrunch’s September 28 announcement says the finalist judges will award a $100,000 equity-free prize and the Disrupt Cup. The prize and competition details are TechCrunch-published event information. TechCrunch’s September 28 announcement
Rank #4
- FUN FOR EVERYONE – Gather your family and friends with word games for adults and kids, and race against each other to build crossword grids. This anagram game that will drive you bananas.
- MAKES A GREAT GIFT – Bananagrams will make a thoughtful gift as family games for adults and children for your friends or family members. It is perfect for both boys and girls.
- GREAT FOR TRAVEL – Bananagrams comes in a fun banana-shaped case. This game doesn’t take much space like other family board games and brings tons of fun while traveling.
- PLEASE NOTE – Contains small parts, not for children under 3 years. Offering family games for kids and adults, or anyone 7 years and up. 1-8 players.
- ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL – While this game is easy to play, Bananagrams is also educational. Teach your kids how to spell words and have fun at the same time with letter games.
When and where is TechCrunch Disrupt 2026?
The event is scheduled for October 13–15, 2026, in San Francisco. TechCrunch’s September 24 announcement identifies Moscone West as the venue. The five judges are also slated to reunite for an audience AMA later that afternoon, according to the October 5 announcement; consult TechCrunch’s current event schedule for the specific time and any changes.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- Package Dimensions: 5.207 cms (L) x 32.791 cms (W) x 32.994 cms (H)
- Product Type: Tabletop Game
- Package Quantity: 1
- Country Of Origin: China
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
