The Countdown Begins
With only 48 hours left to apply, don't wait to take the stage at Stripe x Startup Battlefield. This is your chance to pitch live at Stripe Tour Sydney and secure a spot at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.
What is Startup Battlefield?
Startup Battlefield is TechCrunch's flagship pitch competition that has launched companies like Dropbox, Cloudflare, Discord, and Trello. Collectively, Startup Battlefield alumni have raised $32 billion and produced more than 250 exits across 1,700+ companies worldwide.
What's in it for you?
The grand winner will receive $15,000 in Stripe fee credits and automatic entry into Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt, San Francisco, October 13–15, 2026. The second-place winner will receive $5,000 in Stripe fee credits, and the third-place winner will receive $2,000 in Stripe fee credits. Every applicant will also be invited to attend Stripe Tour Sydney on August 19, 2026.
What are the judges looking for?
The judges are looking for the most promising startups, not the most polished ones. They want to know if your product will change something, not just incrementally, but genuinely. Here are a few things that won't disqualify you:
- Some press coverage won't hurt you.
- You don't need customers yet.
- You've applied before.
Tips for a successful application
- Show your product working, not a mockup or a pitch deck with screenshots.
- Be honest about your competition and explain specifically why you win.
- Tell us why you, the founding story, is a meaningful part of how we evaluate teams.
- Don't overengineer it; a clear, honest application will outperform a polished one.
Applications close soon
Applications close Monday, July 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. AEST. There are no more extensions, and once it closes, the only way to get to that stage is in the audience. Don't wait; apply now.
It could be your turn
The next company nobody has heard of yet is building something that will matter. It could be yours.