TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Side Events to Feature KOTRA, WayFounder, Enterprise Ireland, SafetyWing and Descope

TechCrunch said the Side Events program includes intimate roundtables, founder gatherings, happy hours, dinners, workshops and community meetups. The events are designed for attendees who want to make connections, find collaborators, explore a specific industry or step away from the conference floor.

Among the featured events, KOTRA Silicon Valley will host the Korea-US Startup & Investor Networking Night on Oct. 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PT. The event, part of the Korea Pavilion's programming, brings Korean startups entering the U.S. market together with investors, founders, corporate partners and Bay Area startup ecosystem members. TechCrunch reported that KOTRA is offering complimentary Expo+ passes to qualified applicants who do not have a ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.

WayFounder will host the Born2Global Founder Networking Night on Oct. 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT. The evening is set to feature 18 emerging startups from the Republic of Korea, with each founder giving a quick introduction before networking with investors, operators, corporate leaders and other entrepreneurs across the U.S. and global startup ecosystem.

Enterprise Ireland will hold The Irish Shark Tank on Oct. 13 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ireland House, described as a happy hour to meet and mingle with Ireland's startups. Availability is limited. SafetyWing will host a happy hour at Harrington's Irish Pub on Oct. 13 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT, offering drinks and conversation with founders, HR leaders and startup community members, as well as the team behind SafetyWing's health coverage approach for remote and global teams.

Skyflow and Descope will host Vault & Verify on Oct. 14 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT, an evening of ping pong, cocktails and conversation with San Francisco's security, privacy and identity community. TechCrunch said the event is intended for leaders working on keeping sensitive data and identity secure as AI systems become more autonomous, with time to connect away from the conference floor.

Additional Side Events include a live demonstration by Uhura Bionics on Oct. 7 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT. Co-founder Konrad Zieliński will showcase the Whitney Electrolarynx for a U.S. audience, exploring how technology can help people reclaim their voices and agency after cancer treatment.

PrincipiumX will lead Find the 10x Opportunity Hiding in Your Product on Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. PT. The session will use a real-world case study to examine how first-principles thinking can uncover overlooked customer needs, strengthen product-market fit and reveal growth opportunities. Syntro will host Long Lead Time: A Hardware Happy Hour on Oct. 12 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT for founders, engineers and operators building robotics, chips, rockets and other frontier hardware.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs will host Real World AI: Connect, Invest & Scale in Taiwan on Oct. 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PT, with startup pitches and conversations spanning robotics, intelligent hardware and advanced manufacturing. The event is intended to connect founders and investors across Taiwan's technology landscape.

Pets of Disrupt: Founders, Investors & Their Pets is scheduled for Oct. 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT, offering an informal evening with founders, investors, operators, builders, creators and their pets. TechCrunch's article listed the event among the broader Side Events taking place during Disrupt Week.

Editor's Summary

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will expand into San Francisco across Oct. 7 to Oct. 14 with Side Events hosted by KOTRA, WayFounder, Enterprise Ireland, SafetyWing, Descope and others. The schedule combines cross-border startup networking, investor access, product and hardware sessions, and a security and identity gathering. The events are positioned around Disrupt Week as additional ways for founders, investors and operators to connect beyond Moscone West.