Tressfecta builds products for textured hair. Its first project is a tool called Plait Pilot that helps braiders with the initial process of separating hair from packs before braiding begins.

Counterfeiters are getting better at replicating brands' marks and passing off dupes, known as "superfakes," as genuine items. A startup called Veritas wants to tackle the problem with its own chip that verifies goods.

Intero Biosystems beat out 199 other Startup Battlefield companies to take home the $100,000 grand prize at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.

Gudea, a company that tracks how stories and rumors spread online that describes itself as the “storm tracker for the internet,” is using AI to help organizations spot trouble brewing online before it turns into a crisis.

Intero Biosystems is selling lab-grown human intestines to drugmakers as regulators push for alternatives to animal testing, while the startup looks to scale production and expand its organoid technology.

Databases have traditionally been designed either for analytical data or for operational data. But database engine CedarDB supports both, and its approach has gained relevance with the rise of agentic AI.

German startup TimeTeller has developed a saliva test kit to help anyone understand their circadian rhythm; it aims to reduce side effects from cancer treatments.

Former Apple engineers figured out how to get a biometric sensor to attach to your watch without any magnets or adhesives.

Most companies use AI agents to ship products faster or speed up workflows. Apate.ai sends them undercover to get scammed.

Mosqitter is turning its mosquito-trapping hardware into an AI-powered surveillance network designed to identify species, monitor populations, and provide earlier warnings of mosquito-borne disease risks.

With Prismm, account holders can give designated family members access to their accounts and documents ahead of time.

The problem Floqer is trying to solve is familiar to anyone who has worked in sales or revenue operations.

NTangible is building an analytics platform for collegiate sports organizations and other clubs to measure an athlete's "clutch" factor.

Industrial Next helps manufacturers automate complex, delicate tasks that have traditionally required human labor.

The steel industry is a big polluter, but Helix Carbon can upcycle pollution from blast furnaces to drive down emissions and improve margins.

Fusion power plants will need a lot of lithium, and Licube is preparing to be a key supplier.

The San Francisco startup aims to help battery and chip manufacturers identify defects on production lines, reducing downtime and costly mistakes.

Flox's edge devices can identify animals and use species-specific sounds to drive them away from critical infrastructure.

University of Michigan spinout Laplace Intelligence uses AI agents and interactive simulation to stress-test robots and self-driving vehicles before deployment. The profitable startup is competing in Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt, October 13-15 in San Francisco.

Diesel is expensive and polluting, and LNK Energies says it has come up with a way to replace it with hydrogen, all while undercutting diesel on cost.