More Ways to Disrupt: New 2026 Side Events from KOTRA, WayFounder, Enterprise Ireland, SafetyWing + Descope

TechCrunch Disrupt is where the tech community comes together to build, debate, and connect. And during Disrupt Week, that conversation doesn’t stop when the doors to Moscone West close. Our Side Events program brings founders, investors, operators, and tech leaders together across San Francisco for everything from intimate roundtables and founder gatherings to happy hours, dinners, workshops, and community meetups.

Whether you’re looking to make a few new connections, find your next collaborator, go deep on a specific industry, or just get out of conference mode for a minute, there’s a lot happening beyond the show floor. Explore the 2026 Side Events, and find your people. Join Korean startups, U.S. investors, founders, and technology professionals for an evening of networking and cross-border connection in San Francisco.

Organized by KOTRA as part of the Korea Pavilion’s programming, the event brings together Korean startups entering the U.S. market with investors, founders, corporate partners, and members of the Bay Area startup ecosystem. For those without a ticket to attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, KOTRA is offering complimentary Expo+ passes to qualified applicants. Hosted by: KOTRA Silicon ValleyRSVP Meet 18 emerging startups from the Republic of Korea for an evening of founder conversations, curated introductions, and networking with investors, operators, corporate leaders, and fellow entrepreneurs.

Each founder will give a quick introduction before the evening opens up for conversations and connections across the U.S. and global startup ecosystem.Hosted by: WayFounderRSVP Meet and mingle with Ireland’s hottest startups! Enterprise Ireland is BACK at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, and we’re excited to reconnect with old friends and welcome new faces to The Irish Shark Tank at Ireland House for Happy Hour. Availability is limited!Hosted by: Enterprise IrelandRSVP Head to Harrington’s Irish Pub for an evening of drinks and conversation with founders, HR leaders, and members of the startup community.

Hosted by SafetyWing during TechCrunch Disrupt, the happy hour offers a casual setting to meet new people and connect with the team behind the startup’s approach to health coverage for remote and global teams.Hosted by: SafetyWingRSVP Join Skyflow and Descope for an evening of food, cocktails, friendly competition, and conversation with San Francisco’s security, privacy, and identity community. As AI systems become more autonomous, the event brings together leaders working on the challenges of keeping sensitive data and identity secure, with plenty of time to connect away from the conference floor.Hosted by: DescopeRSVP Experience a live demonstration of voice-restoration technology as Uhura Bionics co-founder Konrad Zieliński showcases the Whitney Electrolarynx for a U.S. audience. The event explores how technology can help people reclaim their voices and agency following cancer treatment.Hosted by: Uhura BionicsRSVP Learn how first-principles thinking can uncover overlooked customer needs, strengthen product-market fit, and reveal opportunities for significant growth.

The session will use a real-world case study to explore how founders and product teams can identify new opportunities within products they already have.Hosted by: PrincipiumXRSVP Connect with founders, engineers, and operators building robotics, chips, rockets, and other frontier hardware. This casual, presentation-free gathering offers a chance to swap ideas, share experiences, and meet others working on the challenges of building physical technology.Hosted by: SyntroRSVP Explore Taiwan’s emerging AI ecosystem through startup pitches and conversations spanning robotics, intelligent hardware, and advanced manufacturing. Meet founders and investors working across Taiwan’s technology landscape and learn more about opportunities to connect, invest, and build.Hosted by: Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic AffairsRSVP Step away from the conference crowd for an informal evening with founders, investors, operators, builders, creators, and the pets that make San Francisco’s startup community a little more human.Hosted by: OmeloRSVP Connect with founders, revenue leaders, and executives working across go-to-market, partnerships, distribution, and technology.