Startups TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200

Top Consumer and Edtech Startups in TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200: The 26 Companies to Watch

Meet 26 standout consumer and edtech startups selected for TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 200, spanning AI, accessibility, travel, and learning.

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TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200 logo and name, showcasing 26 leading consumer and edtech startups.
Meet the 26 standout consumer and edtech startups featured in TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200.
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Each year, a wave of early-stage startups competes for one of tech’s most visible pitch opportunities: a spot in the Startup Battlefield lineup at TechCrunch Disrupt. Thousands apply, only a fraction are selected, and the most elite group ultimately takes the main stage for a shot at the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 cash prize. Yet even beyond the finalists, the broader cohort offers a snapshot of what founders are building right now—especially in consumer products and education technology.

This year’s consumer and edtech selections reflect a few clear macro-trends: AI is everywhere (from video creation to skincare to scam protection), “real-world” community and connection products are being reimagined after years of social app fatigue, and accessibility—whether physical, cognitive, or digital—is becoming a core design goal rather than an afterthought.

Below is a structured look at the 26 consumer and edtech companies selected for Startup Battlefield 200, along with what each one does and what makes it stand out.

How Startup Battlefield 200 works

Startup Battlefield begins with thousands of applications. From that pool, 200 companies are chosen as “selectees.” Then, the top 20 compete on the main Disrupt stage, where the winner takes home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a $100,000 prize. The remaining 180 still compete within their own categories, and often become some of the most discussed companies of the event thanks to product demos, investor meetings, and attendee buzz.

In practice, being named a Startup Battlefield 200 selectee is a signal that a startup has a compelling pitch, a differentiated product direction, and momentum—even if it isn’t one of the final 20 on the main stage.

Consumer startups: the 20 companies selected

Ahoi

  • What it does: Helps people locate places that are accessible to those with limited mobility.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Ahoi’s inclusive approach aims to make it easier to find locations that match real accessibility needs—an everyday pain point for many people who are otherwise forced to rely on incomplete information.

AllFocal Optics Limited

  • What it does: Uses nanophotonic technology to develop lenses designed to improve visual clarity.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: The company says its tech can help people—particularly those who experience headaches and dizziness—tolerate prolonged extended reality experiences.

Billight

  • What it does: A light-up pool table.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Billight positions itself as the first light-up pool table and gaming system, blending a classic bar and recreation staple with a more interactive, modern presentation.

Cerca Dating

  • What it does: A Gen Z dating app that leans on meeting through mutual friends.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: In an era of romance app fatigue, Cerca Dating is betting that a “mutuals-first” dynamic can make digital dating feel more trustworthy and human.

FounderWay.ai

  • What it does: A platform that supports startups with guidance on topics such as pitch decks and identifying a target market.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: It applies AI to common founder questions about how to run and scale a business—positioning itself as a streamlined alternative to piecing together advice from scattered resources.

Hotel Treats

  • What it does: A platform that enables luxury hotels to sell vouchers for experiences such as spa services and dining.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: It’s designed to help hotels monetize day passes while letting customers access a single luxury experience without paying to stay overnight.

Jotto

  • What it does: Creates QR codes for venues and events so visitors can leave feedback and reviews.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Jotto goes beyond text by supporting video or voice feedback, potentially making reviews more expressive and more useful to operators.

Nim

  • What it does: A platform for creating AI videos.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: While AI video tools are proliferating, Nim emphasizes an all-in-one workflow with prompt assistance and a set of reusable clips for repeated creation.

Perfingo

  • What it does: A financial planning tool.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Perfingo describes itself as the first of its kind in Singapore, highlighting how personal finance tools continue to localize for specific markets and regulatory environments.

Pintours

  • What it does: A tour-booking platform.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: It operates as an AI tour guide that supports self-guided tours and personalization, aiming to give travelers more flexibility than rigid group formats.

Prickly Pear Health

  • What it does: A voice AI companion for women that monitors brain health.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Rather than functioning as a standard chatbot, its AI is trained to detect changes in language and context that could point to cognitive issues, including those associated with hormonal changes women in their 30s to 50s experience.

rax

  • What it does: A peer-to-peer clothing rental marketplace.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Rax won the top consumer pitch. The company says it’s among the first to launch in Canada and has announced expansion to the U.S., tapping into growing interest in resale and rental as alternatives to fast fashion.

Rent a Cyber Friend

  • What it does: Helps people find friends online within their professions.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Instead of positioning itself like a traditional social network, it focuses on identifying potential friendships and supports connection with options like video calls and chats.

Renude

  • What it does: An AI-driven skincare recommendation engine for beauty brands.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Using computer vision AI and LLMs, Renude aims to help skincare brands deliver personalized product suggestions at scale, turning “beauty advice” into a more automated e-commerce feature.

Snap Discovery AG

  • What it does: A brain-computer interface intended for hands-free everyday interaction.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: The company’s Snap product interacts with the Unity game development platform and is intended for applications ranging from games to stress management.

Tasteit

  • What it does: An app that matches people to meet up and dine together.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Tasteit frames itself as an “anti-dating app,” using food and dining out as the central mechanism for connection rather than romance-first swiping dynamics.

Tattd

  • What it does: An AI-powered app for discovering and booking tattoo artists.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: It uses generative AI to produce a design mock-up and then matches users with a tattoo artist whose style aligns with that mock-up—an attempt to reduce search friction in a highly personal category.

Vista InnoTech Limited

  • What it does: Technology designed to improve photos by reducing the effects of accidental shaking or shaky environments.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: The company built a Micro Gimbal Stabilizer that is small enough to embed in most mobile devices and is intended to work well even in low-light conditions.

Young Minds App

  • What it does: A parental control app aimed at preventing unsafe online behavior.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: It pairs protection with incentives by rewarding smart choices, and includes a distraction-blocking feature designed for study time.

ZoraSafe

  • What it does: Identifies and protects consumers against scams.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Built for families and seniors, ZoraSafe scans links and messages to help stop scams, including threats involving deepfakes and social engineering, and adds features such as AI coaching.

Edtech startups: the 6 companies selected

Calificadas

  • What it does: AI-powered training designed to strengthen workplace communications.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Built with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind, Calificadas uses AI to help users improve word choice, message structure, and even nonverbal language.

CampusAI

  • What it does: A flexible platform for training people on AI.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: CampusAI targets practical, everyday use cases—helping people apply AI at work in functions such as sales, HR, legal, and more.

General Neuro

  • What it does: The NeuroLingo headset, intended to support learning a foreign language.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: The product aims to create conditions that assist language learning and pairs the headset with a synchronized app.

Readmio

  • What it does: A story-time app for parents and kids.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Readmio follows along with words read aloud and automatically adds sound effects and music at specific parts of the text, making reading sessions more interactive.

Super Teacher

  • What it does: An AI-powered tutor built for elementary schools.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: The tool provides individualized instruction and assessments for classrooms, plus 24/7 access for students at home.

ZEZEDU Corp.

  • What it does: An AI-powered personalized math learning platform developed in South Korea.
  • Why it’s noteworthy: Zezedu is positioned as a math teaching tool for schools and academies, handling assignments, grading, and feedback while tailoring curriculum to the learner.

What these selections say about consumer and edtech right now

Even from brief descriptions, a few patterns emerge across the 26 companies:

  • AI is moving from novelty to infrastructure: Several startups treat AI as the product’s engine—powering recommendations, content creation, coaching, matching, or detection—rather than as a bolt-on feature.
  • Connection is being reframed: Products like Tasteit, Cerca Dating, and Rent a Cyber Friend suggest founders are rethinking how people meet—whether for romance, friendship, or shared experiences.
  • Safety and trust are product differentiators: With ZoraSafe, the emphasis on defending against deepfakes and social engineering reflects how fraud is evolving and how consumer tools are responding.
  • Edtech is focusing on measurable outcomes: Tools like Super Teacher and ZEZEDU Corp. emphasize individualized instruction and feedback loops, while platforms like CampusAI aim at practical job-related skills.

Conclusion

The consumer and edtech companies selected for Startup Battlefield 200 show a market shaped by AI, renewed interest in real-world interaction, and rising expectations around accessibility and safety. Whether they’re building smarter learning tools, new ways to socialize, or more personalized commerce experiences, these startups collectively offer a clear view into what founders believe the next generation of consumer and education technology should look like.

This article is based on reporting originally published by TechCrunch.

Based on reporting originally published by TechCrunch. See the sources section below.

Sources

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