TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to Guide Pre-Seed Founders on Securing Funding Without a Product

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AI startups are absorbing a disproportionately large share of seed funding, making it increasingly difficult for early-stage founders to raise even at the pre-seed level. TechCrunch has been tracking this competitive funding shift and plans to address it directly at its upcoming Disrupt 2026 conference. A dedicated session will offer guidance to pre-seed founders who are now being held to standards typically expected at the seed stage. The session will focus on practical strategies such as conviction and storytelling to help founders attract investors before having a finished product.

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