Yearly, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest attracts hundreds of candidates. We whittle these purposes right down to the highest 200 contenders, and of them, the highest 20 compete on the massive stage to grow to be the winner, taking residence the Startup Battlefield Cup and a money prize of $100,000. However the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as effectively of their respective classes and compete in their very own pitch competitors.
Right here is the complete checklist of the house and protection tech Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, together with a be aware on why they landed within the competitors.
Airbility
What it does: Airbility is creating two-seat manned electrical vertical take-off and touchdown (eVTOL) plane.
Why it’s noteworthy: Its plane makes use of a singular fixed-wing-based VTOL know-how mixed with a distributed electrical fan-jet propulsion system that makes them mild, maneuverable, and versatile.
Astrum Drive Aerospace
What it does: Astrum has developed a propellantless, electricity-only house propulsion system.
Why it’s noteworthy: The corporate says its patented tech eliminates the necessity to carry gasoline onboard, which may lengthen the lifespans of crafts and decrease prices and will allow deep house exploration.
Charter Space
What it does: Provides a fintech-esq danger evaluation platform for spacecraft that permits them to acquire insurance coverage protection.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco
|
October 13-15, 2026
Why it’s noteworthy: The corporate’s purpose is to make use of insurability as a springboard to energy new types of credit score for the house business.
Endox
What it does: Endox presents AI techniques that assist examine and keep techniques and tools for the U.S. navy.
Why it’s noteworthy: Endox is combining its personal proprietary knowledge seize techniques with robotics tech.
Hance
What it does: Hance is constructing an AI neural community particularly to course of and improve real-time audio.
Why it’s noteworthy: Hance’s audio AI is designed to deal with the unpredictable nature of dwell audio with its background noises, room reverb, and uncontrolled environments, resembling these encountered by the navy.
Skylark Labs
What it does: Skylark has created a self-learning AI particularly designed for use by machines and in security purposes.
Why it’s noteworthy: Skylark is trying to resolve the technical points with bodily embodied AI, resembling speedily processing info on the edge.
Skyline Nav AI
What it does: Has created navigation software program not depending on GPS.
Why it’s noteworthy: Skyline makes use of AI to rapidly acknowledge a scene with out costly GPUs and is efficient in combating GPS jamming tech.

