No product? No problem. This Disrupt 2026 session shows how to get pre-seed funding with conviction, storytelling
TechCrunch is hosting a panel at their 2026 Disrupt event focused on helping pre-seed founders secure funding without a minimum viable product. The session features experts who will discuss storytelling and conviction as alternatives to traditional product-based fundraising.
Why it matters
As AI development cycles accelerate, founders are facing increased pressure to show results earlier, making fundraising strategies for early-stage startups more critical than ever.
It’s not just you: AI startups are taking in a huge amount of seed funding, and in the process making things harder for anyone looking for funding even at a pre-seed stage. We’ve covered the trend in detail , and at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt event , we want to help pre-seed founders now being held to seed-stage expectations.
With AI making the development of a minimum viable product swifter than ever, is there even hope for a founder who has a compelling idea, but nothing concrete to show for it? That’s what our “Winning Pre-Seed Without a Product” panel will seek to answer.
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