Benchmark’s five general partners will appear together at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco for a session on the future of venture capital and startup opportunities. The discussion will examine where the next major companies may emerge, which assumptions founders should question and what makes a business investable amid intense competition, particularly in artificial intelligence.

Benchmark has raised approximately $2 billion this year through a $750 million flagship fund and a new $1.25 billion growth fund, signalling a major expansion of its investment strategy. AI attracted 61% of global venture capital in 2025, worth $258.7 billion, although companies raising more than $100 million received about 73% of that investment; the panel will consider whether the next breakout business will come from AI applications, infrastructure, proprietary data, distribution or overlooked sectors.