Discover how to take your startup from prototype to production at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to building impressive prototypes. Getting those prototypes into production is a different story.

Every founder hopes their breakthrough becomes a product customers can rely on. Yet the path from prototype to production rarely follows a straight line. Manufacturing challenges emerge. Infrastructure has to support growth. Autonomous systems have to perform outside controlled environments. The problems change quickly once technology leaves the lab.

That’s the focus of “From Prototype to Production: Can It Scale in Reality?“, taking place on the Real World AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.

Leaders in space communications, autonomous systems, and AI infrastructure will share how they’ve navigated that transition, from promising innovation to production-ready deployment. Although every industry follows its own path, all three speakers have faced the same reality: a successful prototype is only the beginning.

Disrupt returns to Moscone West in San Francisco, October 13–15, bringing together 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators for 250+ sessions exploring the technologies and market forces shaping what’s next. Secure your Disrupt pass to hear how today’s innovators are moving breakthrough technologies into production.