TechCrunch just locked in venture capital's most influential voice. Sequoia Capital Managing Partner Roelof Botha will take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 this October, marking a milestone moment as the publication celebrates its 20th anniversary. With the venture ecosystem in unprecedented flux, Botha's insights couldn't come at a more critical time for founders and investors navigating today's AI-driven startup landscape.
The venture capital world's most watched voice is heading back to TechCrunch's biggest stage. Sequoia Capital Managing Partner Roelof Botha will deliver what promises to be a landmark conversation at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27-29 at San Francisco's Moscone West during the publication's 20th anniversary celebration.
The timing couldn't be more significant. After two decades of helping shape iconic companies from PayPal to YouTube to Instagram, Botha now finds himself navigating what many consider the most transformative period in startup history. The venture ecosystem is experiencing unprecedented upheaval as AI fundamentally rewrites the rules of company building, capital requirements, and competitive dynamics.
"The venture ecosystem is in flux," TechCrunch noted in their announcement, highlighting three critical shifts reshaping the industry. Venture firms are morphing into broader investment powerhouses, secondary markets are claiming center stage, and founder-VC relationships are evolving in an AI-driven era where startups scale faster but demand unprecedented capital to compete.
For Sequoia, these changes represent both opportunity and challenge. The firm has been aggressively repositioning itself across the entire startup lifecycle, from seed investments through public market strategies. Under Botha's leadership, the legendary Sand Hill Road firm has doubled down on AI investments while maintaining its reputation for backing generational companies.
The session promises insider perspective on how Sequoia is adapting its legendary deal flow and due diligence processes for today's "highly concentrated, capital-intensive landscape." With AI startups requiring hundreds of millions in funding before reaching profitability, traditional venture math is being rewritten. Companies that once needed $10 million to reach scale now burn through $100 million building competitive AI models and infrastructure.
