TechCrunch just dropped the full agenda for its brand-new Going Public Stage at Disrupt 2025, featuring heavyweight speakers like Zoom CEO Eric Yuan and top-tier VCs tackling the startup-to-IPO journey. The stage debuts at TechCrunch's 20th anniversary celebration in San Francisco this October, targeting founders navigating everything from early traction to public markets and beyond.
TechCrunch is betting big on late-stage startup content with its inaugural Going Public Stage at Disrupt 2025. The conference just revealed a speaker lineup that reads like a who's who of successful scale-ups and the investors backing them.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan takes center stage alongside Emergence general partner Santi Subotovsky in a session called "What Comes After Breakout Success?" The panel tackles what Yuan knows intimately - how companies avoid becoming one-hit wonders after achieving product-market fit. Yuan led Zoom from startup to a $16 billion IPO in 2019, then navigated the company through pandemic-driven hypergrowth that saw usage explode from 10 million to over 300 million daily meeting participants.
The timing isn't coincidental. Late-stage startups are facing a brutal environment where traditional IPO windows have largely slammed shut. According to PitchBook data, US IPO activity dropped 75% in 2022-2023 compared to the 2020-2021 peak, forcing founders to rethink their exit strategies entirely.
Andreessen Horowitz general partner David George addresses this head-on in his fireside chat "How Long Should a Startup Stay Private?" George has watched portfolio companies navigate extended private phases while building sustainable businesses. His session promises insights into the new rulebook for scaled startups operating in an era of higher expectations and tighter capital.
The AI disruption theme runs through multiple sessions, including "How AI Is Forcing Late-stage Startups to Rewire GTM." CapitalG partner Jane Alexander joins Nextdoor CEO Nirav Tolia and Premise co-founder Vanessa Larco to break down how artificial intelligence is reshaping go-to-market strategies. Tolia has firsthand experience - Nextdoor has been experimenting with AI-powered community features while competing against Meta's neighborhood initiatives.
Perhaps most practically, the "Everything You Need to Know Before an Exit" panel brings together Sapphire Ventures co-founder Jai Das and Renegade Partners managing director Roseanne Wincek. Das has guided numerous companies through late-stage rounds and exits, while Wincek focuses on growth-stage investments. Their session promises tactical advice on timing markets, setting up dual-track processes, and preparing for whatever exit option emerges.