Brief
Intero Biosystems wins TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Startup Battlefield
The Denver‑based organoid company beat four other finalists in a live demo before a panel of top investors.
By Felo News Desk · Published
TechCrunch reported that Intero Biosystems was declared the winner of the Startup Battlefield competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, held in San Francisco.
What happened
Over three days, 20 startups presented live demos to a panel of venture capitalists and tech leaders. After a round of deliberations, the judges narrowed the field to five finalists – Apate, Flox Intelligence, Intero Biosystems, Industrial Next and Satlyt – before the final showdown.
What the reports add
TechCrunch noted that the final judging panel comprised Alexa von Tobel (Inspired Capital), Chi‑Hua Chien (Goodwater Capital), Dayna Grayson (Construct Capital), Karl Alomar (M13) and Stacy Brown‑Philpot (Cherryrock Capital). The outlet also highlighted that the competition awards a $100,000 equity‑free prize and the Disrupt Cup.
What was said
TechCrunch’s article did not include direct quotations from the judges or the founders, but it identified the founders of Intero Biosystems as Charlie Childs and Madeline Eiken.
How it came about
Intero Biosystems, spun out of the University of Michigan, develops 1 mm human intestinal organoids for drug testing. The company’s flagship product, GastroScreen, is marketed to pharmaceutical, biotech, food and chemical firms. The win adds Intero to a list of past Battlefield champions that includes Trello, Discord, Cloudflare and Mint, and follows earlier Felo coverage of the five finalists (TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 finalists).
Key facts
- Intero Biosystems won the Startup Battlefield competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. (techcrunch.com)
- The prize includes a $100,000 equity‑free award and the Disrupt Cup. (techcrunch.com)
- The final judging panel featured Alexa von Tobel, Chi‑Hua Chien, Dayna Grayson, Karl Alomar and Stacy Brown‑Philpot. (techcrunch.com)
- Intero Biosystems was founded by Charlie Childs and Madeline Eiken and creates 1 mm human intestinal organoids. (techcrunch.com)
Sources
- [1] techcrunch.com — originally reported as “And the winner of Startup Battlefield at Disrupt 2026 is: Intero Biosystems”
