Startup Traction Secrets: Chef Robotics, NEA, ICONIQ at Disrupt 2025
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, a dedicated panel will delve into the complex journey of achieving product-market fit, a pivotal phase for any startup. The discussion, set to take place on the Builders Stage, will feature insights from a founder who has successfully navigated this challenge, alongside two prominent investors who specialize in guiding startups to significant growth.
The panel will bring together Rajat Bhageria, Founder and CEO of Chef Robotics; Ann Bordetsky, Partner at NEA; and Murali Joshi, Partner at ICONIQ. Together, they aim to demystify the often elusive process of finding product-market fit, offering practical strategies for smart testing, real-time iteration, and effective user feedback mechanisms without succumbing to information overload.
Rajat Bhageria will provide a founder’s perspective, drawing from his experience scaling Chef Robotics, a company that leverages AI-powered automation to innovate food production. His journey offers firsthand insights into the practical application of technology to meet market demands.
Representing the venture capital landscape, Ann Bordetsky brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at Uber and Twitter, now applied at NEA. Her background equips her with a keen eye for identifying the kind of agile innovation that drives substantial market success.
Murali Joshi, recognized on the Forbes Midas Brink List, contributes an investor’s view shaped by his involvement in over $2.5 billion in investments across notable companies such as Drata, 1Password, and Fivetran. His expertise lies in identifying and nurturing companies with high growth potential.
This collective expertise promises a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what product-market fit genuinely entails and how founders can definitively recognize when they have achieved it. The discussion is designed for founders at various stages, from those in prototype development to those seeking to scale an already established product, offering alternatives to guesswork in the pursuit of building indispensable solutions for customers.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is scheduled to run from October 27 to 29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. The event, celebrating its 20th anniversary, is expected to host over 10,000 startup founders and venture capital leaders. In addition to this panel, the agenda features a roster of other industry heavyweights, including representatives from Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, and Sequoia Capital, all contributing insights aimed at fostering startup growth and competitive advantage within the tech ecosystem.