It was a whirlwind few days at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, and we've come away from it inspired by the other startups, guided by new user insights, and grateful for the connections we made.

We were selected among thousands of applicants to participate in Battlefield 200, meaning we were given our own time and space throughout the conference to share our technology and mission with attendees. And that is exactly what we did!

 

Dhaval pitching Lotus on the TC Disrupt Stage
Dhaval pitching Lotus on the TC Disrupt Stage.

But what makes an experience meaningful are the people who live it with you - from your own team, to the folks you meet, and the organizers behind it all. Here are our highlights:

 

Battlefield 200 Support

Months of planning and preparation happened before the conference, ensuring that the globally disbursed startups participating in Battlefield 200 had everything needed for a successful event. We can't thank the amazing human behind it all - Michael Schick - enough for all of the support in the lead up to the conference and throughout the event. Michael - you are a true gem

The two Mikes! Our very own Mike Federwisch with TC's Mike Schick.
The two Mikes! Our very own Mike Federwisch with TC's Mike Schick.

 

Accessibility + Inclusion Efforts

TC Disrupt is a conference that meets attendees wherever they are. Ahead of the event we noted a couple of initiatives to improve access for attendees and founders most likely to face barriers within the tech industry. Like TC Include.


TC Include provided 75% off Founder Passes for:

  • Founders with Disabilities
  • Founders who are active Military/Veteran
  • Founders who are minorities
  • Founders who identify as women
  • Founders who are LGBTQ+
  • Founders who are age 65 and over

We also met a number of folks who were recently affected by widespread layoffs within the tech community and were able to secure a complementary Expo+ Pass, courtesy of TechCrunch. Not to mention the many talented students and recent graduates who were able to attend at a discounted rate. Cost is one of the many barriers to attending events like this, and we appreciate that TechCrunch had measures in place to reduce the burden.

Throughout the conference, we noticed great features like free access to session transcripts through Otter AI. Staff and security were also extremely accommodating and happy to assist as needed. The list goes on!

On the accessibility front, we were encouraged by the large audience that joined the breakout session led by Sandy Lacey, Executive Director, Howe Innovation Center, Perkins School for the Blind - Defining Disability Tech: Innovations for the World's Largest Minority. Perkins also hosted a networking event that evening, where we had the chance to continue discussions around disability tech. Not to mention Battlefield 200 Startups across all sectors (not just healthcare) that are solving the problem of inaccessibility, just as we are.

The future of #DisabilityTech is here. We foresee even more focus in this area at next year's conference, based on all of the interest this year!

 

Awesome Neighbours

We are still in awe of the tech we learned about and the passionate folks behind it. Honourable mention goes out to our Exhibitor Hall next door neighbour, Kyte - a Norway-based drone home delivery service that is faster, greener and more accessible than traditional services.

A crowd in front of the Lotus booth at TC Disrupt.

 

The Dream Team

Being a remote-first company with team members all throughout North America (and the world) means it is rare that we are all able to come together in one place. Although we weren't all in attendance for TC Disrupt, we had a large group and took full advantage of our time together.