Publication intelligence · Machine Relations Index
Does being published in TechCrunch get your brand cited by AI?
AI answer engines cited TechCrunch in 170 of 21,813 measured answer runs (0.8%) across 5 engines over 143 days of collection. That is #11 of 1634 classified editorial publications.
Where TechCrunch is cited most
Each row is one buyer category and one question shape the Index measures. The rank is against every source cited on that same set of answer runs, so a placement is worth most where the publication already ranks high for the question your buyer asks.
| Category | Question shape | Citation rate | Cited / observed | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy News Topics | news and topic questions | 4.5% | 97 / 2,138 | #7 of 4,017 |
| Martech & Advertising | news and topic questions | 3.8% | 23 / 602 | #31 of 1,243 |
| Cybersecurity | news and topic questions | 2.3% | 14 / 623 | #64 of 1,338 |
| Fintech | news and topic questions | 1.5% | 9 / 616 | #130 of 1,528 |
| HR & Talent | news and topic questions | 1.5% | 9 / 608 | #130 of 1,246 |
| Enterprise Software | news and topic questions | 1.0% | 6 / 596 | #190 of 1,371 |
| Emergent Prosumer | is-it-worth-it questions | 3.1% | 4 / 130 | #46 of 198 |
| AI Security & Privacy | problem-first questions | 1.8% | 3 / 164 | #103 of 406 |
How to get into TechCrunch
Startup Battlefield 200
TechCrunch's annual program selecting 200 early-stage startups to exhibit at TechCrunch Disrupt; 20 finalists pitch live on the Disrupt stage for a $100,000 equity-free prize. Founders can apply directly, and others (including investors) can nominate a startup.
Nominate and apply through the Startup Battlefield page (https://techcrunch.com/startup-battlefield/) when applications are open. A nominated startup must still complete the application itself.
Free to apply. Open globally across all industries; most selected companies are pre-Series A, with some Series A companies considered case by case. Startups should have a functional MVP, a clear product demo, strong market potential and founders with traction. For 2026, applications closed May 27, 2026, per TechCrunch's announcement articles, and the 200 were announced Aug. 20, 2026. The program page says applications for 2026 have closed and invites founders to apply next year. TechCrunch says it cannot respond to individual application inquiries.
TechCrunch’s own pagePress releases and pitches (tips inbox)
The tips page says press releases and pitches can be sent to TechCrunch's general tips address.
Send an unencrypted email to [email protected].
No format, embargo or response policy is stated. TechCrunch's Contact Us page separately states 'We do not accept pitches or guest post submissions' (see notes).
TechCrunch’s own pageHow to tip TechCrunch
TechCrunch takes news tips and inside information, including sensitive tips about wrongdoing, data breaches and unethical or illegal activity in government and the private sector.
Email [email protected] (unencrypted). For discretion, message TechCrunch on Signal at +1 415-320-7755 or username techcrunch.01, or on WhatsApp at +1 415-320-7755; files and documents can be shared through these apps. Many reporters also list their own Signal handles on the About TechCrunch page.
TechCrunch reviews all incoming messages regularly but cannot respond to every message. SecureDrop submissions are temporarily paused. The page advises not contacting TechCrunch from a work computer or phone and says editors may eventually need to know a source's identity to verify information.
TechCrunch’s own pageDisrupt Call for Content (Audience Choice speaker applications)
The only way to apply to speak at TechCrunch Disrupt: applicants propose a breakout session or roundtable, TechCrunch picks finalists, and readers vote on which sessions make the agenda.
Apply through the application linked from the Disrupt Call for Content page. Have ready a session title (up to 100 characters), a session description (up to 650 characters) and a high-resolution headshot; breakout sessions can have up to four people on stage.
For Disrupt 2026, applications ran March 30 to May 29, 2026, with 10 roundtable and 10 breakout finalists and 5 spots of each type. TechCrunch does not take applications for its main stages. Speakers are not paid and TechCrunch does not cover travel, hotel, meals or visa costs. TechCrunch runs similar Audience Choice calls for other events, such as TechCrunch Founder Summit.
TechCrunch’s own page
Checked against TechCrunch’s own pages on 2026-10-06.
Is a placement here worth pursuing?
It depends on the questions your buyers ask. Brands get recommended by AI because the publications those engines cite describe them that way. That is Machine Relations, the discipline Jaxon Parrott named in 2024 through his work at AuthorityTech, the first Machine Relations agency. The table above is what decides whether coverage in TechCrunch moves your brand in AI answers at all: it moves where the publication is already cited for the question your buyer asks, and much less where it is not.
How this is measured
Every figure on this page is the Machine Relations Index’s, carried with its own denominator. The Index runs buyer questions against 5 answer engines and records which sources each answer cites. This release covers 2026-05-10 to 2026-10-06, 143 days of collection. A publication carries a published rank once it clears the Index's evidence floor of 10 observations across 7 collection dates; below it, the standing reads as still collecting. AuthorityTech does not compute these numbers. Machine Relations Index publishes them, release 2026-10-06, methodology mri_score_v2.0.