Tech entrepreneur Kevin Rose is returning to TechCrunch Disrupt for his highly anticipated return engagement. Meet him there at Moscone West in San Francisco, October 27–29, 2025! This will be his first time back to the event since 2012. At the time, he was already deep into making a radical shift with Digg. Rose will share his extensive experience as an angel investor and entrepreneur, discussing how he evaluates founders, identifies emerging opportunities, and applies lessons from his diverse career in technology.
As an investor Over the last ten years, Rose has built himself a reputation as one of Silicon Valley’s most active early-stage investors. As a result, he has built a strong portfolio. It boasts major investments in promising firms which include Twitter, Facebook, Solana, OpenAI and Magic Spoon. His particular knack for spotting the next category-defining startup extends from consumer tech to cryptocurrency and everything in between. Rose’s ability to spot potential in innovative ventures has earned him recognition from Bloomberg as a top angel investor, and he has been featured in prominent publications such as Forbes, Time, and MIT’s various media outlets.
A Legacy of Innovation
Kevin served as CEO of Hodinkee, the premiere online platform for watches and horology. He was previously a general partner at Google Ventures. In that role, he created a national agenda and played a pivotal role in founding breakout companies — like Zipcar and Revolution Foods — that disrupted their industries. During his leadership, Google Ventures made early investments in successful startups including Uber, Slack and Nextdoor.
His rich experience in the tech sector has been enhanced by his forays into media. Rose hosts the Kevin Rose Show podcast, where he talks with some of the most influential people in tech and entrepreneurship. In addition, he’s the creator and co-host of “The Random Show” with Tim Ferriss that covers a variety of topics around personal development and business strategy. These new platforms, from social media to newsletters, empower him to express his creativity and share those insights with a much bigger audience.
Insights on Investing
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Rose will delve into his approach to investing and what it takes to build successful startups in today’s fast-paced environment. What is behind this is his evaluation of founders, but it goes much deeper than that. This has all the makings of a great session with actionable lessons learned for both entrepreneurs and investors in the room!
Besides speaking about his investing philosophy, Rose will help relaunch Digg with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The collaboration aims to reimagine the platform’s role in the digital landscape and engage new audiences. Along with doubling down on creativity, this expansion is indicative of Rose’s willingness to move with the direction of the market.
A Reunion with Disrupt
Rose’s return to TechCrunch Disrupt is good news not just for him, but for the whole tech community. His final appearance at the Super Bowl was in 2012. At the time, this moment seemed like a watershed for what was once the world’s most popular social news aggregator, Digg. Digg’s fall from grace exemplifies the problems wrought by the tech industry. Little did they know how prescient this topic would still be just a few years later.
