Blackstone's Jas Khaira to Discuss Financing the Next Generation of AI Giants at Disrupt 2026
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Blackstone N1 global head Jas Khaira will share an investor's perspective on how AI startups can turn early growth into lasting businesses. The conference runs October 13–15 in San Francisco.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will take place in San Francisco this October, featuring a session with Jas Khaira, global head of Blackstone N1, one of the leaders at one of the world's largest alternative asset managers. His talk, titled "Building the Next Generation of AI Giants," will focus on how investors decide whether to back fast-growing AI companies.
Rising capital needs
Scaling an AI company increasingly requires substantial funding — not just for product development, but also for compute and data center infrastructure. One example cited is Blackstone's agreement, together with co-investors, to invest up to $600 million in primary equity in Neysa, an Indian AI infrastructure company that also plans to raise an additional $600 million in debt financing.
Capital is also flowing into other parts of the AI ecosystem. In July, Anthropic launched Ode with Anthropic, an AI implementation company backed by a $1.5 billion joint venture involving Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, Goldman Sachs and other investors.
Growth versus staying power
In his talk, Khaira plans to address what separates companies that merely grow quickly from those that build enduring businesses. Founders often must make major financing decisions before knowing whether their early momentum will translate into a lasting competitive advantage.
Khaira has been with Blackstone since 2004 and currently leads Blackstone N1 and Blackstone Growth, in addition to overseeing tactical opportunities in the Americas. He founded Blackstone N1, a platform dedicated to growth and hybrid private equity investments across the AI ecosystem and other high-growth sectors.
Disrupt 2026 will run October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, with more than 200 sessions across six industry stages. Organizers expect more than 10,000 founders, investors and industry professionals, along with over 250 speakers and 300 exhibiting startups.
