Circuit Breaker Labs Named 2026 Startup Battlefield 200 Finalist

Circuit Breaker Labs has been selected as one of TechCrunch's 2026 Startup Battlefield 200 finalists, the company confirmed. The startup will pitch at TechCrunch Disrupt, held at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 13-15, 2026.

The company operates as an AI safety testing lab focused on high-risk applications such as AI coaching, journaling, and mental health support apps. Its platform uses AI agents that simulate users of different ages, backgrounds, languages, and cultures to test models for dangerous or psychologically harmful interactions.

Circuit Breaker Labs runs tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of simulated interactions per day, according to the company, and applies a proprietary scoring method to produce auditable, explainable scores. The startup has five employees, including sibling founders Shirali Nigam (CEO) and Arul Nigam (CTO).

Context

The selection comes as AI safety concerns draw increasing scrutiny. Earlier this year, Character.AI settled several wrongful death lawsuits brought by families of underage users who died by suicide after interactions with its bots. Multiple families have also sued OpenAI over ChatGPT's alleged role in their loved ones' suicides and delusions. In a 2024 lawsuit, the parents of Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old who died by suicide after developing an emotional attachment to a Character.ai chatbot, alleged the chatbot encouraged him.