SUMMERFEST TECHAI PITCH COMPETITION
Have questions about the pitch competition? Please consult our FAQ.
PITCH COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Wednesday, June 24 3:00–5:15PM in Downtown Kitchen, U.S. Bank Conference Center
Meet our top ten Finalist companies competing across two pitch tracks: Manufacturing, Food/Bev, and AgTech; and FinTech. Hear from startup founders who are working on the latest and greatest innovations that will shape these sectors in the years to come, get the inside scoop on the latest tech trends and innovations, and find hot investment opportunities with startups that are poised to scale. Plus, cast your vote for the Fan Favorite in each category and help decide which lucky entrepreneur takes home the cash prize!
Thursday, June 25 3:00–5:15PM in Downtown Kitchen, U.S. Bank Conference Center
Meet our top ten Finalist companies competing across two pitch tracks: Healthcare/Biotech and Disruptive Tech. Hear from startup founders who are working on the latest and greatest innovations that will shape these sectors in the years to come, get the inside scoop on the latest tech trends and innovations, and find hot investment opportunities with startups that are poised to scale. Plus, cast your vote for the Fan Favorite in each category and help decide which lucky entrepreneur takes home the cash prize!
2026 SUMMERFEST TECHAI PITCH FINALISTS
Advanced Manufacturing, Food/Bev, and AgTech
Winner: Nurtured Nuts Company
Fan Favorite: Green Steel Environmental
eGrowth Corp.
Maize
MayimFlow
FinTech
Winner: Okkanti
Fan Favorite: ticker
ArvoFin
Shamel Studio
Ternwheel Inc.
Healthcare/Biotech
Winner: Vibrant Medical
Fan Favorite: Veera
Persperion
Phoenix
TinyMoves
Disruptive Tech
Winner: Xena Intelligence
Fan Favorite: KeeperSpace Inc
2DaLoop
Licube, Inc.
Xena Intelligence
The Signal, Inc.
See complete finalist and alternate information here.
2026 SUMMERFEST TECHAI PITCH ALTERNATES
Advanced Manufacturing, Food/Bev, and AgTech
Alure LLC
Rapid Radicals Technology, Inc.
FinTech
Gesund
Voyager AI, Inc.
Healthcare/Biotech
BattlePeer
LutaFlo Therapeutics
Disruptive Tech
Frilly
Ordify AI
2026 SUMMERFEST TECHAI PITCH JUDGES
The winner of each pitch track will be determined by a panel of active investors and corporate executives relevant to the sector. To view this year’s pitch judges, please click here.
2026 SUMMERFEST TECH PITCH COACHES
Adam Berk, Startup Program Design
Aliya Hulse, Founder/CEO, CentiLogix
Brandy Old, International Startup Mentor & Pitch Coach, Help a Startup Out
Craig Elias, International Pitch Coach and Startup Mentor, Help A Startup Out
Grady Buchanan, Managing Director, NVNG Investment Advisors
Graham Klemme, Executive Director, StartUp Hutch
Lottie Byram, Associate Director of Venture Programs, Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship
Michelle Royal, Fractional CEO, AI Operating Partner, Luminark, Global
Rosario B Casas, Co-Founder & CTO, BCPartners Tech
Sam Davidson, CEO, Nashville Entrepreneur Center
Scott Gillespie, mentor, founder, ecosystem supporter, Jigsaw Group
2026 SUMMERFEST TECH REVIEW COMMITTEE
Alagappan (AL) Shanmugam, Head of Product, EchoStar (DISH Network & SlingTV)
Anshuman Yadav, NeuraCraft
Anubhav Pradhan, Chief Product Officer, shiftmate.ai
Anupriya Goyal, Senior Software Engineer - Assistant Vice President, Barclays
April John, Chief Product Officer, Peregrine Health
Ashmita Srivastava, Associate Director of Technology, AT&T
Brad Kwiatek, Founder / CFO and Solution Architect, Kwiatek Consulting
Buke Lynn, VP of Strategic Partnerships, Connectology
Faith Harron, Founder, author, speaker, Esper Collective
Jay Cooper, Executive Director, EntrePartners
Kelly Pease, Senior Manager, Marketing, Inktavo
Matt Soper, Relationship Executive - HealthTech, J.P. Morgan
Prathamesh Bhope, Senior Engineering Manager, Walmart Global Tech
Rishikesh Aripineni, Co-founder, FARM2COOK
Saikat Paul, Partner, Obonato LLC
Siddharth Shroff, Principal Product Manager - Technical, Amazon
Tarik Moody, Director of Strategy and Innovation, Radio Milwaukee
Viresh Gehlawat, Engineering Manager, Robinhood
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The 2026 Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition will showcase startups focused on the following tracks:
Manufacturing, Food/Bev, and AgTech
Emerging technologies are revamping foundational industries, utilizing smart manufacturing and precision agriculture and paving the way for sustainable food and beverage production. This track showcases the inventions and state-of-the-art processes shifting how we make, grow, and distribute the essentials that power our economy and nourish our communities.
FinTech
Innovative approaches are redefining financial and insurance services, incorporating machine learning, blockchain, and AI-driven analysis. Entrepreneurs featured in this track are working to sync traditional finance and insurance institutions with cutting-edge processes disrupting payments, lending, and wealth management across the globe.
Healthcare/Biotech
Revolutionary ideas are transforming patient care, drug development, and health systems. Startups in this track are using data science, genomics, and digital health to create new possibilities for treatment and wellness, forming new connective tissue across industry sectors to foster therapeutic breakthroughs worldwide.
Disruptive Tech
Entrepreneurial ingenuity is reshaping industries beyond conventional verticals, from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to nanotech and Web3. This track spotlights founders who are leveraging bold ideas and deep tech to redefine what's possible and to expand the frontiers of human potential.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- The submitted product or service must have been launched no earlier than January 2023.
- Companies must not have raised more than $10 million from combined funding sources.
- Startups can only enter one product or service in the competition.
- Founders of the company applying must retain some portion of ownership.
- Startups should be legally registered and compliant with all relevant regulations and laws in their respective jurisdiction.
- Prior Summerfest Tech Pitch Finalists are not eligible to participate.
Have questions about the pitch competition? Please consult our FAQ.
FOUNDER TESTIMONIALS
“Summerfest Tech’s AI Summit stood out because the audience was genuine and truly interested in real-world impact vs. hype we see. The organizers gave everyone a transparent, unbiased platform rather than a pay-to-play stage. Not only did Polygraf AI win the Fintech and Insurtech award, we also won supporters, customers and friends and we went on to close a $10M funding round and grow revenue.”
—Yagub Rahimov (CEO/Founder), Polygraf AI
“Summerfest Tech AI completely transformed our company’s momentum — it gave us our first chance to share our story beyond our ecosystem, refine our pitch with expert coaching, and connect with new customers, integrators, and contract manufacturers.”
—Brandon Johnson (Co-Founder/CEO), ShotHawk
2025 SUMMERFEST TECH PITCH COMPETITION WINNERS
Healthcare/Biohealth: Vocadian (Massachusetts) – predictive voice AI empowering frontline workers’ safety and health.
Energy & Sustainability: ncrspt (California) – biotech-deeptech startup that stores digital data in living cells for long term storage/data archiving.
Advanced Manufacturing: LOTZA (Wisconsin) – a modern beverage company specializing in sparkling citrus punch; products are crafted with all-natural ingredients, real fruit, and functional benefits like adaptogens, electrolytes, and antioxidants.
Fin/InsurTech: Polygraf AI (Texas) – offers advanced AI-native solutions to combat AI-driven fraud, data leaks, and compliance risks.