Pitch on the biggest stage in AI
The Startup Showdown puts 8 early-stage founders in front of thousands of attendees and a panel of working investors at The AI Conference 2026. Four minutes. Live scoring. One stage that can change your trajectory.
Meet the innovative startups competing for the top spot at Startup Showdown 2026, more finalists announced soon!
BrainStorm Therapeutics
Patient brain organoids + multimodal AI to predict CNS drug efficacy before trials. NIH/NSF, NVIDIA award.
CSO Maya won a prior TAIC Showdown People's Choice.
Genia
Physics-constrained AI + licensed PEs. Permit-ready stamped residential structural drawings.
Hamming AI
YC S24. Red-teams voice agents by phone and checks whether the tool actually ran. 10k+ agents monitored.
Helen's Foundry
Live strategic map of what a software team is shipping; checks every agent PR against that intent before merge. Ex-Google, Workspace CLI.
Rein Security
Runtime security for enterprise AI agents. Sidecar sees every tool call. D&B, Lemonade, Swimlane. Glilot-backed.
Seltz
Full-stack web search rebuilt for AI agents. $12.5M seed. Ex-Amazon AGI / Pinecone.
Wafer
YC S25. Autonomous agent rewrites the inference stack so open-weight models run 30-60% cheaper.
Hack Day Winner
The final contestant will be drawn from a Hack Day winner! Apply now to get involved.
Contestants can expect
- Investor eyes, live. Your judges are active VCs. Pitch them directly — and the strongest founders leave with intros, not just feedback.
- Exposure before the headlines. Press and analysts are in the room. Selected startups get featured across our channels to a 50,000+ AI audience.
- A room full of your next customers, hires, and partners. Thousands of practitioners, builders, and operators.
- Passes for your team. Every selected startup gets complimentary conference access.
The format
- 8 startups, selected by our Program Committee
- 4-minute live pitches with real-time judge scoring
- Live audience voting for the People’s Choice Award
- Finalists compete for Top Startup honors
Secure a ticket now!
Watch eight emerging startups take the stage, make their case, and compete live at Startup Showdown. Meet the founders, connect with the people building what’s next, and see the momentum firsthand.
Applications Close
Learn About Day ZERØ
If you are looking for a mix of presentations, hands on workshops, and an exciting day of live building, this is for you!
Sponsor The AI Conference
Showcase your brand at The AI Conference 2026—join our sponsorship interest list for exclusive partnership opportunities