Some of tech's biggest names started with a simple pitch. Dropbox, Cloudflare, Discord — all honed their ideas on TechCrunch Startup Battlefield. Now, after confetti falls and headlines fade, where are they? Many have found new ventures, acquisitions or even space stations.

Their journeys continue in TechCrunch's Build Mode: The Founder Survival Guide. Listen to Kevin Damoa of Glīd, who rose from military logistics to win Startup Battlefield 2025, and Capella Kerst of geCKo Materials, who developed adhesion tech for the International Space Station.

Their stories are a testament that even runner-ups can thrive. Forethought AI’s Deon Nicholas, winner in 2018, was acquired by Zendesk — a prime example of what Startup Battlefield can achieve. Other highlights include David Park of Narada and Sarah Lucena of Mappa, who use AI for hiring.

The journey is long but the stage matters. Apply before June 8 to see your pitch turn into reality or, at least, an interesting podcast episode.