From the stage to the future: Where are Startup Battlefield’s alumni now?
From the stage to the future: Where are Startup Battlefield’s alumni now?
从舞台到未来：Startup Battlefield 的校友们现在何方？
Some of the most consequential companies in tech history didn’t launch with a splashy fundraising announcement. They started with a pitch. Dropbox demoed to a room of skeptics. Cloudflare took the stage before most people understood what edge networking meant. Discord was a scrappy game developer called Hammer & Chisel. Mint, Trello, Forethought, N26 — all of them passed through the same crucible: TechCrunch Startup Battlefield. 科技史上一些最具影响力的公司并非以轰动的融资公告开启征程，而是始于一场路演。Dropbox 在一群怀疑论者面前进行了演示；Cloudflare 在大多数人还不理解边缘网络含义时就登上了舞台；Discord 当时还是一家名为 Hammer & Chisel 的小型游戏开发商。Mint、Trello、Forethought、N26——它们都经历了同样的考验：TechCrunch Startup Battlefield。
That’s not a coincidence. Battlefield isn’t just a competition. It’s a launchpad, and the numbers back it up. More than 1,700 companies have competed on the Battlefield stage. Together, they’ve raised $32 billion in total funding and generated over 250 exits — including acquisitions by Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Salesforce, Twitter, Uber, and Amazon. The Startup Battlefield network runs so deep that alumni have even acquired each other: Dropbox acquired fellow Startup Battlefield alum DocSend in 2021. 这并非巧合。Battlefield 不仅仅是一场比赛，它是一个发射台，数据就是最好的证明。超过 1,700 家公司曾在 Battlefield 的舞台上竞技。它们总共筹集了 320 亿美元的资金，并实现了超过 250 次退出——包括被微软、谷歌、雅虎、Salesforce、Twitter、Uber 和亚马逊等巨头收购。Startup Battlefield 的网络极其深厚，以至于校友公司之间甚至会发生收购：Dropbox 就在 2021 年收购了同为 Startup Battlefield 校友的 DocSend。
For thousands of founders, it’s become a defining milestone — not just a pitch competition, but the moment the world started paying attention. And you actually still have a chance to join that illustrious alumni community this year. Due to intense demand, we’ve pushed the Startup Battlefield 2026 application deadline to June 8, and you can get your application in right here. 对于成千上万的创始人来说，这已成为一个决定性的里程碑——它不仅是一场路演比赛，更是世界开始关注他们的时刻。今年，你依然有机会加入这个杰出的校友社区。由于需求强烈，我们将 Startup Battlefield 2026 的申请截止日期延长至 6 月 8 日，你可以在此提交申请。
In the meantime, we wanted to show you what happens after the confetti falls. We checked in with some of our recent alumni, many of whom have sat down with us on Build Mode: The Founder Survival Guide, TechCrunch’s podcast for founders at every stage. Here’s what they’ve been building, in their own words. 在此期间，我们想向你展示当聚光灯熄灭后会发生什么。我们回访了一些近期的校友，他们中的许多人曾做客我们的播客《Build Mode: The Founder Survival Guide》（TechCrunch 为各阶段创始人打造的播客）。以下是他们用自己的话讲述的创业历程。
About Build Mode
关于《Build Mode》
Each season goes deep on a different chapter of startup life. Season 1 covered go-to-market. Season 2 — out now — is all about building your team. And mark your calendars: Season 3 drops in June, tackling the most requested topic we’ve ever gotten: fundraising. Subscribe now so you don’t miss it. 每一季节目都会深入探讨创业生活的不同篇章。第一季涵盖了市场进入策略（Go-to-market）；第二季（现已上线）专注于团队建设；请标记好你的日历：第三季将于 6 月发布，届时将探讨我们收到过最多请求的主题：融资。立即订阅，以免错过。
The champions and runners-up
冠军与亚军
From military logistics to Startup Battlefield 2025 champion Kevin Damoa, founder of Glīd 从军事物流到 Startup Battlefield 2025 冠军：Glīd 创始人 Kevin Damoa
2025 winner Kevin Damoa didn’t come from Sand Hill Road. He came from military logistics — a background that turned out to be ideal training for building under pressure, with constrained resources and real stakes. Damoa’s path to the Startup Battlefield 2025 championship is the kind of origin story that makes you reconsider where the next generation of great founders is actually coming from. 2025 年的冠军 Kevin Damoa 并非来自硅谷的投资圈（Sand Hill Road），他出身于军事物流领域——事实证明，这种背景是在压力下、资源受限且面临真实风险的环境中进行创业的理想训练。Damoa 通往 Startup Battlefield 2025 冠军的道路，是一个让你重新思考下一代伟大创始人究竟来自何处的励志故事。 → Listen to Kevin’s Build Mode episode (收听 Kevin 的《Build Mode》节目)
From the Startup Battlefield stage to the International Space Station: Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of geCKo Materials 从 Startup Battlefield 舞台到国际空间站：geCKo Materials 创始人兼 CEO Capella Kerst
2024 runner-up Capella Kerst didn’t set out to reinvent adhesion. She set out to solve a problem that has stumped engineers for decades: How do you make things stick — reliably, repeatedly, and without residue — in the most extreme environments imaginable? geCKo Materials, spun out of Stanford, has developed gecko-inspired adhesive technology with applications ranging from manufacturing floors to, quite literally, the International Space Station. Kerst’s Startup Battlefield moment was a signal to the market that the science was ready for the world. What’s happened since is proof that runner-up isn’t a consolation prize — it’s a credential. 2024 年亚军 Capella Kerst 的初衷并非重塑粘合技术，而是解决一个困扰工程师数十年的难题：如何在极端环境下，实现可靠、可重复且无残留的粘合？从斯坦福大学孵化出来的 geCKo Materials 开发了一种仿壁虎粘合技术，其应用范围从制造车间一直延伸到真正的国际空间站。Kerst 在 Startup Battlefield 的表现向市场释放了一个信号：这项科学技术已准备好走向世界。此后的发展证明，亚军并非安慰奖，而是一份资历证明。 → Listen to Capella’s Build Mode episode (收听 Capella 的《Build Mode》节目)
How Forethought AI found product-market fit — before it was obvious: Deon Nicholas, co-founder of Forethought AI (2018 winner, acquired by Zendesk) Forethought AI 如何在产品市场契合度（PMF）尚不明显时就找到了方向：Forethought AI 联合创始人 Deon Nicholas（2018 年冠军，已被 Zendesk 收购）
Few Startup Battlefield stories have a more complete arc than Forethought AI. Deon Nicholas took the stage with a conviction that AI could fundamentally transform customer support — before that was an obvious bet. Before the term sheets and the headlines, there was a pitch and a thesis. Forethought was recently acquired by Zendesk — the latest example of what the Startup Battlefield stage can set in motion. His Build Mode episode is essential listening, and a perfect primer for Season 3’s deep dive on fundraising. 很少有 Startup Battlefield 的故事比 Forethought AI 更完整。Deon Nicholas 登上舞台时坚信 AI 可以从根本上改变客户支持——在那时，这还不是一个显而易见的选择。在融资条款清单和媒体头条出现之前，只有路演和愿景。Forethought 最近被 Zendesk 收购，这是 Startup Battlefield 舞台所能推动的最新案例。他的《Build Mode》节目是必听内容，也是为第三季深入探讨融资话题的完美入门。 → Listen to Deon’s Build Mode episode (收听 Deon 的《Build Mode》节目)
Top 20 finalist stories
前 20 强决赛选手故事
The danger of fundraising before finding product-market fit: David Park, founder of Narada 在找到产品市场契合度之前融资的危险：Narada 创始人 David Park Raising before product-market fit doesn’t speed things up — it speeds up your mistakes. Park doesn’t sugarcoat the lessons. 在找到产品市场契合度之前融资并不会加快进度，只会加速你犯错。Park 对这些教训直言不讳。 → Listen to David’s Build Mode episode (收听 David 的《Build Mode》节目)
Using AI to hire for compatibility, not just skill: Sarah Lucena, founder and CEO of Mappa 利用 AI 招聘注重契合度而非仅仅是技能：Mappa 创始人兼 CEO Sarah Lucena Skills get people in the door. Compatibility determines whether they stay. Lucena is using AI to fix the part of hiring nobody talks about. 技能让人入职，契合度决定去留。Lucena 正在利用 AI 解决招聘中无人提及的痛点。 → Listen to Sarah’s Build Mode episode (收听 Sarah 的《Build Mode》节目)
More from the Startup Battlefield alumni community
更多来自 Startup Battlefield 校友社区的声音
These founders competed on the Startup Battlefield and sat down with us on Build Mode to tell their story. All worth a listen. 这些创始人曾在 Startup Battlefield 竞技，并做客《Build Mode》讲述他们的故事。都非常值得一听。
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Anna Sun of Nowadays and Hala Jalwan and Alessio Tresanti of Rivio — On what happens when a startup becomes a family business, and the community that forms around Startup Battlefield. Nowadays 的 Anna Sun 以及 Rivio 的 Hala Jalwan 和 Alessio Tresanti — 探讨当创业公司变成家族企业时会发生什么，以及围绕 Startup Battlefield 形成的社区。 → Listen (收听)
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Kyle Rudolph and Jon Walburg, co-founders of Alltroo — On why your network is your first go-to-market strategy. Alltroo 联合创始人 Kyle Rudolph 和 Jon Walburg — 探讨为什么你的人脉是你第一个市场进入策略。 → Listen (收听)
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Jas Schembri-Stothart of Luna and Andre Peart of Untapped Solutions — On reaching the markets everyone else ignores and building for underserved communities without the typical growth playbook. Luna 的 Jas Schembri-Stothart 和 Untapped Solutions 的 Andre Peart — 探讨如何触达被他人忽视的市场，以及如何在没有典型增长手册的情况下为服务不足的社区进行建设。 → Listen (收听)
The milestone is real
里程碑是真实的
Every generation of Startup Battlefield alumni adds a new chapter to the same story. But behind every one of those data points is a founder who made a bet on themselves — publicly, in front of people who were paying attention. The stage matters. The community lasts. The milestone is real. 每一代 Startup Battlefield 的校友都在续写同一个故事的新篇章。但在每一个数据点背后，都是一位在公众面前、在关注者的注视下，选择孤注一掷的创始人。舞台很重要，社区会延续，里程碑是真实的。
And remember: Applications for Startup Battlefield 2026 are still open. If you’re building something that deserves a stage, this is yours. 请记住：Startup Battlefield 2026 的申请仍在进行中。如果你正在打造值得登上舞台的产品，这就是属于你的机会。 → Apply before the June 8 deadline (在 6 月 8 日截止日期前申请)
Know a founder who’s ready for the spotlight? Investors, operators, and fellow founders can nominate companies directly. 认识准备好迎接聚光灯的创始人吗？投资者、运营者和同行创始人可以直接提名公司。 → Nominate a founder (提名创始人)
Not ready to apply yet? Build Mode is where we meet you. Season 2 is live now. Season 3 — all about fundraising — drops in June. 还没准备好申请？《Build Mode》在这里等你。第二季现已上线，第三季（关于融资）将于 6 月发布。