Battle of the Regions Championship
Join us at DC Startup & Tech Week for the inaugural Battle of the Regions is a March Madness-style pitch competition to find the most promising founders in the DMV and crown one regional champion. Don't forget to get your tickets here: https://luma.com/dcstw2026-register!!
Presented by District Angels, DC Startup & Tech Week (DCSTW), Inspire Access, and the Abell Foundation, here is how the competition unfolded:
Founders applied to represent DC, Maryland or Virginia, and a judging panel picked the top 12 in each region
Each region pitched live, in Virginia in August, DC in September, and Maryland in October. Judges picked the top 3, and the audience voted for a regional wildcard
Of the three regional wildcards, one advances, so 10 finalists pitch at DCSTW
What to Expect
🏆 The Championship Pitch Competition
Watch the top startups from D.C., Maryland, and Virginia compete live for the title of Battle of the Regions Champion.
⚖️ Investor & Ecosystem Judge Panel
Hear from leading investors, operators, and ecosystem builders as they evaluate the region's top founders.
🤝 Networking Reception
Connect with founders, investors, operators, students, and ecosystem leaders from across the DMV.
🥁 INTRODUCING YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS
🔷 VIRGINIA 🥇 Torev Motors — Rory Brogan 🥈 Lympha Bio, Inc. — Rebecca Pompano 🥉 GoodFences — Michael Timmons
🔷 DC 🥇 GroundVue — Shannon Arvizu 🥈 ORAIN Biotechnologies — Naroa Gimenez 🥉 Magma Space — Alessandro Stabile
🔷 MARYLAND 🥇 TechNovaTime — Andrew Gelbard 🥈 Free Money Meister — Kiara Scott 🥉 Blue Healer — Jay Tailor
🃏 DMV WILDCARD Nextgen Magnets — Tom Chepucavage
The bracket ends here.
The champion is crowned here.
SEE YOU IN THE ARENA!