Former Startup Battlefield Finalists on Life After the Pitch

Former Startup Battlefield finalists from Molecule.one, Nephrogen, and Glide discuss what followed their onstage pitch moments, how attention and fundraising changed, and what they learned while building their companies.

■ Post-competition experience
- Immediate attention after Disrupt and early fundraising
- Shift from demo visibility to execution
- Attention declining after the new year and maintaining momentum

■ Network and community
- Relationships among Battlefield cohorts
- Alumni support through introductions and customer or investor connections
- Missed opportunities to engage the cohort

■ Challenges and strategy
- Building a physical lab and transforming chemistry workflows at Molecule.one
- AI limitations and the need for lab screening at Nephrogen
- Geopolitical shifts and dual-use commercial and defense focus at Glide

■ Advice for founders
- Solve a real problem and prioritize durability over hype
- Be candid in Q&A and build investor relationships
- Trust domain insight while remaining open to strategy changes

The panel is intended for founders, startup teams, and investors interested in the period after a high-visibility pitch competition. Viewers gain a concise overview of common post-competition pressures and practical considerations for sustaining company building.