This year, News Disrupt showcased the incredible talent and groundbreaking ideas of our 2025 Startup Battlefield 200 cohort.
Out of thousands of applications, we selected 200 of the most promising startups, each bringing unique innovations to their respective industries. The competition culminated in an electrifying event where these startups had the opportunity to pitch and demonstrate their solutions live over three days.
From the top 20 finalists, News editorial selected the top five companies that then battled it out for the $100,000 equity-free prize money and the coveted Disrupt Cup. The well-deserved win went to Glīd, with a strong runner-up, Nephrogen.
Among the Startup Battlefield 200 were many industry-defining companies exhibiting and pitching on the Showcase Stage. Here are the standouts:
Best Showcase Stage pitch by industry group
Sustainability
HomeBoost provides AI-powered home energy assessments that save money, cut carbon, and boost comfort.
Built World
Techcrunch event
San Francisco
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October 13-15, 2026
Investwise is building AI-driven compliance for commercial buildings.
Consumer
Rax is democratizing luxury fashion through a two-sided marketplace.
Enterprise
Cashew Research delivers expert customer insights fast and affordably with AI-powered research.
Health
AWEAR has developed an ear-worn EEG with AI coach for brainwave tracking and stress management.
Policy + Protection
JustiGuide is turning immigration from bureaucratic nightmare into seamless infrastructure.
Best booth — it’s a tie!
Billight brought one of their light-up pool gaming systems and secured it to their pop-up banner. They are building the “Top Golf” of pool, but without having a pool table available to demo, they did what any good founder would: improvise! This was an innovative use of space and a big hit in the Expo Hall.
Calificadas brought the energy, colors, and creativity all the way from Argentina to their booth setup. They demonstrated their AI-powered communication intelligence coach in an interactive way, encouraging attendees to use their platform live at the booth. They were the talk of their row, and rightfully so!
Spirit of Disrupt award
The Spirit of Disrupt award goes to Manu Seve, co-founder and CEO of Sponstar, who went above and beyond to create exposure, connections, and opportunities for fellow founders through a treasure hunt she organized for weeks leading up to the event. Using her platform, the hunt served 33 participating companies, 15 side events featured 200 leads captured, over 700 locations visited (about four locations per user), and 50 prizes claimed from eight different startups.
The Startup Battlefield is more than a pitch competition; it’s an opportunity to build relationships with investors, potential customers, and fellow founders to support each other on their entrepreneurial journeys.
As we celebrate the achievements of this year’s winners, we are excited to see how they will shape their industries and drive innovation in the months and years to come. Congratulations to all the participants of the Startup Battlefield 200, and a special thank you to our judges and sponsors for their support in making News Disrupt 2025 a resounding success.
