Pitch Slam June 2026 Winners

Eight founders won their rooms at June’s Pitch Slam. Here is what the judges saw.

Thousands of founders can build a company. Very few ever hear what investors actually think.

That is why Angel Club runs Pitch Slam, a free monthly online event where founders pitch for three minutes to active angel investors, take live questions, and leave with a written scorecard they keep. Pitching is free. It always will be.

Pitch Slam was created by Angel Gambino, an executive, investor, and advisor who has spent more than two decades building and backing companies as an entrepreneur and at AWS, Westfield, Napster, and MTV/Paramount/Viacom.

Nearly 200 founders registered for June’s edition. Eight breakout rooms. Eight investors scoring live. Eight winners. These are the companies the judges selected, and what the rooms taught everyone else.

The next Pitch Slam is Tuesday, 21 July. Register free at luma.com/pitchslamsummer

Why Investors Judge

The judges are not volunteering. Great companies rarely arrive polished, and active investors want first look at strong founders before the rest of the market does. Founders get honest feedback early. Investors get dealflow. That exchange is the whole event.

The rooms draw from the Angel Club network: 411 angels in the syndicate and more than 600 active founders and investors, with more than 10,000 founders and investors at our events this year. Pitch Slam attendance is capped at 200 and is always oversubscribed.

The June room winners

Jemma Bowles, Endi

A support app for people living with endometriosis. Judged by Patrick Driscoll and Kevin Jurovich.

“A strong problem, real traction, and clear answers to hard questions on scalability. Endi stood out.”

Patrick Driscoll, Judge

Braeden Twomey, +Pouch

Single-serve oral electrolytes for fast, no-mix hydration. Judged by Cesare Pesci.

“A good story, well told. Braeden grounded the opportunity in real demand rather than a slice of a big market.”

Cesare Pesci, Judge

Jared Lerner, Nappr

Hotel rooms by the hour for real daytime rest. Judged by Keyona Meeks.

“Jared is investor-ready with a venture-scalable opportunity. Excellent job.”

Keyona Meeks, Judge

Ben Spievak, SVRN

The social layer for private markets. Judged by Bettina Briz.

“Ben pitched a big idea with the operator credibility to back it. SVRN earned a competitive room.”

Bettina Briz, Judge

Arif Struthers, Unimetrica

Causal AI for who to contact, who to leave alone, and what to say. Judged by Sara Shabani.

“Arif made causal AI concrete and commercial. Practical and ambitious at the same time.”

Sara Shabani, Judge

Charles Masters Rodriguez, Supply Veins

AI-native procurement for manufacturers. Judged by Angel Gambino and Anthony Rose.

“Charles set the bar this month. A five out of five overall, and the discipline in the pitch matched the product.”

Angel Gambino and Anthony Rose, Judges

Sulaiman Niazi, Konnect

Make local friends and meet like-minded people nearby. Judged by Andrey Kostyuk.

“Konnect had the strongest delivery and team read in the room, and a clear, well-framed problem.”

Andrey Kostyuk, Judge

Sharon Gavin, Health Craic

Functional wellness drinks for focus, immunity, and calm. Judged by Dan Ballin.

“Health Craic stood out for delivery and a credible team behind a real problem.”

Dan Ballin, Judge

What founders say

Charles won the room Angel and Anthony judged, with a five out of five overall. His reply the morning after:

“I received some very good pitching tips that I hadn’t heard before, so that was very valuable.”

Charles Masters Rodriguez, Co-Founder and CEO, Supply Veins

"The Pitch Slam was a great experience. It's quick, high energy and the feedback from my judge was very useful. It's especially helpful if you're trying to hone your 3-minute pitch."

Jared Lerner, Founder, Nappr

​"Pitch Slam was my first formal investor pitch, and it exceeded my expectations. Three minutes in front of real investors produced feedback that was immediately actionable, and I was proud to win my breakout room. The experience reinforced that you don't become a better founder by waiting until you're 'ready'—you get better by pitching. I'd recommend Pitch Slam to any founder serious about improving their fundraising."

Braeden Twomey, Founder, +Pouch Oral

What the hosts saw

“Great founders deserve to be seen. Pitch Slam exists so a founder anywhere in the world can stand in front of active investors, hear the truth, and leave with feedback they can act on the same day. The eight winners this month earned their rooms. I’m eager to see who wins in July.”

Angel Gambino, Founder, Angel Club

“The founders who improve fastest are the ones who ask for honest feedback early. A scorecard from an investor who just watched you pitch is worth ten polite coffee chats.”

Anthony Rose, CEO, SeedLegals

“The quality of the rooms keeps rising. Founders came prepared, took hard questions well, and the winners looked investor-ready. That is exactly what this format is for.”

Kevin Jurovich, CEO, Hubble

What makes a great three-minute pitch

Every Pitch Slam room is scored on the same five dimensions: pitch delivery, team, compelling problem, market size appeal, and solution strength. June’s scorecards show exactly where strong pitches win and where good companies lose points. Five patterns from this round:

1. Deliver it, do not read it. The judges forgive nerves and never forgive autopilot. One June winner scored top marks on problem and traction while reading from notes, and her delivery score paid for it. She won anyway because the substance was undeniable. Most pitches are not that lucky.

2. Ground the market in real demand. “If we capture 1% of a huge market” framing cost more than one founder this round. Judges want the wedge you win first and the evidence someone wants it now, not arithmetic on someone else’s market.

3. Substantiate every claim. “We have interest from investor X” carries no weight without specifics. Named traction, signed customers, and real numbers move scores. Unverifiable name-drops lower them.

4. Tell the team story. The most common gap in June: judges could not see why this team wins. If your background is the moat, say so. If it is not, name the advisors and hires that close the gap.

5. Treat the scorecard as a to-do list. The founders who get the most from Pitch Slam tighten the two or three things the judges flagged and come back sharper. Winning the room is a signal. Acting on feedback is the strategy.

The scorecard, explained

Every founder leaves with the same document the judges used. Five categories, each scored 1 to 5: pitch delivery, team, compelling problem, market size appeal, and solution strength, plus an overall impression and written comments.

The scorecard is the product. A deck gets read in silence. A scorecard tells you exactly which of the five dimensions cost you, in the words of an investor who just watched you pitch.

Want your own? Register free for the 21 July Pitch Slam at luma.com/pitchslamsummer

Why pitch live at events like this

Most founders practice with people who already believe in them. Investors don’t. That is why Pitch Slam works.

A pitch deck gets read in silence. A live pitch gets tested. Three minutes in front of active investors compresses months of cold outreach into one honest hour: you learn what lands, what confuses, and what an investor would need to see before writing a check.

The relationships matter as much as the reps. Every room is judged by an investor who chose to spend an evening with founders. The founders who convert that into something real do it slowly: a thank you before a pitch, a progress update before an ask. And the feedback compounds. The founders who go on to raise move while the momentum is fresh, with a sharp deck, the right investor list, a clear narrative, and a disciplined process.

What winning gets you

Winning a room is not a trophy. It is distribution. Each winner is:

• Announced on LinkedIn and amplified across our network.

• Featured in the Angel Club newsletter of investors, founders, and advisors.

• Shared with our private WhatsApp community of more than 600 founders and investors.

• Listed on the Pitch Slam Winners page at angelclub.com/pitchslam.

• Seeded into the December year-end final, where room winners compete for the 2026 title.

The 2026 year-end winner receives advisory sessions with Angel Gambino, Anthony Rose, and Kevin Jurovich, Ready to Raise at no cost, and full promotion as the annual winner.

What happens after Pitch Slam

Pitch, free. Scorecard, free. Then the path depends on you.

Most founders tighten the two or three things the judges flagged and come back sharper. Founders raising now can pitch the Angel Club syndicate at angelclub.com/syndicate, also free. Founders who want help becoming investable can apply to Ready to Raise, our paid investor-readiness program. Every route to investors stays free. The only thing founders ever pay for at Angel Club is advisory.

How Pitch Slam works

Three minutes to pitch. Live questions from investors. Scores on delivery, team, problem, market, and solution. A written scorecard you keep. Rooms run in parallel, each judged by an active investor. Pre-seed through Series A, any sector. Pitch Slam is co-hosted with SeedLegals and community partner Hubble.

Many founders leave Pitch Slam knowing exactly what needs improving but not how to fix it. Ready to Raise is our investor-readiness program. We pressure-test your narrative and deck with experienced investors, hand you a written readiness report, build a list of 100 investors matched to your stage and sector, and make warm introductions when you are ready.

Founders who want focused, one-on-one help with fundraising, go-to-market, or growth can also book 1:1 advisory with Angel here.. Both are optional and paid. Pitching, at Pitch Slam or to the syndicate, never costs a founder anything. Details at angelclub.com/readytoraise.

Ready to find out what investors actually think?

Most founders spend months refining a pitch in private. Pitch Slam compresses that learning into one evening. Pitch for three minutes. Take live questions. Leave with a written scorecard. Win the room or not, you leave a better fundraiser.

The next Pitch Slam is Tuesday, 21 July. Register free at luma.com/pitchslamsummer.

Raising now? Pitch the Angel Club syndicate at angelclub.com/syndicate. That is free too.

Investors: judge a room

Our judges are angels and early-stage VCs who want first look at prepared founders. If you would like to judge a future Pitch Slam or learn about the network, schedule a call at angelclub.com/schedule.

FAQ

What is Angel Club Pitch Slam?

A monthly online pitch event where founders pitch for three minutes to active angel investors, take live questions, and receive a written scorecard. Eight or more rooms run in parallel, each judged by an investor.

Is it free to pitch at Pitch Slam?

Yes. Founders never pay to pitch at Angel Club, at Pitch Slam or to the syndicate. Paid programs like Ready to Raise and 1:1 advisory are optional and separate from pitching.

Who judges Pitch Slam?

Active angel investors and early-stage VCs from the Angel Club network, which includes 411 angels in the syndicate and more than 600 active founders and investors.

What do the judges score?

Five dimensions on a 1 to 5 scale: pitch delivery, team, compelling problem, market size appeal, and solution strength, plus an overall impression. Founders receive the full scorecard with written feedback after the event.

What makes a great three-minute pitch?

Judges reward pitches that are delivered rather than read, ground market size in real demand instead of a percentage of a big number, substantiate every claim, make the team story explicit, and end with a clear ask. The most common gap is the team story.

How long should an investor pitch be?

At Pitch Slam, three minutes, followed by live questions. Most first meetings with investors give you about the same before the conversation takes over. A pitch that cannot land the problem, the solution, the team, and the ask in three minutes is not ready for a partner meeting either.

What mistakes do founders make when pitching investors?

The most common in June’s scorecards: reading the pitch instead of delivering it, framing the market as a percentage of a big number instead of real demand, making claims without evidence, and leaving out why this team wins. Each one is fixable in a week.

Should pre-revenue companies pitch at Pitch Slam?

Yes. Judges score problem, team, market, solution, and delivery, not revenue. Pre-revenue founders often gain the most because the feedback arrives before the fundraise, not during it.

Can first-time founders win Pitch Slam?

Yes, and they regularly do. Judges score the pitch in front of them, not the resume behind it. A first-time founder with a sharp problem, honest answers, and a clear team story beats a veteran on autopilot.

What do room winners get?

Amplification on LinkedIn, in the newsletter, and in the private WhatsApp community, a listing on the Pitch Slam Winners page, their scorecard, and a place in the December year-end final.

When is the next Pitch Slam and how do I register?

Tuesday, 21 July 2026, online. Register free at luma.com/pitchslamsummer.

What stage and sector should founders be?

Pre-seed through Series A, any sector. Angel Club is sector agnostic; individual angels carry their own investment theses.