Five Startups Advance to TechCrunch Disrupt 2021 Battlefield Finals
Twenty startups compete for a $100,000 prize, but only five advance to the final pitch stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2021. The finalists include innovators in blockchain, battery recycling, African fintech, and stem cell manufacturing.
Twenty startups take the stage at TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield to compete for a $100,000 prize and the highly coveted Startup Battlefield Cup. After delivering six-minute pitch decks and facing tough questions from investors and executives, the field narrows down to five exceptional finalists: Adventr, Cellino, Koa, Nth Cycle, and Tatum. These top companies prepare for one final pitch on the last day of TechCrunch Disrupt 2021, where they face an extended nine-minute questioning session from Silicon Valley's top judges.
The finalists showcase remarkable diversity in their technological innovations. Tatum provides a blockchain infrastructure platform-as-a-service that allows developers to build blockchain products using simple API calls instead of managing their own nodes. Nth Cycle introduces a compact electro-extraction system that recycles battery waste into valuable minerals like nickel and cobalt without the massive footprint of traditional recycling methods.
Rounding out the group are Koa and Cellino, which target entirely different global markets. Koa brings essential banking services to Kenya through a savings app that already boasts 5,000 users since its April beta launch, with plans to expand its fintech product line. Meanwhile, Cellino automates stem cell production by combining artificial intelligence, machine learning, and laser technology to drastically reduce manufacturing costs and increase yields for vital cell therapies.