Demo Day LA · Recap · May 14, 2026
Ten founders. One night in Los Angeles.
Conversation and inspiration at Demo Day LA in Venice Beach.
01 / The fireside
Before the pitches, a conversation.
The night opened with an unscripted conversation about raising capital and pitching in 2026.
- Guest
- Eric Pulier
- Interviewer
- Jeffrey Chhernick
Your pitch is really about a certainty. Not an arrogant certainty, but in your own body, this is what you’re doing. That’s an attractive quality to capital, because they know you’re gonna do it with or without them.
02 / The line-up
The cohort.
Billing 10 founders · one mic
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01 / 10Adi Ben-Shahar
Eyewear
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02 / 10Ryan Chesterfield
Industrial Automation
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03 / 10Yang Wang
Social Media
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04 / 10Eric Levine
Data Analysis
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05 / 10Andre Cabral
Social Media
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06 / 10Nicolaas Verheem
Aerospace
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07 / 10Maggie Silver
Consumer Goods
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08 / 10Umer Hussain
Travel
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09 / 10Michael Shang
Entertainment
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10 / 10Jake Banks
Creative Software
03 / Brought to you by
The companies who powered the night.
- Legal partner
Venture Best
Venture Best counsels early-stage founders and funds on entity formation, financing, pitches, investor intros, and team-building referrals. They have been in the seat.
Visit Venture Best - Fundraising partner
VC Match
Upload your deck and VCMatch builds your target list, ranking 4,000+ VCs by thesis, stage, and check size. Grade your pitch before you send it. 50% off with code NERDNEWS.
Visit VC Match - Media partner
Nolanx
An open platform for AI-generated film and series. Community-built, community-owned.
Visit Nolanx - HR partner
TriNet
Intuitive tools to automate HR: time tracking, leave requests, payroll, and benefits, so founders can spend their time on the work that matters.
Visit TriNet
04 / Your turn
Pitch the next one.
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