Startup Arena · Recap

Startup Arena 005, September 23, 2026

Nerdstage presents a competition-style startup pitch experience in Santa Monica

The Dudilagent pitch: the presenter on stage facing the panel, seated in a row of chairs at the side of the stage, under the house lights.

Santa Monica 5 to 9 PM

Prize winners

On-Stage Pitches

Panel

  • Mark Goldston
  • Jeffrey Chernick
  • Josh Resnick
  • Anastasia Trofimova
  • Ross Richmond
Members of the panel seated in a row, laughing, one holding a microphone.
Black and white: members of the panel seated in a row, one gesturing while speaking.
Black and white: a member of the panel speaks into a microphone, seated between others in the row.

The startups

  1. The CoCart App pitch: the presenter, in a CoCart shirt, speaks into a microphone.
    The CoCart App pitch: the presenter in a CoCart shirt, framed by the heads of the audience.

    CoCart App

    Bulk Price Sharing

    Rodney Stearns

  2. The Cislunar Transport pitch: the presenter holds a microphone in front of a slide on roll control and the baseline tether.

    Cislunar Transport

    Lunar Sky Crane

    Rand Simberg

  3. The THEO pitch: the presenter speaks in front of a slide showing the days of a week, audience heads blurred in the foreground.
    Black and white: the THEO presenter at a microphone on stage beside the Nerdstage logo, the audience seated in the foreground.

    THEO

    AI co-parenting sidekick

    Andrea Alegria

  4. The Soundcheck Live pitch: the presenter speaks into a microphone, one hand raised, in front of a yellow lit screen.

    Soundcheck Live

    Operating System for Live Events

    Ben Ikwuagwu

  5. The NEXT TFX pitch: the presenter points at a slide showing next-tfx.com.
    Black and white: the NEXT TFX presenter points across the stage, microphone in hand.

    NEXT TFX

    Next-gen Desalination

    Eric Hoek

  6. The Dudilagent pitch: the presenter smiles at the microphone in front of a slide reading users opened portal tabs, the audience in the foreground.

    Dudilagent

    AI-powered investment intelligence platform

    Humphrey Nartey

Knowledge Sharing

Fireside: Selling the Dream

How iconic brands get built, and sold.

Special guest
Mark Goldston
  • 5 public companies
  • $3B in returns
  • 135 patents
Interviewer
Jeffrey Chernick Exited founder · High Five Energy Collective
Mark Goldston and Jeffrey Chernick in the fireside under the projected Startup Arena title and Selling the Dream, the audience in the foreground.
Black and white: the fireside on stage, one guest gesturing with a microphone while the other listens.
A fireside guest answers into a microphone from a stool, a listener blurred in the foreground.

Prize winners

  • Soundcheck Live

    Operating System for Live Events Ben Ikwuagwu

  • NEXT TFX

    Next-gen Desalination Eric Hoek

Founder + Investor Networking

The room after the program: attendees standing in groups beside rows of white chairs.
A crowd mingling, two people greeting each other with outstretched arms in the middle.
Two attendees in animated conversation under colored stage light.
Four attendees talking in a circle, one holding a white bag.
Black and white: an attendee in conversation in front of a slide listing public companies, $3B in returns and 135 patents.
Three attendees talking and smiling after the program.
Three attendees in conversation by a dark wall, one holding a plate.
Black and white: a group in conversation by a table with water bottles, one gesturing while talking.
Attendees in conversation, one in glasses smiling as another talks.
Black and white: four attendees standing in conversation near the stage, one pointing.
Attendees talking in pairs and groups among the chairs.
Black and white: two attendees standing side by side in front of the screen.

Sponsored by

Next Arena · 006

Next Arena · 006

Santa Monica · 5:30–9PM

Register on Luma → (opens in a new tab) nerdstage.com/startup-arena