29 OCTOBER 2026 · 15:00 MADRID · ONLINE
A free pitch programme for Web3 founders.
Get your private deck review. Come back sharper.
Every valid applicant gets feedback. Up to 10 teams improve their deck and pitch live to a human jury and the talking Unicorn.
YOUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM A UNICORN.
THE PITCH GAUNTLET FORMAT
A private review to find the gaps. An improvement round to work on them. A live show to put your new pitch to the test.
Explore the programmeMeet the teams and see the results of the previous edition. Madrid’s programme, panel and prizes are described below.
MADRID EDITION · 48-SECOND PROMO
We brought founders and the Unicorn together in Barcelona. Madrid adds a dedicated improvement round and a human judging panel.
FOR EVERY VALID APPLICATION
The strengths and evidence in your deck.
Unclear claims and missing information.
Questions worth answering before you pitch.
Report + selection decision
Within 24 hours of applying.
Hear the Unicorn ask about paying customers, then listen to the founder’s answer.
8 teams pitched in Barcelona. All eight received individual reports.
THE MADRID PIT STOP
For selected teams, the first review is the beginning. Use it to revise your deck. On air, the Unicorn brings the changes into the conversation.
04–28 OCT
Upload your English PDF by 28 October, 23:59. Every valid application gets a private report and selection decision within 24 hours.
AFTER SELECTION
Up to 10 teams revise their deck using the feedback, confirm their place and rehearse. A reserve team can replace a withdrawal.
29 OCT · 15:00 MADRID
Present your improved pitch. Answer the panel’s questions. The Unicorn hosts, and the panel scores after your pitch.
THE ORIGINAL CLAIM
“We make Web3 easier for everyone.”
An ambitious statement, but the customer and the problem are still unclear.
All deadlines use Europe/Madrid time. Reports and selection decisions arrive within 24 hours of a valid application; applications close on 28 October, 23:59. Selected teams revise their deck and complete a technical rehearsal before the show.
Up to 10 projects. An online-first show hosted by Anonymous Unicorn, with a planned Madrid villa broadcast hub.
No interruptions during your pitch. The Unicorn’s questions fit inside the shared Q&A window.
Planned panel from funds and ecosystems. Each eligible judge and Unicorn contributes one equally weighted score. Names will be announced after confirmation.
YELLOW PRIZE · TOP THREE
One month.Yellow’s standard market-making package for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, with the service fee waived.
Scope, eligibility, external costs and activation terms await Yellow’s final confirmation.
R2COPILOT PRIZE · TOP FIVE
AI-token support for each of the five highest-ranked projects in the final live competition, subject to the prize requirements.
AI tokens per month, per winning project
Prize-specific requirements, separate from the event application criteria. Activation, eligible models and unused-token rules will be confirmed in the prize schedule.
Full prize terms will be published before activation.Your private report helps you prepare. The live round is scored separately, after your three-minute pitch and Q&A, using the five equally weighted criteria below.
Each evaluator scores every criterion from 1 to 10. The final result is the average of valid live scores, separate from the private prescreen ranking. EvalLens adds no organizer score.
A specific customer, a real problem and a clear reason it matters.
A clear solution, supported by a product, prototype, demo or other verifiable work.
A credible market, customer profile and route to reach and retain customers.
Evidence of progress and a team with a realistic plan to deliver.
A clear three-minute pitch and direct, useful answers to the panel.
Early-stage and pre-revenue Web3 teams are welcome. You need a product, prototype or other verifiable work, an English PDF deck, a working project link and an authorized contact.
Apply to pitchFOR PARTNERS
Promo video, Unicorn-hosted integrations, between-pitch moments and approved recap placements.
EVALLENS
Event format & EvalLens integration
Talk to Yaroslav yaroslav@evallens.ioLinkedIn
Yes. Every valid application received by 28 October, 23:59 Europe/Madrid gets a private report and selection decision within 24 hours. A report does not guarantee a live slot.
A Web3 project with a working product, prototype or verifiable artifact; a project name, summary and stage; an authorized contact; a working website, product, repository or official-profile link; and a readable English PDF deck. Early stage, no revenue or a weak deck do not make an application technically invalid. Technical issues can be corrected before the deadline.
No. Participation and viewing are primarily online. The planned Madrid villa is a broadcast hub, and remote speakers can join. The live show starts on 29 October 2026 at 15:00 CET (14:00 UTC). The exact venue and joining instructions will be confirmed separately.
Each of the top five projects in the verified final live ranking is offered 100 million AI tokens per month for six months, subject to having a registered legal entity, its own company website and an email address on that domain. This is a prize-specific requirement; event participation remains free. Activation, eligible models and unused-token rules will be published in the prize schedule.
Yes. Applying, receiving the private review and participating in the selected live programme are free for founders.
Judges receive the decks, report and suggested questions to prepare. Official scores are entered after your live pitch and Q&A. A judge may leave the initial score unchanged or revise it until the common scoring lock after all pitches. The chair announces that time before the show; other scores remain hidden until it closes. Prescreen scores are for selection and are not the final live result.
A selected team must confirm its place, submit the revised deck and complete the technical check. If it withdraws or is not ready, the next eligible, ready project in the reserve ranking may be invited.
Your deck can be reviewed by the jury, fund representatives involved in the evaluation, the evaluation team, EvalLens staff and EvalLens AI agents. Your analytical report is not published automatically. If selected for the live programme, your pitch and designated deck will be broadcast and recorded. Under the Event Terms, once accepted, EvalLens and Yellow Global Limited may also publish the designated deck or excerpts whether or not your team receives a live slot. Remove confidential and unnecessary personal information before submitting. Separate investor introductions, report excerpts, testimonials and model training require the permissions described in the Event Terms and Event Privacy Notice. New permissions do not apply retroactively to earlier submissions.
Pitch Gauntlet is a separate event planned during MERGE Madrid. No official MERGE partnership or connection to its startup contest is implied.
A private report for every valid applicant. The pit stop and live programme are for selected teams.
Free private feedback for every valid applicant.
A live stage for up to ten teams.
English PDF required · 20 MB maximum.
Deadline: 28 October at 23:59 · Europe/Madrid.
Event documents: Participation Terms and Event Privacy Notice.
Read before applying. Event Terms require recorded acceptance; viewing these documents or signing in does not grant new publication or optional-use permissions. Earlier submissions retain their existing permissions.
For the existing submission flow, review the Platform Terms and Platform Privacy Policy.
