⚡︎ Applications Now Open

⚡︎ Applications Now Open

A stylized black and yellow lightning bolt above the words "LIGHTNING ROUND" in bold black text, with the word "ROUND" in smaller font underneath.

Where Frontier Tech and AI Founders Take Center Stage

Showcase your breakthrough startup to the world’s leading investors and tech visionaries. Apply now for a shot at $100,000 investment from Pegasus Angel Accelerator, gain exposure to industry giants like NVIDIA, and pitch live to a powerhouse judging panel.

About Lightning Round V

A woman in a black top and red skirt giving a presentation to a group of young people seated in white chairs, with a large screen displaying a slide about scaling pharma inventory and supply chain optimization.
A woman speaking into a microphone at a panel event with a digital screen behind her that reads "Welcome to Early-stage VC Panel & Networking Event". The audience is seated in white chairs, listening attentively.

Lightning Round is Pegasus Angel Accelerator’s signature pitch event designed for bold, early-stage founders.

This year, we’re raising the bar: not only do you get to pitch in front of a curated network of investors and operators, but the top 5 startups will win sponsorship into the Ignite Startup Academy Program.

3D bar chart with blue, red, and yellow bars on a white background

And the overall winner will be fast-tracked to the due diligence stage and considered for a $100k investment.

Illustration of a beige money bag with a yellow dollar sign and a tied top.

Traction – Real progress and momentum for startups

Access – Direct connection to capital, expertise, and networks that matter.

A contract with a handshake graphic on it, indicating an agreement signing.

Acceleration – Fast-tracked growth and opportunities, no wasted time.

Who Should Apply?

The Lightning Round Pitch Competition is built for founders who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with frontier technology and AI. If you’re leading an early-stage startup with real traction and a vision to transform your industry, this is your platform.

Apply if you are:

  • Building a frontier tech, AI-enabled, or deep technology solution with the potential for global impact

  • An early-stage founder or team with demonstrated traction and a scalable business model

  • Ready to accelerate growth with investor backing, mentorship, and access to top-tier networks

  • Seeking exposure to leading investors, operators, and partners such as NVIDIA, Morpheus Ventures, and Pegasus Angel Accelerator

We welcome applications from diverse teams and founders who thrive at the intersection of vision, execution, and rapid learning. If you’re ready to take your startup to the next level, apply now and step onto the stage where the future of tech is decided.

Judging panel

  • Howard Wright

    VP, Startup Ecosystem at NVIDIA

  • Lucas J. Pols

    GP, Pegasus Angel Accelerator

  • Howard Ko

    Partner, Morpheus Ventures

What’s at Stake?

Top 5 startups

Sponsored entry into Ignite Startup Academy—get hands-on support to achieve full traction.

A neon-colored digital illustration of a city skyline at night with skyscrapers, a river, and a silhouette of a person pointing towards the buildings. The word 'ignite' is prominently displayed in large white text, with smaller text above reading 'Cut Through the Noise with Pegasus.' Bright colors include purple, pink, blue, and teal.

Fast-tracked to due diligence and considered for a $100k investment check.

Winner

Image of Earth from space with the word 'ACCELERATE' and a flying unicorn logo above it.

All finalists

Exposure to a powerful network of investors, mentors, and fellow founders.

A digital, retro-futuristic scene with a grid pattern on the ground, starry sky, glowing semi-circle, and a stylized white Pegasus logo with wings and a saddle.

how it
works

  • Open to early-stage tech startups solving real problems with scalable, venture-backable solutions.

  • Applications will be narrowed down to the top 5 finalists based on (a) clear and growing market opportunity for their solution; (b) strong early-traction signals; and (c) founders’ domain expertise and execution ability.

  • Finalists will have 7 minute to pitch over Zoom, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.

    Judges evaluation criteria:

    (1) Pitch Clarity: can the founder clearly communicate the vision, problem and solution;
    (2) Investor Readiness: Is this startup at stage where investors would seriously consider funding?
    (3) Potential Impact & Scalability: Can this become a category-defining company?

  • The winning startup is fast-tracked to Pegasus’ Accelerate Due Diligence round, giving them direct access to potential investment, mentorship, and our national investor network.

    Besides also receiving $1M in exclusive perks package, and being spotlighted in our monthly investor and LP newsletter and social media channels.

Past Lightning Round Winners

  • A logo with a pill bottle containing a red 'Rx' symbol, an arrow pointing to the right, and the word 'Post' in large teal letters.

    RX Post

    Winner of Lightning Round I

  • ReaKey logo with the word 'ReaKey' in white text on a blue background, featuring up arrow integrated into the letter 'a'.

    RealKey

    Winner of Lightning Round II

  • Logo with the word 'stiiira' in white lowercase letters on a purple background.

    Stiira

    Winner of Lightning Round III

  • PlayMaker logo with black text and an arrow pointing to the right

    Play Maker

    Winner of Lightning Round IV

  • A digital sign displaying the word 'LOADING...' with an incomplete battery icon below it, on a dark background.

    TBD

    Winner of Lightning Round V

Current & Previous Participating Firms

  • Crosscut Ventures
  • Hawke Ventures logo with a red eagle and black text.
  • Black and white vector of the word 'VOTE' with a checkmark replacing the letter 'O'.
  • Mucker Capital logo with a stylized letter 'M' inside a circle, next to the text 'Mucker Capital'.
  • Verizon Ventures logo in red text on a white background.
  • Black background with white text that reads 'PRECCELERATOR' and a circular, geometric design surrounding the letter 'O'.
  • Logo of the game 'Plug and Play' with stylized text in black, blue, red, and green.
  • Logo for Protea Labs featuring a stylized pink protea flower with green leaves and the company name below.
  • Greycroft logo in black text on a white background.
  • Logo for Social Start S, featuring interconnected cubes in shades of blue and gray.
  • A logo featuring a barcode above the text 'TenOneTen'.
  • Techstars logo with a green star above blue mountains and the word 'techstars' in lowercase letters.
  • Sway Ventures logo in black and white text
  • Logo for Founders Boost, a global tech startup pre-accelerator, featuring a stylized rocket and gear icon with the words 'Founders Boost' and the tagline 'A Global Tech Startup Pre-Accelerator'.
  • Synchony logo with black text and yellow graphic elements
  • A black and gray logo with the text 'GRID 10' displayed in bold capital letters.
  • Silhouette of the Los Angeles skyline with the text 'Los Angeles Venture Partners' below.
  • Pasadena Angels logo with the slogan "It's more than the money" and TCA Venture Group logo indicating membership.
  • The logo of TCA Venture Group featuring stylized golden lines resembling a flame or wave, with the text 'TCA Venture Group' in blue.
  • Logo for Meda Angels featuring a large blue 'M' and 'A', a stylized human figure with multiple arms, an EKG line, the text 'Meda Angels', and smaller text indicating a connection to TCA Venture Group.
  • Logo featuring concentric circles with a black dot inside, and the text 'Innovent Capital Group' below.
  • Animated logo for 2045 Ventures with the numbers '2', '0', '4', '5' in large bold font, with 'VENTURES' written below.
  • The word "HALOGEN" in large blue letters with a stylized circle around the letter "O," featuring plus and minus signs inside.
  • Logo for Steamwork Ventures with stylized text and a blue spherical icon.

  • These are the five best companies I've seen in the last two years. I would take them all into diligence.

  • The Lightning Round gave us rapid access to a pipeline of startups we would never have found on our own.

  • I walked away with more actionable insights in one hour than from weeks of traditional demo days

  • The curated selection meant we saw only the most investment-ready startups.

  • I’ve attended many pitch events, but Lightning Round’s energy and quality stand out.

For startups:

Want to pitch?

For investors:

Want to access?