⚡︎ Applications Now Open

Ready to take your startup to the next level?

Lightning Round V lands on August 7—where game-changing founders meet opportunity, and the boldest ideas get the boost they deserve. If you’re building the future, this is your stage.

Apply now

About Lightning Round V

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.

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

Traction – Real progress and momentum for startups

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

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

Who Should Apply?

If you’re a founder who thrives at the intersection of vision, execution, and rapid learning, this is your moment.

Apply now

We’re looking for:

Early-stage tech founders with proven traction
Startups at the inflection point of founder-led growth and repeatable and scalable growth
Sector-agnostic teams with a strong preference for:

Frontier tech
Climate tech
Future of work

What’s at Stake?

Top 5 startups

Winner

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

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

All finalists

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

how it
works

Apply now

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.