Entrepreneurship
TCVN Crowns Axyo Inc. Champ of Survivor ™ 14 as TiE Los Angeles Investor Summit Brings Founders and Investors Together in Newport Beach
Survivor 14 Group Photo
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Sept. 22, 2026 – PRLog — Fifty creators stepped up to the microphone. 3 left with Golden Skulls. At Survivor 14the genuine goal was larger than winning a pitch competitors.
It was getting creators into the best space.
Tech Coast Venture Network(TCVN), Southern California’s longest standing not-for-profit business owner-
The collaboration united 2 entrepreneurship neighborhoods around a shared concept: creators require more than phases. They require gain access to.
That approach was shown throughout the TiE Los Angeles Investor Summit, a two-day creator and financier experience developed around useful development, significant networking and lowering the obstructions in between business owners and chance. Survivor 14 turned into one of the Summit’s highlighted pitch competitors together with the TiE Women North America & & Europe Finals.
One Introduction Can Change a Company
Before the very first Survivor pitch, Tony Crisp, President of Tech Coast Venture Networkchallenged the space to believe in a different way about what it suggests to support a business owner.
“Don’t just listen for what you like about a founder’s pitch. Listen for how you can help them. One introduction can change their business.”
That concept represents Survivor’s bigger objective.
For more than 4 years, TCVN has actually worked to assist business owners end up being fundable by developing relationships in between creators, financiers, coaches, operators and neighborhood leaders.
Survivor compresses that objective into one high-energy experience.
There are no slides in the opening round. No intricate pitch deck. No long discussion.
Simply a creator, a microphone and 30 seconds to make somebody care.
And often, 30 seconds suffices to begin a relationship that alters what takes place next.
50 Founders Took the Mic
Survivor 14 started Thursday with an open-mic Lightning Roundproviding creators 30 seconds each to present themselves, their business and the issues they are working to fix.
The format is deliberately basic: provide creators an opportunity to be seen and heard.
3 business advanced from the Lightning Round to sign up with 7 preselected business in Friday’s Final Round.
There, finalists got 7 minutes to pitch followed by 3 minutes of live concerns from a financier evaluating panel.
After 2 days of competitors, 3 creators declared the Survivor 14 Golden Skulls.
Survivor 14 Champion– Axyo Inc.
Led by Founder and CEO Sandeep Bose Axyo Inc. builds AI-native preparation and early-warning tools for mid-market supply chains.
Runner-Up– Guidant BioTherapeutics
Led by creator Shreefāl MehtaGuidant BioTherapeutics is an oncology biotechnology business establishing cancer treatments through its exclusive FHAB albumin-binding shipment platform.
2nd Runner-Up– Pari Biosciences Inc.
Led by Founder and CEO Shital TripathiPari Biosciences uses AI and artificial biology to ladies’s health.
More Than a Pitch Competition
The creators who won Golden Skulls were just part of the story.
Throughout the TiE Los Angeles Investor Summit, business owners had access to financiers, operators and community leaders through 2 days of programs, panels, shows, networking and pitch chances.
The Summit was constructed around a basic facility: assisting creators progress through gain access to, discussions, exposure, collaborations and capital.
That made Survivor a natural fit.
The partnership in between TCVN and TiE Los Angeles extended that approach beyond the competitors itself, producing an environment where creators might continue discussions long after they stepped off the Survivor phase.
What the Community Is Saying
Sandeep Bose, Founder & & CEO of Axyo Inc.
reviewed the experience after winning Survivor 14:
“We also had something to celebrate: Axyo won the TCVN Survivor 14 pitch competition at the summit! It meant a lot to share what we’re building and receive that recognition. I’m grateful to be part of a team that makes this challenging journey so much fun.”
For Shital TripathiFounder & & CEO of Pari Biosciences Inc., an unforeseen 30-second pitch developed into a podium surface.
“I went to the TiE Los Angeles Investor Summit to pitch for the TiE Women’s program, and I came home with the TCVN Survivor 14 trophy. My takeaway: say yes to the room. The 30 seconds you didn’t plan for might be the ones that count.”
Survivor judge Abdi Sherif, Managing Director of gBETA gener8torstated:
“One of the strongest pitch events I have had the opportunity to judge and be a part of. I have no doubt that these startups will go on to become category leading companies and become a force for good in the world.”
Shankar Ram, Co-Founder of TiE Los Angelesincluded:
“Enjoyed the conference, especially TCVN Survivor 14. Honored to be on the judges’ panel, thanks for the opportunity.”
And Mike Hsieh, Founder of Gumshoe Venturesprovided creators a basic message:
“Thanks for having me, TCVN and TiE Los Angeles, and to all the founders that pitched. Keep going.”
Financiers Who Showed Up for Founders
Survivor 14 was supported by an evaluating panel covering the TiE network and Southern California’s start-up and financial investment neighborhood:
- Maeesha Merchant — EVP, COO & & CFO, Colburn
- Shankar Ram — Co-Founder, TiE Los Angeles
- Mike Hsieh — Co-Founder, Gumshoe Ventures
- Tom Sullivan — COO, AIR2O
- Kannan Ramachandran — President, TiE Phoenix
- Abdi Sherif — Managing Director, gBETA gener8tor
TCVN extends unique thanks to the TiE Global Network and TiE Los Angeles for bringing Survivor into the Investor Summit and assisting develop higher gain access to in between creators and the more comprehensive financier neighborhood.
The partnership was supported by Venkatesh Sankaran, Jerry Heikens, and Dhaval Kapadia of TiE Los Angeles.
The Alpaca? That’s a Longer Story.
Survivor has actually never ever looked just like a conventional pitch competitors.
Survivor 14 was no exception.
Previous Survivor individuals went back to support the next generation of rivals, consisting of Kamola Mir of Lidavex Inc.who shared an upgrade on the business’s development.
Alex D’Joncreator of BookMeow, likewise returned.
He brought Hope the alpaca
Since obviously 50 creators, 6 judges and 3 Golden Skulls weren’t enough.
Beyond the enjoyable, those returning creators represented something main to TCVN’s objective: the relationship does not end when the competitors does.
Survivor alumni stay part of a growing neighborhood of creators assisting creators.
Creators. Relationships Over Transactions. Neighborhood Over Competition.
Survivor 14 was enabled by the individuals who continue to appear for Southern California’s entrepreneurship neighborhood.
TCVN acknowledges Board members Aaron Klein, Lillian Victoria Ng, Miguel Caballero Pinto, Katherine Nguyen, Nick Achee, John Russo, Irzy Collado and Taiga Ryu for assisting bring Survivor 14 to life.
Unique thanks go to Chris Weber of ONLY ON THE RANCHO for recording the occasion, in addition to Scott Fox of the Orange County Startup Council, Cynthia West, Ph.D., and Joshua Y. Lee for their ongoing assistance of the creator neighborhood.
For TCVN, that neighborhood represents something bigger than any single occasion.
Next Stop: OC Tech Week
The momentum continues next month with OC Tech Weekuniting Orange County’s innovation, start-up and development neighborhoods for a week of separately arranged occasions, discussions and connections throughout the area.
TCVN welcomes creators, financiers, trainees, operators and neighborhood leaders to take part.
Sign Up With OC Tech Week at octechweek.com
About Tech Coast Venture Network
Established in 1984 Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN) is a not-for-profit entrepreneurship company with an objective to assistance creators end up being fundable
TCVN links business owners with the relationships, understanding and chances that can assist move their business forward through programs consisting of PitchPolish ™
TCVN is developed around 3 core worths:
Creators. Relationships Over Transactions. Neighborhood Over Competition.
Since in some cases the most important thing a business owner requires isn’t another pitch deck.
It’s the best intro.
Develop with us and end up being a life time member at www.tcvn.org/
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