Leveraging Deel’s global footprint, the program engages over 20,000 startups across seven global regions, culminating in a total investment pool of up to $15 million. Up to 100 regional winners receive $50,000 in investment each, while up to ten global champions receive a $1 million investment each to scale their visions.
Traditional venture capital is often constrained by local networks. The Pitch breaks these boundaries by combining a high-stakes tournament with expert review that analyses a broad range of data points to identify “high-signal” startups. With a final selection rate of just 0.05%, The Pitch is set to be more selective than the world’s leading startup accelerators.
Applications are open to seed-stage founders worldwide. The journey led to seven in-person regional finals in tech hubs, including Singapore, New York, London, and Berlin, before the global finale in May 2026.
The competition was presented by J.P. Morgan, with additional support and partnership from a16z, dLocal, Google, Orrick, Prodware, Ribbit Ventures, and Stripe.
