Recognizing Innovation and Impact: Peachscore + Dealum’s Winning Startups

At Peachscore, we believe data and technology should do more than track startup success; they should help build it. Our mission is to empower founders everywhere with access, insight, and opportunity. Competitions like the Peachscore + Dealum Startup Pitch Competition bring that mission to life by connecting visionary entrepreneurs with investors, partners, and a global community that fuels growth. These events give founders a platform to showcase their innovation, gain meaningful feedback from industry experts, and build relationships that accelerate their next chapter.

“Our goal has always been to create opportunities that help founders everywhere turn ambition into action,” said Peyman Shahmirzadi, Co-Founder and COO of Peachscore. “This competition showcased that mission in motion, with founders demonstrating creativity, resilience, and a clear drive to make a meaningful impact. We are deeply grateful to our judges for dedicating their time and expertise to this process and for offering valuable insights that help shape the next generation of startups. Their thoughtful feedback and commitment to supporting early-stage founders are what make collaborations like this truly powerful.”

In collaboration with Dealum and co-sponsored by Carta and HubSpot, the Peachscore + Dealum Startup Pitch Competition brought together exceptional founders. After an inspiring round of pitches and voting, the winners have now been announced.

‍

Our Panel of Industry Experts

Behind every great competition is a team of experts who bring experience, perspective, and a passion for innovation. This year’s judging panel featured leaders from Dealum, Carta, and HubSpot for Startups, each playing a key role in shaping today’s startup ecosystem. Together, they contributed deep expertise in fundraising, accelerator operations, investment partnerships, and founder support.

Representing Dealum, Carta, and HubSpot for Startups respectively, Darja Ogorodnik, Neil Shah, and Dan Gallagher brought global insight and hands-on experience across every stage of the entrepreneurial journey—from helping founders raise capital and scale, to connecting startups with investors and growth partners worldwide.

• Darja Ogorodnik
  ‍Darja Ogorodnik is the Business Project Manager at Dealum, a leading investment management platform connecting early-stage startups with investors worldwide. For the past two years, Darja has led Dealum’s founder-focused initiatives, building tools, programs, and opportunities designed to help startups raise capital more efficiently. Before joining Dealum, she spent five years running accelerator programs and managing startup selections at a global accelerator, giving her deep experience in evaluating and supporting early-stage ventures.

• Neil Shah
  ‍Neil Shah leads Accelerator and Early-Stage VC Partnerships at Carta, bringing years of experience supporting founders and investors across the startup ecosystem. Having previously founded a company, run an accelerator, and invested in more than 35 startups as an angel investor, Neil brings a well-rounded perspective on every stage of the entrepreneurial journey.

• Dan Gallagher
  ‍Dan Gallagher is the Head of South and West Partnerships at HubSpot for Startups, where he leads partnerships with venture capital firms, accelerators, and entrepreneurial organizations to support early-stage founders across the United States. Before joining HubSpot, Dan managed partnerships at Capital Factory, a leading accelerator and venture group, and co-founded a startup with his brother-in-law. Earlier in his career, he worked as a professional fundraiser, raising capital for both private and public funds, giving him a unique perspective on the intersection of startup growth, fundraising, and strategic partnerships.

Announcing the Pitch Competition Winners

This pitch competition showcased an impressive lineup of founders, each bringing forward unique ideas and bold visions for the future. After a series of compelling presentations and thoughtful Q&A sessions, the judging panel voted for the ones that stood out for their innovation, clarity, and potential for real-world impact.

• Grand Prize Winner – Noro | Founder: Tommaso Trionfi
  Life-size, fully immersive video conferencing connecting workplaces as if in the same room.
  • $2,000 CASH PRIZE
  • 1:1 Meeting With Dealum
  • Noro Product Offer added to the Peachscore Perks Marketplace & Catalog

•  2nd Place – Mr. Turtle | Founder: Benjamin Arts
  Tackling the single-use plastic packaging problem through our innovative refill stations
  • $500 Amazon Gift Card
  • Free Peachscore Annual Membership Renewal
  
  

•  3rd Place – VIMooZ Cinema | Founder: Terry Proctor
  A self-distribution platform empowering indie filmmakers to monetize their films in multiple ways.
  • $250 Gift Card
  • Free Peachscore Annual Membership Renewal
  
  

• 4th Place – Food for Health | Founder: Adam G. Southam
  Revolutionizes food decisions by providing simple, science-backed certainty about products.
  • $100 Gift Card
  • Free Peachscore Annual Membership Renewal
  
  

• 5th Place – Aecho | Founder: Adam Hocek
  Unlocking the emotional and personality signals hidden in voice to power smarter, more human decisions.
  • $100 Gift Card
  • Free Peachscore Annual Membership Renewal
  
  

• 6th Place – TraVis ASM | Founder: Aaron Birnbaum
  An Attack Surface Management (ASM) platform that identifies, assesses, and manages security risks across an organization's digital attack surface.
  • $50 Gift Card
  • Free Peachscore Annual Membership Renewal
    ‍

At Peachscore, we are proud to champion this community of doers, dreamers, and 

innovators who are shaping the future through action and purpose. We extend our sincere gratitude to our judges for sharing their time, expertise, and thoughtful insights, and to our partners at Dealum, Carta, and HubSpot for their continued collaboration and support. Most importantly, we congratulate all the founders who participated in the Peachscore + Dealum Startup Pitch Competition. Your passion, creativity, and perseverance inspire the entire startup ecosystem. Together, we will continue building platforms where innovation knows no borders and every founder has the opportunity to grow, connect, and thrive.

‍

‍

‍