IRVINE, Calif. - s4story -- Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN), Southern California's longest-standing founder-first support organization, proudly announces the winners of Survivor™ XII, hosted live during SoCal Startup Day at the Great Park in Irvine.

Survivor™ XII brought together 40+ founders, investors, and ecosystem partners for TCVN's signature high-speed pitch competition designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs become fundable — one round at a time.

Three Rounds. One Survivor. Endless Startup Energy.

Survivor™ XII followed TCVN's signature three-round format:

• Lightning Round — 30 seconds: More than 40 founders took the mic for a rapid-fire opener that stunned the judges.
• Semi-Finals — 90 seconds: The top contenders refined their message and battled for a spot in the finals.
• Final Round — 5 minutes: The strongest founders delivered full presentations and answered Q&A with a panel of VC's and Angel Investors.

After an afternoon of nonstop founder energy, three companies emerged victorious:

Survivor™ XII Champion — Air Kitchenz™
Turning commercial kitchens into accessible, on-demand cooking spaces — and earning the crowd's confidence from round one to the final bell.
Runner-Up — SoftSchool™
Empowering educators and families with simplified learning tools built for the next generation of students.
Third Place — CompleteSMS™
Helping small businesses streamline communication with powerful, easy-to-use SMS automation.

These three founders impressed the judges with clarity, traction, and vision — representing the best of SoCal's next generation of innovators.

Expert Panels Showcased the Strength of the SoCal Startup Ecosystem

SoCal Startup Day™ brought together some of the region's most active investors, accelerators, and ecosystem leaders across three powerhouse panels, a headline fireside chat, and a keynote that packed the room.

VC & Angel Investor Panel
The event featured a high-caliber lineup of early-stage funders committed to backing Southern California founders:

• Pat Hwang – President, TCA Venture Group OC
• Lee Gordon – Chairman, Pasadena Angels
• Venkatesh Sankaran – President Elect, TiE SoCal
• Xandra Laskowski – Founder CEO, OSEA Angel Investors
• Mark Kapczynski – UCLA Venture Fund
• Anshuman Sinha – Founder GP, SGC Angels

Incubator & Accelerator Panel

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Leaders from the region's top accelerators and innovation hubs shared insights on founder readiness, program selection, and what they look for before pulling a startup into their pipeline:

• Mike Hill – Managing Director, Octane
• Rory Moore – Founder CEO, EvoNexus
• Vivian Shimoyama – Long Beach Accelerator
• Sarah Solario – Chapman University
• Michael Sawitz – Founder CEO, FastStart.studio
• Brian McMahon – Founder CEO, Expert DOJO

Startup Success Business Panel
This panel highlighted the "operators behind the operators" — the advisors, educators, and community builders who support founders long after the pitch:

• Dave De Csepel – CEO, Alliance for SoCal Innovation
• Amy Wood – Pepperdine Business School
• Todd Herschberg – Founder CEO, OCEAN
• Scott Fox – Founder CEO, OC Startup Council
• Dave Coffaro – President, Irvine Greater Chamber
• Tony Crisp – President, TCVN

Fireside Chat
A crowd favorite: David Perry, legendary creator of Earthworm Jim and The Matrix video games, sat down with Michael Sawitz for an unfiltered conversation on creativity, risk-taking, and what makes great founders impossible to ignore.

Keynote
Wing Lam, Founder of Wahoo's Fish Tacos, delivered an energizing keynote on grit, branding, and building a legacy that lasts.

Startup Booths & Demo Tables
The festival-style startup showcase featured dozens of founders exhibiting new products, prototypes, and technologies. Investors, ecosystem leaders, and attendees spent the afternoon exploring the demo floor, meeting founders face-to-face, and discovering what's next in SoCal innovation.

A Community Built on Connection

"A decade ago, I participated in my first Survivor pitch event as a Founder, today, I am serving our community as the President of TCVN and Co-Hosting SoCal Startup Day. It's events like this that remind me of what's possible when our ecosystem shows up together," said Tony Crisp, President of TCVN and Founder CEO of CRISPx. "If we continue to collaborate, support Founders, and build community at this level, the economic and social impact for Southern California will be extraordinary."

Investors from across the region filled the space, taking notes, connecting with founders, and scouting for their next deal flow opportunities.

What the Community Is Saying

"Thank you to all this years attendees for making SoCal Startup Day a success!"

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— Steve Silver, Founder CEO, SoCal Startup Day

"Grateful for the opportunity to connect with founders, investors and leaders who are shaping the future of innovation in Southern California. Lots of inspiring conversations, fresh ideas and a reminder of how powerful this community can be when we come together. ."
— Teresa Tate, Co-Chair, U.S. Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Group, ReedSmith® LLP

"​The biggest takeaway: always pitch when the opportunity presents itself, and you never know how far you'll get!"
— Jonathan Alvarez, Founder, SoftSchool, Runner Up, Survivor™ XII

"There are days in the startup world that remind you why ecosystems matter, and yesterday was one of them. The room was filled with people who are not just building companies, but shaping the mindset and discipline that define the next decade of innovation in Southern California."
— Venkatesh Sankaran, President elect, TiE Angels

"I'm feeling energized after meeting so many awesome founders, old friends, and professionals."
— Matthew Rowett, Partnerships Manager, Qapita™

TCVN's Founders-First Movement

Survivor™ XII was made possible through the support of TCVN's mission-driven Board members, partners, and sponsors who continue to elevate Southern California's startup ecosystem:

Farrah N. Khan • Teresa M. L. Tate • Arabian Prince • Michael Sawitz • John Russo • Victor Macias • Clint Webb • Tom Miller • Ryan Tabloff • Steve Brown • Laurel Tolliver • Daniel Bremmer • Justin Sanders • Julia Vu • Lillian Victoria • Aaron Klein • Isabelle Bart • Cathleen Greiner • Brandon Carl • Bryan Ruef

About TCVN

Founded in 1984, Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN) is a nonprofit organization on a mission to helping early-stage entrepreneurs become fundable. Hosting signature events: PitchPolish™ workshops, InvestorReady™ workshops, Survivor™ pitch event, Investor Dating Game™, Wingz™ become an angel investor program, and Rocky™ founders choice awards. TCVN's core values: founders first, relationships over transactions, and community over competition, guide everything it does. Join our mission and become a lifetime member at www.tcvn.org/join.

TCVN is Proudly Sponsored by Reed Smith LLP
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions and regulatory matters. Our team of 3,000 people (including more than 1,600 lawyers) operate across more than 30 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to drive progress for our clients, for ourselves and for our communities. Our Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice is a trusted partner for innovators at every stage of the venture life cycle, and we partner with founders, start-ups, and investors to help build the next generation of market leaders. Learn more at www.reedsmith.com