Veteran- and Military Spouse-Owned Startups Compete for $40,000 in Cash Prizes
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — VetsinTech, the leading national non-profit dedicated to supporting veterans through tech-based programs and opportunities in education, employment, and entrepreneurship, today announced the top finalists for its 2026 Startup Pitch Competition. In its 6th year, the competition continues to attract innovative ideas and high-caliber startups from veteran, military, and spouse-owned businesses. J.P. Morgan returns as the sponsor of the annual competition.
The five finalists advance to the final round of VetsinTech’s startup pitch competition, where they will compete live for cash prizes at Andreessen Horowitz’s San Francisco office on August 20, 2026. The winners will be announced during the in-person pitch event.
The veteran- and military spouse-owned advancing to the final round are:
Hardshell – Protects AI training and RAG data from poisoning, leakage, and manipulation. https://www.hardshell.ai/Hyperios Technologies – Physics-aware sensor fusion for space and missile threat detection. https://www.hyperios.com/Supply Veins – AI procurement platform that turns supplier emails into execution workflows. https://www.supplyveins.com/Phinorm – Software that improves drone detection and classification on existing sensors. https://www.phinorm.com/Bandelier Technologies – Quantum navigation and long-range detection for GPS-denied defense operations. https://www.bandeliertech.com/
Eligibility for the contest requires that each business be an early-stage startup founded by veterans or military spouses. The judges will evaluate each startup based on innovation, product-market fit, and potential impact, spanning market scalability and real benefit to the market. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top winners as follows:
1st place prize: $25,0002nd place prize: $10,0003rd place prize: $5,000
“Every year this competition reminds us how much veteran and military spouse founders bring to the table. This year’s finalists rose above a deep field, with each one addressing a real problem the market has overlooked. We’re proud to give veterans and military spouses the national stage they deserve and are thankful to J.P. Morgan for standing with these entrepreneurs as they build the companies that will define what comes next,” said Katherine Webster, Founder and CEO of VetsinTech.
About VetsinTech
Based in San Francisco with more than 125,000 veterans and 28 chapters across the country, VetsinTech is the leading national non-profit devoted 100% to springboarding veterans into tech careers. VetsinTech harnesses the national technology ecosystem to help veterans returning from active military duty pursue new technology careers by applying their exceptional training, skills, and experience. Comprising technology industry leaders and former service members, VetsinTech is the only non-profit supporting veterans and military spouses through tech-based education, employment, and entrepreneurship programs. Learn more at www.VetsinTech.co.
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SOURCE VetsinTech
