Proof of Pitch Returns to the Louvre and Names Its 2026 Winners
PARIS — Proof of Pitch returned to the Louvre Palace on June 2–3 for its fourth edition, spotlighting early-stage innovators before one of Web3’s strongest investor juries. After live on-stage pitches, ReplyCorp won the General Track, and Parthenon took the Canton Track.
Event Overview
Organized by X Ventures, Proof of Pitch is the official startup competition of Proof of Talk. This year’s edition was hosted by Spectrum Nodes with BPI France as co-host and Hecto as title partner. Security and audits were provided by Softstack, cloud support by OVHcloud, media by Cointelegraph, market making by Digital Liquidity Partners, ecosystem support by Octant, and communications by INPUT Global.
Known as the “Davos of Web3,” Proof of Talk brings roughly 2,500 senior leaders in digital assets, finance, and policy to the Louvre each year. Within that setting, Proof of Pitch gives founders a direct path to investors and industry operators.
Tracks, Finalists, and Juries
Fifteen finalists advanced to the stage after a global selection process and competed across three tracks: General, Canton, and Bittensor.
- General Track Jury: Rob Hadick (Dragonfly), Diogo Mónica (Haun Ventures), Evan Feng (CoinFund), Matthew Felice Pace (Simply Staking & Spectrum Nodes), Joe Bruzzesi (Raptor Digital), Simon Dedic (Moonrock Capital), Alice Li (Foresight Ventures), Andy Tang (Draper Associates)
- Canton Track Jury: Leeor Groen (Spartan), Keli Callaghan (Arrington Capital), Danish Chaudhry (Paper VC), Yannis Varelas (5North)
- Bittensor Track Jury: Jacob Steeves (Bittensor), Marcus Graichen (taostats), Mike Grantis (General Tensor), Chris Zacharia (Bitstarter)
General Track Winner: ReplyCorp
ReplyCorp won the General Track with a product that transforms social replies into storefronts. Every comment, reply, or post can become a measurable sale—no links or discount codes required. The team’s native AI workflows route engagement directly into commerce, streamlining the path from interaction to conversion. ReplyCorp is live on Base with its REPLY token via Virtuals Protocol and secured $200,000 from three strategic angel investors during the event.
Canton Track Winner: Parthenon
Parthenon earned the Canton Track title with a credit product tailored for institutions. It delivers undercollateralized, fixed-rate lending for digital assets, combining custody-native collateral, full legal recourse under a GMSLA framework, and privacy-preserving execution. The founders bring experience from private credit, Big Law, commodities, and DeFi. Parthenon completed a Quantstamp audit and is onboarding more than $230 million in institutional commitments and 9,000 BTC on its private mainnet, with a seed round ahead.
On-Stage Insights
“My four Ps for founders are patience, persistence, positivity, and Proof of Talk,” said Andy Tang, Partner at Draper Associates. “The first three get you ready. The last one gets you in the room with the people who can write the check.”
Matthew Felice Pace, CEO of Spectrum Nodes, added: “The hardest part for an early team is getting in front of the right investors. That is what this stage does. ReplyCorp and Parthenon both walked in with real products and walked out with the kind of attention that changes a company’s trajectory.”
Prize Package and Momentum
The 2026 prize package totaled $1 million, combining Spectrum Nodes infrastructure support, AWS cloud credits, OVHcloud credits, a Softstack audit, go-to-market mentorship from Simplicity Group, and media support from Cointelegraph.
Past winners have converted stage success into meaningful rounds: Redstone raised a $15 million Series A in 2023, Usual followed with $10 million in 2024, and Accountable secured $7.5 million from Pantera and OKX last year. Proof of Pitch continues to fulfill its mission—putting early conviction in front of decision-makers who can fund it—giving this year’s winners a meaningful head start.
About Proof of Talk
Proof of Talk is an annual gathering at the Louvre Palace in Paris, known as the “Davos of Web3.” It convenes senior leaders across digital assets, finance, policy, and media under one roof, featuring a journalist-led agenda and back-to-back sold-out editions. Beyond the public program, the event facilitates partnerships, real-time product feedback, and in-person discussions that move the industry forward.
About Proof of Pitch
Proof of Pitch is the official startup competition of Proof of Talk, staged at the Louvre Palace. With more than 600 vetted startups and 150 global investors across its editions, and alumni who have raised significant follow-on rounds, it has become a launchpad for early-stage Web3 founders.
About X Ventures
X Ventures is a Germany-based digital assets investment fund focused on supporting entrepreneurs in the Web3 industry. In addition to investing, the firm founded X-School to provide accessible education for future leaders worldwide.
