Proof of Pitch Abu DhabiTwo tracks. Two days. One stage inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Crypto on day one. AI on day two. Pre-seed and seed only. Free to apply, no equity taken.
- The pitch
- 3–4 December 2026
- The venue
- Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Cultural District
- Applications
- Open now
- Entry
- Free. No equity taken.
Two tracks
One stage. Two days. Pick the day you belong on.
Day one · 3 December
Crypto and Digital Assets
DeFi, tokenisation, stablecoins, payments, infrastructure, DePIN, privacy, consumer.
5 min pitch, 5 min Q&A. One winner.
Day two · 4 December
AI
Agents, applied AI, decentralised AI, infrastructure, data, AI and crypto.
5 min pitch, 5 min Q&A. One winner.
- Pre-seed or seed. No institutional Series A closed.
- Under $3M raised in total.
- A live product, a testnet, or a working prototype.
Pick one track. You cannot enter both.
Why this competition
Ten minutes on stage. Two days in the room.
At most competitions the judges hear your pitch and go home. Here they stay for two days, in a capped room of 2,000, at the dinner and the afterparty. Ten minutes on stage is how you get their attention. The next 48 hours are what you do with it.
Filmed at Proof of Talk Paris, June 2026.
Who has judged here
Proof of Pitch juries, 2024 to 2026.
Rob Hadick
General Partner, Dragonfly
Diogo Monica
General Partner, Haun Ventures
Andy Tang
Partner, Draper Associates
Leeor Groen
Partner, Spartan
Keli Callaghan
Partner, Arrington Capital
Evan Feng
Partner, CoinFund
Alice Li
Partner, Foresight Ventures
Jacob Steeves
Co-Founder, Bittensor
This year's jury is announced shortly.Get the announcement
Investors who have taken part over the years
Where they are now
Seven winners. Five next rounds.
$37.5M raised after the stage across four rounds, and a $60M+ FDV launch.
- $15M
Redstone
Series A · 2023
Arrington, Spartan and Amber.
- $10M
Usual
Series A · 2024
YZi, Coinbase Ventures and Galaxy. Since become a unicorn.
- $5M
NodeOps
Seed · 2024 · DePIN track
Led by L1 Digital, with Blockchain Founders Fund and Double Peak.
- $7.5M
Accountable
Series A · 2025 · Main track
Pantera and OKX.
- $60M+
Synth
FDV · 2025 · Bittensor track
Powering forecasts for BTC, ETH, SOL, gold and tokenised equities.
ReplyCorp took the 2026 General track and Parthenon the Canton track, crowned in Paris this June. Their next rounds are the ones still to report.
What you get
Winning opens the room. Applying still pays.
The prize
If you win
- A speech on the main stage
- A seat at the investor dinner
- The afterparty
- Introductions to the Proof of Talk investor network
- Your deck circulated to the Proof of Talk speaker network
The partner prize stack for Abu Dhabi is announced with the jury. In Paris it has run to cloud and infrastructure credits, an audit, a media grant and go-to-market mentorship.
The floor
Every applicant gets the report.
Every team that applies receives a 12-page evaluation of their pitch from Pitch Scan, assessed against the same criteria the jury sees. Selected or not.
- Business model
- Team
- Market size
- Competitive landscape
- Fundraising readiness
Built by XVentures with the funds that judge here.
Apply
Pitch inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
3 and 4 December 2026. Free to apply, and no equity is taken.
Now
Applications open
Free, and no equity is taken.
Confirmed shortly
Applications close
One track per team.
3–4 December 2026
You pitch
Live on the stage at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Who can apply?
Pre-seed and seed teams with no institutional Series A closed, under $3M raised in total, and a live product, testnet or working prototype. You should be raising now or within six months.
Does it cost anything?
No fee, no equity, and no option on your round.
How many startups pitch?
A small number per track, selected from a global applicant pool. The exact figure is published with the finalists.
Who is on the jury?
Announced shortly. Past juries have included Dragonfly, Haun Ventures, Draper Associates, Spartan, Arrington Capital, CoinFund and Foresight Ventures.
Can I apply to both tracks?
No. Pick the one your company actually belongs in. Crypto and digital assets pitch on day one, AI on day two.
Do I have to be there?
Yes. You pitch live on stage. There are no remote slots.
Who sees my application?
The selection team and the track jury. Nothing goes to partners without your consent.
What if I am not selected?
You keep your Pitch Scan report, and you stay in the pool for the Paris flagship in June 2027.
What are the dates?
You pitch on 3 and 4 December 2026 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The application deadline is confirmed shortly.
Newsroom
Proof of Pitch news
Applications
Proof of Pitch opens for the inaugural Gulf edition
Winners
ReplyCorp and Parthenon take the 2026 titles at the Louvre Palace
The room
Inside the 2025 edition: 2,500 in the room at the Louvre Palace
Get the jury announcement
This year's panel is announced shortly. Finalists, the jury and the prize stack land here first.
Partners
Host the competition with us.
One main host per track, plus category partners. The prize stack is what makes a pitch worth flying for, and it is built with the people who supply it.
Partner the competition