Congratulations to Olelo Intelligence Startup World Cup Hawaii Winner

Congratulations to Olelo Intelligence

Startup World Cup Hawaii Winner

The Startup World Cup is the largest global pitch competitions in the world with a $1M Grand Prize. Founded by Pegasus Tech Ventures, the competition spans 100+ regional qualifiers across 60+ countries, and East Meets West 2026 is the official Hawaiʻi Regional hosted with Blue Startups in Oahu, Hawai’i.

Congratulations to Miki Hardisty and Ed Moore of Olelo Intelligence for taking the top prize and earning the opportunity to represent Hawaiʻi on the global stage.

Startup World Cup Hawaiʻi Regional Pitch Competition

Bill Reichert (General Partner, Pegasus Tech Ventures)

Special Mahalo to our esteemed panel of judges:

Bill Bryant (General Partner, Threshold Ventures)

Makoto Takano (Founder, Forbes Japan)

Maya Rogers (President & CEO, The Tetris Company)

Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka (Partner, Geodesic Capital)

Summer Kim (Partner, Head of User Research at Stratminds)

Abra Hospitality — Founder: Josh Ellis (Maui) — AI guest intelligence and service orchestration platform that helps hotels deliver hyper-personalized service to every guest at every touchpoint.

Aloha Carbon — Founder: Joelle Simonpietri (Oahu) — Waste-to-energy platform that transforms organic waste and construction debris into renewable fuels and aviation fuel for Hawaiʻi enterprises.

Bayze — Founder: John Hoegger (Oahu) — AI growth platform for franchise brands that combines personalization, gamification, and loyalty to increase customer lifetime value.

EnkorWithUs — Founder: Junghoon Oh (South Korea) — Global accommodation marketplace connecting international students and workers with verified, mid-term housing and community support.

EverTreasure — Founder: Everine Jo (South Korea) — Cultural asset platform that transforms art, music, and entertainment IP into tradable real-world assets using AI valuation and blockchain.

Indicio — Founder: Heather Dahl (California) — Trust and identity orchestration platform providing verifiable biometric credentials and document verification for seamless, secure global digital interactions.

Olelo Intelligence — Founder: Miki Hardisty (Oahu) — AI-enabled voice analytics platform providing targeted sales guidance to auto repair shops so they can close more repair orders annually.

Stacklist — Founder: Kyle Hudson (Atlanta) — Social curation platform that makes it easy to save, organize, and share recommendations, combining human-powered discovery to cut through information overload.

TLALOC BLUE — Founder: Karim Honein (Okinawa) — AI-powered circular biowaste infrastructure transforming industrial waste into high-value sustainable resources for island economies.

VanaM — Founder: Sahar Ayachi (South Korea) — Advanced thin-film materials company developing next-generation semiconductor technologies for AI, quantum computing, and electronics applications.

Startup World Cup Hawaii Regional
by Pegasus Tech Ventures

Startup World Cup is a global pitch competition that gives startups a shot at international exposure and a chance to compete for a $1 million investment prize.

Pegasus Tech Ventures is a global venture capital firm that backs high-potential startups and connects them with corporate partners to help them scale.

Startup World Cup

Mahalo to our EMW 2026 Sponsors!

Title Sponsor

Pegasus Tech Ventures backs startups and corporate partnerships. – Bill Reichert

Gold Sponsors

HTDC supports startups scaling and staying in Hawaiʻi. – Trung Lam

Tetris is an iconic global game brand based in Hawaiʻi. – Maya Rogers

Silver Sponsors

Ulupono Initiative advances food, energy, transit resilience in Hawaiʻi. – Greg Gaug

Hawaii Angels helps founders access capital and connections. – Joey Katzen

BoxLadder helps bridge markets and partnerships across Korea. – Michael Choi

Bronze Sponsors

Morgan Stanley supports founders, investors, and growth. – Brandon Park

Stafford Capital Partners supports growth and investment. – Andy Betz

Vensure Employer Solutions supports payroll, HR, and compliance. – Curtis Denton

Ashley Lukens Consulting Consulting strategy and partnerships. – Ashley Lukens

Hawaiian Telcom provides Hawaiʻi fiber internet. – Jaime Garces

Community Sponsors

AEP Hawaii helps move projects forward. – Zack Hernandez

Blue Diamond Vacations creates Hawaiʻi experiences. – Darshaun Nadeau

Celitech eSIM Creator helps launch mobile connectivity. – Ahmad Al Fares

Elemental Impact helps scale climate tech. – Tiffany Huynh

Goodsill is a law firm serving Hawaiʻi. – Daniel Lam

Hawaii Pacific University delivers career-focused education. – Amy Nguyen-Chyung

Honolulu Beerworks is a local craft brewery. – Geoffrey Seideman

ICAN elevates Native Hawaiian storytelling. – Angela Laprete

JPG Media provides visual storytelling and production. – Jean-Paul Gedeon

Kim Venturous helps Korean startups expand globally. – Brian Kim

NEC X helps founders turn ideas into startups. – Nobu Morita

NMG Network Network creates custom media experiences. – Jason Cutinella

OluKai creates premium footwear inspired by Hawaiʻi. – Kerry Konrady

PACE helps UH students build entrepreneurship skills. – Sandra Fujiyama

ProService Hawaii supports HR and compliance. – Ben Godsey

Servco delivers auto services in Hawaiʻi. – Peter Dames

Surfbreak HNL brings Hawaiʻi’s startup community together. – R.J. Martin

ThriveHI builds Hawaiʻi’s startup and tech economy. Gigi Dawn

VToku Studios is a honolulu-based production company. – Jesse & Lani

Special Mahalo to all of these amazing people and organizations that made East Meets West 2026 possible.

Blue Startups Cohort Applications OPEN NOW

Applications for Blue Startups Cohort 18 are open! Blue Startups has a proven track record of empowering early-stage startups, providing them with invaluable resources, mentorship, and access to a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

12 week intensive program (July 20 – October 9)
A network of more than 250 mentors reaching from Asia to Silicon Valley
One-on-one assigned lead mentor based on sector experience
Up to $250,000 in direct investment
Access to 400+ investor network

Deadline to apply is May 15th. For more information and to submit your application go to bluestartups.com or apply here

Please help us recruit amazing founders. Our best companies come through our network. Feel free to make a warm introduction to David Holt by email.

Application Link