WASHINGTON, April 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClimateTech Connect has announced the six finalists selected to compete in the 2nd Annual ClimateTech Connect Global Pitch Competition, taking place on the Main Stage on April 8th at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Convention Center. As the premier cross-sector conference for the climate adaptation and resilience market, a sector projected to grow from $500 billion to $1 trillion by 2030, ClimateTech Connect has made the Global Pitch Competition a centerpiece of its program, spotlighting the early-stage companies building the next generation of climate resilience solutions. The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the conference on April 9th.
| PITCH COMPETITION FINALISTS | |
| Founder | Company |
| Paige Roepers, CEO | Ocean Ledger |
| Elizabeth Foughty, Co-Founder | Orbital Sentry |
| Elyse Myrans, Co-Founder and CEO | Tenax ai |
| Moustafa Naiem, Founder and CEO | Resiliocs Intelligence |
| Bastian van den Bout, CEO | Fast Hazard |
| Roberta Leao, Co-Founder and CEO | Layer 1 Agriculture |
The Pitch Competition is sponsored by Celent, Miami Insurtech Advocates Hub, and Switch Pitch. Juan Mazzini, Global Head of Celent, will preside over the competition.
The Pitch Competition is one of several marquee events at the conference, which brings together cross-sector leaders from insurance, finance, government, and climate science for two days of keynotes, panels, TED-style talks, and live technology demonstrations. The event opens next week with a keynote fireside chat featuring Patrick “Rick” Keegan, Enterprise Chief Underwriting Officer, Travelers, and Dr. Sarah Kapnick, Global Head of Climate Advisory, J.P. Morgan. The conference concludes with a closing keynote featuring Stephane Hallegatte, Chief Economist for Climate, The World Bank Group, and Matthew Eby, Founder and CEO, First Street.
“The finalists in this year’s pitch competition represent exactly the kind of bold, solutions-driven thinking this industry needs,” said Megan Kuczynski, Founder and CEO of ClimateTech Connect. “Giving that innovation a platform, alongside world-class speakers and an unmatched network of leaders, is what ClimateTech Connect is all about.”
The complete agenda and full speaker roster are available at climatetechconnect.io/. Today, April 3rd, is the final day to register.
About ClimateTech Connect
Launched in 2025 by Founder and CEO Megan Kuczynski, ClimateTech Connect is where thought leaders, innovators, policymakers, and industry experts gather to advance climate adaptation and resilience strategies at scale. Taking place over two days in the Washington, D.C.-area each spring, the conference brings together cross-industry voices through masterclasses, keynotes, TED-style talks, tech demonstrations, pitch competition, a vibrant expo, immersive networking lunches, and an opening night cocktail reception.
Interested attendees can visit climatetechconnect.io.
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