The Startup Battlefield at this year’s JS Disrupt event has come to a thrilling conclusion, with five finalists emerging from a pool of thousands of applicants. These finalists were carefully selected by the JS editorial team, who narrowed down the field to the top 200 companies that showcased their innovations on the Disrupt Stage.
After receiving feedback from expert judges, the five finalists have been chosen to compete for the grand prize of $100,000 in equity-free funding and the prestigious Startup Battlefield Cup. The final showdown will take place at 11:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday, where the finalists will pitch their ideas one last time. If you can’t attend the event in person, you can catch the finals on the livestream on the JS website.
Without further ado, let’s introduce the JS Startup Battlefield finalists for 2025:
1. Charter Space: Charter Space is revolutionizing the aerospace industry with its dev tool for aerospace engineers. The company’s mission extends beyond just software development, aiming to become a fintech company for space. By capturing manufacturing and test data directly from the source, Charter Space is enabling faster, cheaper, and more reliable risk evaluation for spacecraft insurance while paving the way for innovative funding options for space companies.
2. GlÄ«d: GlÄ«d, pronounced as “Glide,” is simplifying the intricate process of transporting shipping containers from ships to freight trains. With a range of hardware and software solutions, GlÄ«d is reducing costs and accelerating the transportation of containers to their final destinations. Their flagship product, GliderM, is a hybrid-electric vehicle designed to move containers to the railhead efficiently.
3. MacroCycle: MacroCycle is tackling the issue of plastic waste by offering a cost-effective solution to recycle plastic material. By extracting synthetic fibers from waste textiles and transforming them into macrocycles, the startup is making recycled plastic as affordable as virgin material. Unlike traditional chemical recycling methods, MacroCycle’s innovative process retains the integrity of polymer chains while eliminating contaminants.
4. Nephrogen: Nephrogen is a biotech startup leveraging AI and advanced screening techniques to develop a specialized delivery system for gene-editing medicines targeted at kidney cells. Founder Demetri Maxim’s personal experience with polycystic kidney disease inspired the development of a delivery mechanism that is 100 times more efficient than existing FDA-approved vehicles. Nephrogen’s innovative approach holds promise for improved treatment outcomes in kidney-related conditions.
5. Unlisted Homes: Unlisted Homes is revolutionizing the real estate market by providing detailed profiles of homes that are not yet listed for sale. Utilizing public records of 21 million homes, Unlisted Homes offers comprehensive information similar to traditional real estate listings platforms. Instead of facilitating transactions, the company plans to offer sponsorship opportunities to real estate agents for individual ZIP codes, positioning them as local experts on every home within their designated area.
These five finalists represent the cutting edge of innovation and entrepreneurship in their respective industries. Stay tuned for the final showdown to see which startup will emerge victorious in this year’s JS Startup Battlefield.
