WhaleTank started with a simple question:
What’s a startup program we’d actually want to be part of?
Something that doesn’t feel like a waste of time. Something you walk away from with real takeaways—where participation itself feels worth it, not just winning.
That’s why we think of it as a tune-up workshop, not a competition.
So how do we do that?
We bring together the right people. Our steering committee and judges are made up of sponsors, investors and startup founders, who are actively exploring new ideas, and participate with the intention to help and guide, not just evaluate.
And we design every part of the experience to be useful. For the companies pitching, for the judges, for the mentors, and even for those observing. Each session is intentionally curated to encourage participation, meaningful feedback, and well-matched conversations.
“This kind of course guidance, driven by a thirty-minute conversation with people who’ve built and funded companies through these exact inflection points, is something very hard to get as a first-time founder. So thank you for doing what you do!”