A New Stage for Early-Stage Innovation

Cloudflare is introducing The Cold Start, a live startup competition designed to provide early-stage companies with a high-profile platform to present their work. The initiative will take place at Cloudflare Connect in San Francisco, offering five selected companies five minutes on stage to explain their products and vision to a large audience of industry professionals.

The competition is part of Cloudflare's 16th-anniversary celebrations, reflecting the company's history of emerging from a similar opportunity. In 2010, Cloudflare presented at TechCrunch Disrupt, a moment that significantly accelerated its growth and public recognition. The new event aims to replicate that transformative potential for the next generation of technology builders.

Competition Structure and Judging

The competition format is intentionally concise, requiring each finalist to deliver a five-minute pitch followed by three to five minutes of questions from the judges. The panel consists of Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare, and Michelle Zatlyn, co-founder and President of Cloudflare. These leaders will evaluate the pitches based on the clarity of the vision and the potential impact of the technology.

Cloudflare emphasizes that it is less interested in polished presentation decks than in the substance of the idea. The company seeks to understand what changed in the world to make the product possible and why the founders are uniquely positioned to build it. This approach prioritizes genuine innovation over standard startup tropes or overly complex financial projections.

Prize Package and Recognition

The winner of The Cold Start will receive a grand prize package valued at $500,000 in Cloudflare credits. In addition to the financial support, the winning startup will take over a billboard in San Francisco, providing significant brand visibility. The team will also receive an invitation to Cloudflare's VIP speakers dinner, offering networking opportunities with key figures in the technology sector.

Beyond the grand prize, Cloudflare will cover the travel costs for all five finalists to fly to San Francisco for the competition. This support ensures that geographic location does not prevent promising startups from participating in the event or accessing the resources needed to scale their infrastructure.

Eligibility and Application Process

The competition is open to ambitious early-stage startups that have raised less than $10 million in funding. Cloudflare has deliberately kept the definition of eligible companies broad to accommodate a wide variety of business models and technological approaches. Applications are currently open and will close on Friday, October 2, 2026.

Applicants are asked to provide a one-line pitch, an explanation of what they are building and why, and details regarding their current funding and revenue stage. The application also requires candidates to explain how Cloudflare fits into their technical stack, allowing the organizers to assess the practical integration of the company's services into the startup's operations.

Supporting the Developer Ecosystem

The launch of The Cold Start aligns with Cloudflare's broader strategy to support small teams building large-scale software. Through Cloudflare for Startups, eligible early-stage companies can receive up to $350,000 in credits for one year. This program is designed to lower the barrier to entry for global compute, storage, and security capabilities that were previously accessible only to major technology firms.

Cloudflare argues that ambitious software increasingly depends on infrastructure that must be available from day one. By expanding its developer platform, the company aims to allow small teams to focus on product development rather than becoming experts in global infrastructure management. This approach supports the rapid iteration and scaling that modern startups require to succeed in competitive markets.

Event Context and Industry Presence

The Cold Start will take place on Monday, October 19, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. PDT at Moscone West in San Francisco. The event is a central component of Cloudflare Connect, which brings together developers, founders, and industry leaders to discuss the future of the Internet. The conference lineup includes prominent figures such as Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Bill Gross, and Adam Grant.

By reserving part of the main stage for these young companies, Cloudflare highlights the importance of early-stage innovation in shaping the technological landscape. The event serves as a reminder that significant breakthroughs often come from small groups of people who identify unmet needs in the market and build solutions that eventually become essential infrastructure for the broader industry.

Sources

• Cloudflare BlogIntroducing The Cold Start: pitch your startup live at Cloudflare Connect