Category
Best Vertical AI Startup Pitches
AI built for one industry and sold to the businesses in it: agents for restaurants and hotels, voice AI for auto repair shops, fall-risk prediction for hospitals, course assistants for colleges. Investors push on whether the AI does real work in that industry and whether its buyers will pay for it.
7 Vertical AI pitches received funding from investors on The Pitch. See all funded startups →
After The PitchNectir Part 2: From Flat Round to The Biggest AI Deal in Education
Kavitta Ghai · Nectir
S15 · E8
AIScience On Call: AI Agents… for Restaurants
Luisa Castellanos & Andrew Freivogel · Science On Call
S13 · E7
About Vertical AI on The Pitch
What is a Vertical AI startup?
Vertical AI is AI-native software built for one industry, such as law, healthcare, restaurants, or education, and sold to the businesses and institutions in it. The Pitch documents 11 Vertical AI pitches across Seasons 10-16, with founders walking into a room of active venture investors and either leaving with a term sheet or leaving empty-handed.
Which Vertical AI startups have pitched on The Pitch?
The Pitch has aired 11 Vertical AI startup pitches: Church AI (S16E6), Pitz (S16E1), Nectir (S15E8), My Town AI (S14E4), Levee (S13E14), Science On Call: AI Agents… for Restaurants (S13E7), Kinometrix Inc (S12E4), PodcastAI: Josh Gets Displaced (S11E7), Flock (S11E5), Nectir (S11E1). Plus 1 more, including ECGO. Each episode includes the unedited pitch, the investor deliberation, and the funding outcome.
Which Vertical AI startups received funding on The Pitch?
7 Vertical AI startups received funding from investors on The Pitch. Together, they raised $4.4M. The funded list: Church AI, Pitz, Science On Call: AI Agents… for Restaurants, Kinometrix Inc, PodcastAI: Josh Gets Displaced, Flock, Nectir.
Which Vertical AI startup raised the most on The Pitch?
Nectir raised the most among Vertical AI startups on The Pitch: $2.0M from Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Paige Doherty in Season 11 Episode 1.
Who are the investors hearing Vertical AI pitches?
The investors most often evaluating Vertical AI pitches on The Pitch are Elizabeth Yin of Hustle Fund, Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures, and Jesse Middleton of Flybridge. Across the 11 Vertical AI episodes, each pitch features 3-4 active VCs deliberating in real time.
How do Vertical AI founders apply to be on The Pitch?
- Fill out the application at thepitch.show/apply.
- The casting team reviews submissions and looks for Vertical AI founders with traction, a clear ask, and an unusual story (category has aired across Seasons 10-16).
- Selected founders are scheduled for a recording session in front of 3-4 active VCs.
- The pitch and deliberation are recorded unscripted; the funding decision happens live.
- Episodes air on The Pitch podcast, typically 2-6 months after recording.
When did each Vertical AI pitch air?
Vertical AI episodes have aired on The Pitch from Season 10 (2023) through Season 16 (2026), with the most recent being Church AI in S16E6. Every episode is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, with full transcripts on each episode page.
What VCs have invested in Vertical AI startups on The Pitch?
Active VCs that have invested in Vertical AI startups on The Pitch include Cyan Banister of Long Journey Ventures, The Pitch Fund, Michelle Kwok of Draper Associates, Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures, Paige Doherty of Behind Genius Ventures, and Elizabeth Yin of Hustle Fund, with $4.4M committed across 7 funded pitches. 3 additional investors have also written checks in this category.