CLOUDFLARE has announced The Cold Start, a live competition for early-stage startups taking place at Cloudflare Connect in San Francisco on Monday, 19 October 2026. Five selected companies will each have five minutes to explain what they are building, why it is needed and why they are suited to develop it, followed by three to five minutes of questions from judges Matthew Prince, Michelle Zatlyn and Dane Knecht.
The competition is open to startups that have raised less than $10 million. Applicants will be asked for details including their pitch, product, funding and revenue stage, and how Cloudflare fits into their technology stack. Applications are open and close on Friday, 2 October 2026. Cloudflare will pay for the five finalists to travel to San Francisco.
The winning startup will receive $500,000 in Cloudflare credits, a billboard takeover in San Francisco and an invitation to the company’s VIP speakers’ dinner. Cloudflare also highlighted its separate Cloudflare for Startups programme, through which eligible early-stage companies can receive up to $350,000 in credits for one year.