Share This Article
Glīd CEO and founder Kevin De shares what it takes to win Startup Battlefield 2025 and build a company solving real infrastructure problems. Fresh off his victory, De reveals how a veteran’s perspective on logistics led to an autonomous solution bridging congested roads and underutilized rail. Plus, he shares how mindfulness, mission-driven culture, and $70M in early customer commitments positioned Glīd for success.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:13 What Glīd does: Autonomous transloading explained
02:40 From military logistics to founding Glīd
04:47 $70M in commitments and five railroad partnerships
08:47 The Startup Battlefield experience and preparation
12:15 Pitching on stage: Nerves, preparation, and execution
15:32 The camaraderie among Startup Battlefield competitors
19:47 Veteran founders and mission-driven companies
25:01 Post-win momentum: Customers, investors, and talent
27:15 Hiring on vibes: Glīd’s culture of God, family, self, and commitment
28:25 Kevin’s advice: Meditate, don’t freak out
29:00 Tips for aspiring Startup Battlefield applicants
Don’t miss an episode:
Subscribe to Build Mode: https://bit.ly/3WnPMw2
Read More from TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/
Follow us:
Instagram: / techcrunch
TikTok: / techcrunch
LinkedIn: / techcrunch
New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Isabelle Johannessen is our host. Build Mode is produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience Development is led by Morgan Little. And a special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
