Enter TechRound’s US50 2026!
TechRound has been running monthly competitions since 2020, and every year, we find new industries and regions to explore. Given our natural expansion into the US world of business and tech, it’s only fair that we give startups in the United States of America the chance to be ranked among the 50 most promising startups in the region in 2026.
Thus, this August, we’re inviting any and all startups, scale-ups, and SMEs – regardless of size and valuation – to throw their hats in the ring. Each company featured will get an individual write-up, so it’s great publicity!
Founded in 2016, TechRound is the UK’s best-known and fastest-growing startup and tech news site. This is where decision-makers, investors and startups of all sizes and nature come to find out the latest developments and trends within the industry.
Entries Open: 4 August
Entry Cost: Free
Entry Deadline: 20 August, 5pm GMT
Winners To Be Announced: 10am GMT 31 August 2026
Why Enter?
- Featured in front of an audience of 200,000+ visitors per month
- Top 50 placements get a full page write-up (see example)
- Recognised by VCs, investors, journalists and industry leaders
- Free to enter
Our Criteria
- All companies must have some connection to the United States – whether that’s an American founder, majority US customer base, based in the US, etc. Not sure? Ask us!
- Revenue is not a deciding factor
- Both new businesses and established businesses are welcome
Meet The Judges
Usman Adekunle Balogun
Co-Founder of Cardtonic & Breet; Board Governor, Sporting Clube de Esmoriz (SC Esmoriz)
Usman Balogun is a fintech executive and financial infrastructure strategist with deep expertise in treasury, compliance, and capital allocation. As Co-Founder and former Chief Financial Officer of Cardtonic, he built the treasury systems and unit economics that scaled a $10,000 bootstrapped startup into a platform processing over $100M across Africa.
He is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Breet, where he led the cross-border compliance architecture behind its payment rails, which has processed over $1B. Beyond fintech, he founded Tonic FC and holds a controlling stake in Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Esmoriz, building a compliant football talent pipeline between West Africa and Europe. He’s a member of the Forbes Technology Council. Having scaled a bootstrapped startup into a high-volume platform, he evaluates startups on the fundamentals that decide whether they last: unit economics, compliance, and operational discipline.
Read more about Usman and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Subomi Oluwalana
Engineering Leader and Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Convoy
Oluwalana Olasubomi is the Founder and CEO of Convoy, an enterprise webhook gateway used by engineering teams to manage reliable event delivery at scale, with an open-source core adopted across fintech, healthcare, and developer-tools companies. Alongside his role as CEO, he remains directly involved in Convoy’s product and engineering decisions. He also works as a Forward Deployed Engineer at Speakeasy, helping enterprises integrate and deploy AI systems, including the governance of AI agents and MCP servers within their internal environments.
His background spans distributed systems, API infrastructure, and developer tooling, and he regularly evaluates early-stage and growth-stage technology products from both a technical and commercial standpoint. This combination of building infrastructure and deploying it directly inside enterprise environments informs his perspective as a judge.
Read more about Subomi and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Furkat Kasimov
Tech Entrepreneur, Venture Studio Founder
Furkat Kasimov, is an angel investor with over 20 years of experience building, scaling, and advising technology companies. As an angel investor who has backed several unicorns, he has a keen eye for companies with high-growth potential.
Read more about Furkat and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Kayode Tayo Faturoti
Co-Founder of Cardtonic, Breet & Homevy; Chief AI Officer, Liners
Kayode Faturoti is a technology entrepreneur, software engineer, and product architect with over ten years designing and scaling high-volume digital platforms across fintech, proptech, and artificial intelligence. As Co-Founder and Chief Product Architect of Cardtonic, he bootstrapped the platform to more than two million users and over $100M in transaction volume before raising external capital.
He also built Breet, Africa’s first automated crypto off-ramp platform; the Dubai proptech firm Homevy; and Liners, a software directory run by autonomous AI agents. He’s a member of the Forbes Technology Council & Fast Company Executive Board. Having built across fintech, proptech, and AI, he brings a builder’s eye for which early-stage companies can turn a product into real demand.
Read more about Kayode and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Omar Hafez
Founder and CEO, Think Big Technology
Omar Hafez is a technology entrepreneur, AI strategist, and founder of Think Big Technology, where he helps startups and enterprises transform complex ideas into scalable software and AI-powered products. He also serves as Head of AI Innovation at FireDesign.ai, an AI company modernizing engineering workflows through automation and intelligent design systems.
Over the past several years, Omar has led the development of platforms across construction technology, enterprise software, and artificial intelligence, working with organizations ranging from early-stage startups to established businesses. His experience spans product strategy, software architecture, fundraising support, and go-to-market execution, giving him a practical understanding of what separates promising ideas from businesses capable of achieving long-term success.
Beyond building companies, Omar is a member of the Forbes Council and Fast Company Executive Board, where he regularly contributes thought leadership on AI, innovation, and entrepreneurship. His work has been featured in leading business and technology publications, and he is an active mentor and advocate for founders navigating product development and growth. As a US50 judge, Omar brings a balanced perspective that combines technical expertise with commercial execution. He is particularly interested in founders who solve meaningful problems, demonstrate strong customer validation, and pair ambitious vision with the discipline required to build enduring companies.
Read more about Omar and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Jeffrey Herzog
Founder and CEO of Avenue Z
Jeffrey Herzog is the Founder and CEO of Avenue Z, a digital marketing and PR company leading the next wave in AI Search and the Creator Economy. An original pioneer of search marketing, he has built a track record of founding, funding, and acquiring innovative companies at the intersection of marketing and technology.
Recognized by ADWEEK’s AI Power 50, PRovoke’s Innovator 25, Startup of the Year, and Forbes’ Best Startup Employers, he now leads Avenue Z in helping brands win AI search, grow revenue, and build reputation through PR and digital marketing engineered to move fast.
Read more about Jeff Herzog and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Emmanuel Olarewaju David
CTO at ProtonLabs Technology Inc.
Emmanuel Olarewaju David is a software engineer, AI entrepreneur, and Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of ProtonLabs Technology, a UK-based company building practical AI solutions that simplify complex workflows and enhance productivity. He holds a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Manchester.
At ProtonLabs, Emmanuel has spearheaded the development of a growing portfolio of AI products that have collectively attracted over 5 million users, including more than 3 million registered users worldwide. He also led the development of the AskYourPDF Research Assistant, one of the most widely used productivity tools on ChatGPT. He brings to the judging panel strong technical expertise, entrepreneurial insight, product leadership, and a commitment to building accessible, high-impact technology.
Les-leigh A
Content and Marketing Executive at TechRound
Les-Leigh is a writer and digital marketing specialist with experience across B2B SaaS, technology, healthcare, recruitment and education. With a background in marketing strategy, content and design, she has worked with startups and established companies in the UK and United States, producing research-driven editorials, features and digital campaigns. Her work explores the ideas, businesses and trends shaping today’s economy, with a particular interest in innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging technology.
Important! Advice From The Judges
When filling out your company description (“Tell Us About the Company”), use the first line to describe your business, what it does and what you are about in two sentences…what makes you tick?
With our judges reading through hundreds of applications, we’re looking for a clear description of your business, its concept, its success and plans for growth. Lead with what sets you apart from competitors and other startups in the United States.
Try to avoid waffle and discuss your business clearly and concisely.
Model application example 1 >>
Model application example 2 >>
