How Glīd landed five railroads, $70M in commitments, and the Startup Battlefield 2025 cup

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

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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.

Post from TechCrunch on November 27, 2025

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