{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"NC Tweener Talks","title":"Tweener Madness: The Exceptional 8 Begins! Round 1: Utilyst VS BeneDoc","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/dc3089c5\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3062,"description":"8 founders. One bracket. $25,000 on the line. Welcome to Tweener Madness 2026, the high-stakes startup competition where North Carolina’s most promising companies go head-to-head.\nIn this Round 1 matchup, Utilyst and BeneDoc step into the arena to pitch their businesses to a panel of experienced investors. Each founder has one shot to make their case, answer tough questions, and prove they deserve to advance.\nOne moves on. One goes home.\n🧠 What you’ll see in this episode: A power infrastructure startup tackling knowledge loss in utilities  A healthtech company rethinking regulatory workflows with AI  Live investor Q&A and real-time feedback  Behind-the-scenes judge deliberation (what actually matters in a pitch) 👇 Featuring the Round 1 Selection Committee: Jan Davis - RTP Angel Fund / Triangle Angel Partners  Robbie Hardy - Accel Ventures  Jen Summe - Primordial Ventures 👉 Subscribe for more episodes as we move through the bracket\n👉 Follow along as we go from the Exceptional 8 → Fantastic 4 → Championship\n⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Welcome to Tweener Madness  \n00:45 — Meet the Selection Committee  \n03:05 — Format + What’s new this year  \n05:05 — Matchup Intro: Utilyst vs. BeneDoc  \n05:35 — Utilyst Pitch  \n10:30 — Utilyst Q&A with Judges  \n20:40 — BeneDoc Pitch  \n26:15 — BeneDoc Q&A with Judges  \n40:00 — Judges Deliberation Begins  \n41:10 — Feedback on Utilyst  \n43:10 — Feedback on BeneDoc  \n46:20 — Pitch Lessons + What stood out  \n49:05 — Final Decision (Winner Revealed)\n🎯 About Tweener MadnessTweener Madness is run by the NC Tweener Fund, Powered by NC IDEA and showcases top startups from across North Carolina. The winner receives a $25,000 investment and statewide exposure.\n--- \nTweener Madness is hosted by Scot Wingo, run by NC Tweener Fund, Powered by NC IDEA, and brought to life by Walk West, who leads production and podcast creation.\nWe couldn’t share posts like this without our amazing sponsors: \nPlatinum: \nNC IDEA: https://ncidea.org\nGold Sponsors: \n-...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UEzoK7N1siD9YRaSVBWfZ8B3suSS2aonEIZ5NwBH1Gs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80NjBh/YWVhZTA4ZTUyY2Fl/MDdhNzQwZWFhNDI4/MDc3Zi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}