How to Win a $1M Pitch Competition: Startup Grind feat: Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda
Details
What does it take to beat 100+ startups and walk away with a shot at $1M? Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda cracked the code. His healthcare AI startup Vital Audio didn't just win Startup World Cup NYC—it dominated with a pitch that turned voice recordings into medical vital signs and skeptical judges into believers.
Now, as he prepares for the global Grand Finale, Calvin reveals the strategies, mistakes, and last-minute pivots that separated his 4-minute pitch from the competition.
What You'll Learn
The Winning Formula:
How Nyamitse-Calvin built a compelling pitch that stood out among NYC's top 10 startups
The strategic decisions that led to Vital Audio's selection from hundreds of applicants 👈
Behind-the-scenes insights from the intense 4-minute pitch + judges' Q&A
Building in Digital Health:
Navigating the complex healthcare regulatory landscape as a startup
Securing strategic partnerships with major healthcare institutions 👈
Developing IP protection strategies that create competitive moats
Balancing clinical validation with commercial viability
From Regional Winner to Grand Finale:
Preparing for the $1M investment prize competition in San Francisco
Lessons learned from competing against global startup talent
How winning the regional competition has accelerated business development
Founder Insights:
Assembling a team that combines technical expertise with healthcare credibility
Raising capital in the competitive digital health space
Converting pilot programs into revenue-generating partnerships
About Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda
Nyamitse-Calvin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Vital Audio, a pioneering digital health company that's revolutionizing remote patient monitoring through voice, video, and body sound analysis. Under his leadership, Vital Audio has:
Secured three patents covering breakthrough vital signs detection technology
Established research partnerships with major healthcare institutions
Developed clinical validation studies for AFib detection and cardiac monitoring
Built a clear path to market through CPT code strategy and telehealth platform integrations
Nyamitse-Calvin's journey from healthcare innovation to Startup World Cup winner exemplifies the persistence, strategic thinking, and execution excellence that defines successful founders in today's competitive landscape.
Why Attend
For Early-Stage Founders:
Learn from a founder who successfully navigated the startup competition circuit
Understand what investors and judges look for in winning pitches 👈
Get practical advice on building partnerships in regulated industries
For Startup Stakeholders:
Gain insights into the digital health market opportunity
Network with other founders and ecosystem players
Connect with a founder on the cusp of scaling globally
For Everyone:
Hear firsthand about the Startup World Cup experience
Learn about building IP-protected, clinically validated technology
Get inspired by a journey from concept to $1M grand finale competition
What to Expect
The evening will feature an intimate fireside chat format, allowing for deep-dive discussions and audience Q&A. Nyamitse-Calvin will share both successes and challenges, offering honest insights about the realities of building a healthcare technology startup. Following the presentation, enjoy networking opportunities with fellow founders, potential collaborators, and startup ecosystem stakeholders.
Looking Ahead
As Nyamitse-Calvin prepares for the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco this October, this event offers a unique opportunity to learn from a founder in the midst of scaling his company on a global stage. Whether you're building your first startup or looking to take your company to the next level, Nyamitse-Calvin's insights will provide valuable guidance for your entrepreneurial journey.
Don't miss this chance to learn from a rising star in the digital health space and connect with the vibrant startup community.
This event is designed for founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and startup ecosystem stakeholders interested in learning from successful founder experiences and building meaningful connections within the community.
Agenda
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Speaker
Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda - Vital Audio (Co-Founder and CEO)
Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vital Audio Inc., a company reshaping remote health monitoring through AI-driven vocal biomarkers. His journey in healthcare spans over a decade, beginning as a first responder before advancing into clinical research and management.
A trained bioengineer specializing in Interactive Medical Robotics with a sub-specialty in Digital Signa…
Hosted By
Joshua Ness, Director, Startup Grind
Joshua Ness is the Manging Director at Startup Grind NYC and is a Director of Emerging Technologies with IEEE. He works with enterprise, startups, and academic teams to drive innovation. He also works to educate, inspire, and connect the dots for businesses interested in moving forward with emerging technology.
Tova Feldheim, Cofounder
I am a strategic advisor and marketing expert with 20+ years in B2B SaaS, brand building, and customer discovery. Specializing in aligning human behavior with technology to build products that resonate and marketing that converts. I've worked with enterprise clients and early-stage startups alike to refine messaging, strengthen go-to-market efforts, and accelerate growth
Paul GUILLARD, Chief of Staff / BizOps / Project Manager / BD
I moved to NYC in April 24. I am currently coaching and advising early-stage founders on ideation, Business Model x Ideal Customer Profile x MVP, GTM and Fundraising.
Received my authorization to work in Nov so now also looking for a full time job as BizOps / Chief of Staff / Strategic Project Management for B2B SMB or Series A+
Before that, an Engineering Degree and 2 years of SMBs consulting in France, 10 years in APAC doing Strategic Project Management, Sales and BD; and 4 years in Spain for an MBA at IESE (consistently ranked Top10 in the world by FT) and working on some startups.
Prianka Ball,
Currently working in data at a early stage startup. Ex founder and looking for my next startup building adventure.
Daniel Silver, Owner
Creative, Thoughtful and Results-Driven Product Marketing Strategist Focused on Building, Launching and Optimizing New and Existing Products Across Their Life Cycle.
Rebecca Liang,
Ex-founder | Ex-VC | 5 yrs @ Startup Grind Shanghai
Community over Competition
Shanghai → Hong Kong → Singapore → New York
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Global Partner
Golds
Redrob, Inc (https://bit.ly/redrob-sg-nyc-2025)
Redrob is a platform that provides early-stage startups access to world-class talent, streamlining the hiring process with tools like Talent Search GPT, Skill Test AI, and General Counsel GPT. Redrob Talent Search GPT employs AI agents to find and recruit exceptional candidates from the global talent pool. As an Employer of Record (EOR), Redrob enables seamless onboarding and management of international talent without the need for local entities—saving startups time, cost, and compliance risk.
Codewalla (https://www.codewalla.com/startup-grind-offer)
Codewalla is a small product development studio dedicated to helping startup founders launch products quickly. As founders ourselves, we understand the challenges of traditional development: high costs, long timelines, and risks. We are a CTO-led studio of developers, designers, and project managers dedicated to building exceptional products. With expertise in startups, SaaS, fintech, and more, we bring creativity and experience to every project.
Partner
The Yard (https://theyard.com/)
The Yard is a coworking space at the intersection of innovation, creativity, design, & play -- with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Philly, and DC -- with a variety of shared and private workspace options.
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Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.
Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-new-york-city-presents-how-to-win-a-1m-pitch-competition-startup-grind-feat-nyamitse-calvin-mahinda/.
How to Win a $1M Pitch Competition: Startup Grind feat: Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda