Brrrr - startups pitch from the frozen Baltic Sea

Описание: (27 Feb 2026)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oulu, Finland – 26 February 2026

1. Close of ice sculptor cutting block of ice in two as he prepares site for Polar Bear Pitching 2026
2. Wide of ice sculptor cutting block of ice in two as he prepares site for Polar Bear Pitching 2026
3. Ice sculptor cutting ice sculpture bearing Polar Bear Pitching logo
4. Polar Bear Pitching signage
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Shefat Islam, Head of Polar Bear Pitching:
“So, it is an exceptionally, totally different sort of pitching competition where the only one condition is that you will be pitching from an ice hole.”

6. MC introducing event, UPSOUND (English): “It’s Polar Bear Pitching.”
7. Toshi Ichikawa, Tetra Tokyo Inc., entering arena with Japanese flag
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Toshi Ichikawa, Tetra Tokyo Inc:
“Wow. This is once in my lifetime experience. This is surreal.”

9. Ines Picone, Lun Space, entering ice hole
10. UPSOUND (English) Ines Picone, Lun Space:
“Did you realise that satellites are part of our daily lives?”

11. Contestant entering water, UPSOUND (English) “Hi, everyone.”
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Shefat Islam, Head of Polar Bear Pitching:
“Perfect weather. Perfect weather for the competitors to be pitching. It’s not too cold and, I mean, previously, the last few days we had minus twenty-one, as well, so.”

13. Nathan Holland, co-founder of sports coaching app Kima Coaching, playing basketball at court in Oulu
14. Holland scoring shot
15. Holland playing basketball
16. Holland shooting basketball while wearing shirt featuring company logo
17. Various of Holland demonstrating app
18. Jeff Cima, co-founder of Kima Coaching, playing basketball with Holland
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Cima, CEO and Co-Founder of Kima Coaching:
“The first time I went in the really ice-covered water, it was hard to remember very much.”

20. Mid of Holland shooting basketball
21. Wide of Holland shooting basketball
22. Close of Holland shooting basketball
23. Holland playing basketball
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Cima, CEO and Co-Founder of Kima Coaching, asked if pitching in cold water changes his company’s pitch:
“There’s a speed element. The cold doesn’t change it so much as the format of this one where you’re literally like naked from the waist up without any slides or any visual aid, so to tell the story of what we’re doing without a picture or a video is different.”

25. Close of Holland dribbling basketball
26. Mid of Holland dribbling basketball
27. Mid of Holland shooting basketball
28. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Cima, CEO and Co-Founder of Kima Coaching:
“I’ve been training for it. We do a training app and we really believe how important the training is, so I’ve been going in the ice for the past four weeks near my house. Done the pitch ten times in an ice hole, so, it’ll be different with a crowd, more fun.”

29. Cima derobing before entering ice hole
30. Cima entering ice hole, UPSOUND (English) "I've spent years operating in cold, unforgiving water"
31. Close of Cima pitching business in ice hole, UPSOUND (English) "One of my co-founders, Nate, is a former professional basketball player and coach and we both learned that when the pressure's on, if you don't rise to the occasion, you fall back on your training."

32. Timer showing how long contestants have been in water
33. Cima ending pitch
34. Cima leaving water to cheers from crowd before putting robe back on
35. Wide of Cima listening to feedback from judges
36. Close of Cima listening to feedback from judges
37. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Cima, CEO and Co-Founder of Kima Coaching, shortly after pitching:







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