Bolt Tank

Inspiration

We were inspired by how overwhelming and time-consuming it is for investors/experts to evaluate tonnes of pitch submissions. We wanted to streamline this process by combining the best of gamification, expert frameworks, and AI to help experts make faster, more consistent decisions and help anyone submitting pitches get more actionable feedback by AI, experts, and the community.

What it does

Bolt Tank is a gamified pitch analysis platform that enables anyone to submit their ideas and have it analyzed by AI using an Expert's framework, along with real human feedback by expert/s and the community.

How we built it

We started with Bolt.new to set up our project space and manage real-time collaboration during the hackathon. From there, we built Bolt Tank using a modern full-stack architecture:

Languages: Python and TypeScript

Frameworks: React + Vite on the frontend, FastAPI on the backend

Platforms: Supabase for the database and auth, Railway for backend deployment, Netlify for frontend hosting

AI Integration: Gemini API for automated pitch scoring and analysis

This setup allowed us to rapidly iterate, ship a working product fast, and ensure everything was production-ready for live demos and future adoption.

Challenges we ran into

Calibrating AI scores to match expert investor feedback
Designing a UI that felt intuitive for both founders and evaluators
Making scores feel fair and transparent, not arbitrary

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a full scoring system in a weekend that blends AI, community, and expert judgment
Created a fun, competitive environment that motivates founders to improve their pitch quality
Enabled faster, more scalable pitch evaluation without sacrificing feedback quality

What we learned

The framing of pitch evaluation matters: when it's positioned as a game or competition, engagement goes up
AI is great at consistency and speed, but still needs human context, especially in early-stage investing
Founders want clarity on how to improve and breaking down scoring by categories really helped

What's next for Bolt Tank

We’re opening up Bolt Tank so any expert, investor, or fund can instantly launch their own pitch submission portal, making it easier, faster, and more engaging to evaluate ideas.

Next, we’re launching Bolt Tank as a plug-and-play API, enabling anyone to embed a custom pitch scoring system– powered by their own framework or one licensed from other experts – directly into their website or platform. This creates a scalable, automated way to surface top talent, streamline deal flow, and deliver consistent, actionable feedback to founders in seconds.