SANTA MONICA, Calif. – October 13, 2026 – AskIt, a startup that simulates how people think and decide in order to predict real-world consumer behavior, has won Lightning Round IX, the signature pitch competition from Southern California venture firm and accelerator 1752vc. Founder and CEO Lotan Magal pitched live on Zoom on Thursday, October 8, to a panel of investors, with 563 people registered to watch.
With the win, AskIt fast-tracks to the final round of diligence for 1752vc’s Accelerate, the firm’s execution-first accelerator, with a shot at $100,000 in direct investment. AskIt also receives a feature in 1752vc’s investor and LP newsletter and a spotlight across 1752vc’s media channels.
AskIt blends behavioral science with predictive modeling so brands can see which ideas will land before they spend on them. Teams can A/B test text and images in minutes, build custom panels that mirror their real target market by segment, context and behavior, and run live surveys to stress-test a product, with actionable insights in hours.
“Lightning Round exists to find founders with a real technical edge who move fast, and AskIt stood out in a highly competitive lineup,” said Ben Kahan, Principal at 1752vc. “Lotan is taking on one of the most expensive guessing games in business: figuring out what customers will actually do before you commit the budget. We’re excited to take AskIt into final diligence for Accelerate.”
The finalists pitched to a live investor panel:
Keith Yoder, Director of Business Development and Sr. Associate, Innovent Capital Group
Vinnie Shahzad, VP of Startup Banking, Silicon Valley Bank, and co-founder and Executive Director of the Bruin Angels Investor Network
Avag Simonyan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Triple S Ventures
AskIt was selected from five finalists, each of whom receives 1752vc’s $1.3M+ startup perks package:
Wizium AI (Andrew Botnev): an agentic operating system that runs commerce for sellers, from sourcing to marketplace ops
Tener.ai (Nick Nagatkin): an AI recruiter that hires on references and behavioral signals, end to end in 10 days
Adomo (Sharmin Ali): a security platform for enterprise AI agents
AskIt (Lotan Magal): simulates human decisions to predict consumer behavior before you spend
Neural Wave (Chayan Bhattacharyay): automates the doctor’s clinical workflow inside the EHR
1752vc thanks Lightning Round IX sponsors and partners Ramp, Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, and Innovent Capital.
Lightning Round X is coming soon. Early-stage tech founders can learn more and apply on the 1752vc Lightning Round page.
About AskIt
AskIt predicts real-world consumer behavior by simulating how people think and decide. Combining behavioral science with predictive modeling, AskIt helps brands test creative, model their real audience, and validate products before launch.
About 1752vc
1752vc is an AI-native venture firm and accelerator based in Southern California that backs founders at the inflection point, helping them achieve escape velocity. Its Accelerate program invests $100K in startups where founder-led growth is tipping into repeatable, scalable systems, then engages on the levers that compound momentum: tight go-to-market, operational cadence, and fundraising discipline.
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