The pitch is over; delivering on it is the harder part. One year later, a returning innovator brings a tangible milestone and the evidence behind it. What survived contact with commercial reality? And what can an unexpected lesson reveal about the time, cost and persistence needed to move a materials business forward? • What has the company achieved since its pitch, and what is the evidence? • Which assumptions held up, and what took longer or cost more than expected? • What advice would it give this year's pitching companies?