We weren't planning to apply to Battlefield, but after hearing our pitch a TechCrunch reporter suggested we should. We applied without any expectations, but worked really hard on our presentation and pitch. Made it to the main event (with a 2.6% acceptance rate), and finally to the finals as one of five teams.
All the other teams were equally amazing (if not more so), so it was a genuine surprise when we won!
A lot of teams who were selected hadn't raised any funding, so if you're reading this and thinking of applying, you should. Miss all the shots you don't take and all that.