Kansas City startup EyeVerify, which uses smartphone cameras to give mobile identification through eye-vein biometrics, won the U.S. national finals of “Get in the Ring: The American Startup Clash” on Monday night at the Kauffman Foundation.

The feat earned EyeVerify CEO Toby Rush a $10,000 cash prize and a seat on a plane bound today for the “Get in the Ring” international finals in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. His business pitch defeated those of seven other startup finalists from around the country as judged by a star panel of entrepreneurs, including fashion mogul Marc Ecko.

When Rush’s victory was announced, he was handed a boxing-style championship belt that he held high over his head while being cheered by the audience of about 125. Moments earlier, the crowd had joined online viewers of the event in voting Rush the “audience favorite.”

The festive event, punctuated by bursts of rock music and flashing colored lights, employed a boxing theme by placing two finalists at a time in a mini-ring on stage to pitch their respective startup companies in 25-second “rounds.” The idea was to be as efficient yet eloquent as possible. Contestants also took pointed questions from the judges.

“This is awesome!” Rush told the crowd after his victory.

Rush said in an interview with Thinking Bigger Business Media: “It’s a huge honor. How cool is it to represent your country in an international competition? Very, very cool … the whole world is going to be watching our story.”

Rush previously ran Rush Tracking Systems, an alumnus of Thinking Bigger Business Media’s annual 25 Under 25® Awards program.