MN Cup

Startup Competition. Seed Funding. Mentorship. Pitch Coaching. Exposure. Connection to experts. For all Minnesotans. From any industry. For free.

We’re here to help people with big ideas. We want those ideas to become viable startups, and for those startups to change our state.

2023 Grand Prize Winner

With more than 17% higher participation than previous records, the 2023 MN Cup competition was one for the record books. 21 companies split more than $400,000 in cash prizes.

Carba was the Grand Prize winner, receiving $85,000 for their revolutionary technology that utilizes the power of photosynthesis, evolution, and reactor engineering to remove carbon dioxide from the air and permanently store it underground in the form of solid carbon.

REMastered Sleep was the Runner-Up, receiving $40,000 as they seek to impact the ever-growing airway health epidemic with their REMplenish Myo Nozzle that assists individuals affected by sleep-disordered breathing.

See Twin Cities Business and Star Tribune press coverage on the competition.

2023 MN Cup Division Winners

We are excited to announce our 2023 MN Cup Division Winners! These 9 teams of entrepreneurs, inventors, and innovators from across Minnesota will be awarded $25,000 and have the opportunity to be selected as the 2023 Grand Prize Winner who will be awarded another $50,000.

Join us on Sept. 18th to meet and hear pitches from the finalists and witness the live announcement of our 2023 Grand Prize Winner – Registration is now open! To stay up to date on the progress of our companies, follow @MinnesotaCup on Instagram and Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter here.

Click Here to Meet the 2023 Division Winners

To stay up to date on the progress of our companies, follow @MinnesotaCup on Instagram and LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter.

2023 MN Cup Semifinalists

Each spring, judges select the top 90 companies as semifinalists to advance in the competition. These teams are paired with experienced mentors and invited to participate in educational workshops and events throughout the summer. Teams prepare and submit presentations, short videos and business plan summaries to be reviewed by a judging panel of industry veterans.

The following companies advanced in MN Cup's 2023 season, and will compete for a share of more than $400,000 cash prizes.

Click Here to Meet the 2023 Semifinalists

To stay up to date on the progress of our companies, follow @MinnesotaCup on Instagram and LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter here.

About MN Cup

MN Cup is a community-led, public-private partnership supporting Minnesota’s entrepreneurs. We host an annual competition that reaches emerging entrepreneurs from across the state and connects them with education, mentorship and support to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures. Our competition and events are totally free, and we take no equity in exchange for the seed funding we give away. You won't find any other industry-agnostic competition like ours.

Serial Entrepreneurs Dan Mallin and Scott Litman

Prolific tech founders and creators of the Minnesota Cup startup competition, the duo behind Magnet 360, Lucy, other companies talk about their proudest accomplishment: building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Minnesota.

Listen to Dan and Scott's story