Past Seasons
2026 MN Cup Award Winners
2026 Grand Prize Winner
Octin Health was the 2026 Grand Prize winner, receiving $76,000 for its revolutionary Elika Device, which enables aortic arch surgery without deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.
Learn more about Octin Health in this Minnesota Star Tribune feature.
2026 Runner Up Winner
Sobrynth was the 2026 Runner-Up, receiving $40,000 for their dedicated workplace benefit system built for substance use disorder, providing employees and families with 24.7 peer coaching, care navigation, and a 90-day cultural change program.
Optimal Mobility
The 2026 Woman-Led Startup Prize went to Optimal Mobility from the LifeScience & HealthIT Division. Optimal Mobility is developing a revolutionary sit-stand-and-roll manual wheelchair that empowers users to stand and move while upright, unlocking new possibilities in cooking, socializing, and meaningful connection with their environments.
Thank you to the Carlson Family Foundation for making this award possible!
BuzzCare
The 2026 Top Greater MN Startup Prize went to BuzzCare from the Impact Ventures Division. BuzzCare uses drones to improve last-mile medication access in rural and underserved communities facing distance, transportation barriers, and local pharmacy closures.
Thank you to the Carlson Family Foundation for making this award possible!
LilyPad
The 2026 Top Innovative Minority-Led Company Prize went to LilyPad from the General Division. LilyPad creates a rechargeable, reusable health device that uses gentle sensory stimulation to reduce pain and anxiety for patients who self-inject medications.
Thank you to JP Morgan Chase & MEDA for making this award possible!
Trialynx
The 2026 Best Company from Southern Minnesota Prize went to Trialynx from the LifeScience & HealthIT Division. Trialynx support clinic trials by providing the digital infrastructure to unify study design, operational planning, and document generation across the entire study lifecycle.
Thank you to the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation for making the award possible!
General Ammonia Company
The 2026 Sustainable Chemistry Prize went to General Ammonia Company from the Energy/Clean Tech/Water Division. General Ammonia Company (geNH3) is developing a patented, low-cost, and zero-emission electrocatalytic system to produce price-competitive green ammonia without fossil fuels or expensive high-temperature processes.
Thank you to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for making this award possible!
Octin Health
The 2026 UEL "Golden Ticket" went to Octin Health, from the LifeScience & HealthIT Division, earning their team one year of free office space at University Enterprise Labs. Octin Health has developed the revolutionary Elika Device, which enables aortic arch surgery without deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.
Thank you to University Enterprise Labs for making this award possible!
Celebrating MN Cup
MN Cup is a community-led, public-private partnership supporting Minnesota’s entrepreneurs. They host an annual competition that reaches emerging entrepreneurs from across the state and connects them with tools, resources, and support to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures.