2026 MN Cup Division Winners

August 28, 2026 — MN Cup is proud to announce the 9 companies selected as the 2026 Division Winners, the top finishers from our nine divisions. 

As the largest statewide startup competition in the nation, MN Cup's continuing mission is to identify, support, and connect emerging entrepreneurs throughout Minnesota. These nine winners were selected from a diverse pool of over 2,800 founders. Each winning company will receive $25,000* to support their continued growth and impact. All nine Division Winners will present to the MN Cup Grand Prize Review Board in September, competing for an additional $50,000 Grand Prize.

Click here to read more about our 2026 participants.

MN Cup culminates with the 2026 Grand Finale on September 14th from 4-7PM at McNamara Alumni Center. Join us to celebrate the top startups in Minnesota as we award over $400,000 in cash prizes and announce the 2026 Grand Prize Winner. Register to Attend!

During our 22nd season of MN Cup, we are proud to reflect on the competition's impact in spurring innovation and Minnesota's economy. Since 2005, MN Cup programming has supported more than 32,000 Minnesota Entrepreneurs. MN Cup alumni have advanced to raise over $1.1 billion in capital. To stay up to date on the progress of our companies, follow @MinnesotaCup on Instagram and LinkedIn, or sign up for updates here.

The 2026 MN Cup Division Winners are:

Education & Training
WINNER: Fledge Outdoors
RUNNER-UP: SmartPAL 

Energy/Cleantech/Water
WINNER: KinectXions Materials
RUNNER-UP: General Ammonia Company

Food/Ag/Beverage
WINNER: Vireo Ag
RUNNER-UP: Heaven Gluten Free Bakery

General
WINNER: Cubles
RUNNER-UP: Ulko Gear

High Tech
WINNER: Entravia
RUNNER-UP: OralMRI

Impact Ventures
WINNER: Sobrynth
RUNNER-UP: Find Love Safely

LifeScience/Health IT
WINNER: Octin Health
RUNNER-UP: Optimal Mobility

Student
WINNER: CASA Ai
RUNNER-UP: Merra

 
Youth
WINNER: Fish Hut
RUNNER-UP: madhya

MN Cup is a community-led, public-private partnership that brings together corporations, investors, foundations, government, and skilled volunteers to support Minnesota’s entrepreneurs. The core of our programming is an annual competition that reaches emerging entrepreneurs from across the state and connects them with education, mentorship, and resources to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures. The competition inspires entrepreneurs to begin their startup journey, supports them as they develop a solid business plan, provides exposure for their ideas, and offers numerous opportunities to expand their networks. Since 2005, MN Cup has given away $6.2 million in seed capital, taking no equity in exchange. Our alumni companies have gone on to raise over $1.1 billion. MN Cup is a program of the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. To learn more about our process and register for an info session or office hours, visit mncup.org.