Octin Health took home the 2026 Minnesota Cup Grand Prize last night at the Grand Finale celebration, concluding this year’s competition of entrepreneurs from across the state.
MN Cup, in its 22nd year, is the country’s largest statewide start-up competition. More than 2,800 Minnesotans applied to participate this year.
The monthslong competition offers all participants mentorship, educational workshops and networking connections through Minnesota Carlson’s Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship. Cash prizes help launch and accelerate their new ventures.
Octin Health, a medical device startup developing a surgical technology designed to transform cardiovascular surgery, won an additional $50,000 in funding. The Grand Prize Review Board selected the winner out of the nine divisional winners, each of whom earned $25,000.
“What I can share is how lucky I am to be in this ecosystem in Minnesota where cardiac surgery was born,” said Octin Health Founder and CEO Dr. Meghana Helder as she accepted the Grand Prize. “[Starting this company] reminded me … how special Minnesota is and how we work together to really make patient outcomes better.”
Helder is a Mayo Clinic-trained cardiovascular surgeon who started Octin Health, which is developing the Elika Device™, a technology that enables complex aortic arch surgical procedures to be performed without requiring deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. By eliminating the need for extreme body cooling during surgery, Octin Health aims to reduce surgical risks, improve clinical safety, and enhance patient recovery outcomes in high-risk cardiac operations.
During the Grand Finale event, MN Cup’s top competitors also presented pitches to hundreds of audience members who voted for their favorites. Throughout the competition, entrepreneurs received more than $400,000 in cash prizes. This year, the Grand Finale event also featured an expanded 90-minute showcase before the awards program, so attendees could interact with participating entrepreneurs.
Since 2005, MN Cup has served 32,000 entrepreneurs across the state and has supported their company growth by awarding $6.2 million in startup funding. Capital raised by MN Cup alumni exceeds $1.1 billion, spurring innovation and economic growth in Minnesota.
This year saw continued growth in the diversity of MN Cup applicants, including 45% identifying as Black, Indigenous, and people of color, 44% identifying as female, and 1% identifying as nonbinary or self-described gender identity. The youngest applicant was 8 years old, while the oldest was 86. Additionally, 26% of applicants were from Greater Minnesota.
MN Cup is a community-led, public-private partnership that brings together corporations, investors, foundations, government and skilled volunteers to support Minnesota’s entrepreneurs. MN Cup’s annual competition 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 2026 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
Life Science/Health IT
Winner: Octin Health
Runner-Up: Optimal Mobility
Student
Winner: CASA Ai
Runner-Up: Merra
Youth
Winner: Fish Hut
Runner-Up: madhya
