The Minnesota Cup has named the top startups in each of its nine divisions
The division winners in the University of Minnesota’s startup competition will receive $25,000 in non-dilutive cash prizes, except for those in the youth division, which will split $20,000 among the top finalists. The finalists will move ahead to compete for the grand prize, a $50,000 award that will be decided during the Grand Finale event on September 18 at the McNamara Alumni Center on the U’s campus.
This year had the most applicants ever, with 3,052 Minnesotans applying for the competition. That’s a 17% increase over last year’s record. It was also a diverse slate of candidates, with 43% of the initial participants identifying as female and 38% identify as non-white. About a third of the initial applicants are from Greater Minnesota.
Since 2005, the MN Cup has supported more than 23,000 entrepreneurs and awarded more than $5 million in prizes to startups that went on to raise more than $1 billion.
This year’s division winners are:
- Energy, clean tech and water: Carba
- Education and training: Radar Talent Solutions
- Food, agriculture and beverage: Quebracho Empanadas
- General: REMastered Sleep
- High tech: Raise a Hood
- Impact ventures: Xanthos Health
- Life science and health IT: Glimpse Diagnostics
- Student: Nivoso
- Youth: SafeSphere
