The University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management is turning 100 and marking the occasion with a pitch competition at U.S. Bank Stadium.
As part of the school's birthday bash on Friday, Sept. 13, five startups competing in this year's Minnesota Cup will present their products to the audience, which will then choose which company receives the dean's "Big Ideas Award." The award comes with $25,000 in prize money.
Here are the companies that will be presenting, with descriptions provided by the University of Minnesota:
- Phenomix Sciences: Phenotype-driven therapy individualization.
- Harvest Nation: Native women-owned aeroponic farm in Northern Minnesota.
- NovoClade: Genetically-engineered eggs remove disease from mosquito populations.
- Amicii: Uses deep learning to deliver medical diagnostics in under five seconds.
- SayKid: Plush robot interactive learning tool.
The five companies are part of an original pool of more than 90 startups in this year's MN Cup – the annual startup competition organized by the Carlson School. Phenomix (Life Sciences/Health IT division), NovoClade (Energy/Clean Tech/Water division) and SayKid (Education and Training division) recently advanced to the next round. Currently, 28 startups remain.
The companies pitching at the centennial celebration were selected by MN Cup judges, who were asked to identify local "moonshots," innovative and impactful companies, in this year's competition.
SayKid Founder and CEO DeLonn Crosby said that U.S. Bank Stadium will be one of the largest platforms where his company has pitched.
"I'm sure the nerves will be running high, but it feels serendipitous," Crosby told Minne Inno. "Back in the day, Carlson was my moonshot. Then it was Harvard, then Google and now SayKid. To be back where it all started to talk about how we're tackling the hardest problems in education on the biggest stage is exactly where we need to be."
Crosby also applauded the Carlson School for recognizing the importance of investing in bold ideas.
"As a proud Minnesotan who has lived on both coasts, I hope that our community continues to invest in moonshots," he said.
The MN Cup is one facet of the Carlson School's expansive entrepreneurship presence in Minnesota. The University itself spins out more than a dozen startups a year on average through its Venture Center. It recently announced that it spun out a record number of 19 within the last year. The Carlson Center also supports groups like Atland Ventures, a venture capital firm that helps undergraduate students invest in Twin Cities startups.
The Carlson School's graduating class in 1920 had just 14 students. Today, the Carlson School has more than 4,500 enrolled students and over 55,000 graduates worldwide.
