September 18, 2026 · Minneapolis
Startup World Cup: Twin Cities Regional.
The Twin Cities startup ecosystem takes the global stage. Twin Cities Startup Week and Startup World Cup have officially partnered to bring the world's largest startup pitch competition to Minnesota. This is your shot to pitch in front of investors and industry leaders, win the regional title, and advance to the $1,000,000 Grand Finale in San Francisco.
The 2026 Grand Finale takes place November 18 to 20 at the Hilton San Francisco, where the global champion wins a $1,000,000 investment prize from Pegasus Tech Ventures.
There is no fee to apply or to attend the regional finale.
Event details.
- Date
- Friday, September 18, 2026
- Time
- Noon to 3:00 PM CDT
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN (venue to be announced)
- Hosted by
- Twin Cities Startup Week and Origin House
- In partnership with
- Startup World Cup and Pegasus Tech Ventures
How it works.
The Twin Cities Regional is a live pitch competition where the top 10 startups, selected from all applications, will compete on stage for the regional championship.
Each startup receives a 4-minute pitch followed by 2 minutes of Q&A with a panel of 4 to 6 expert judges, including venture capitalists, thought leaders, and industry executives.
The Regional Champion earns the right to represent the Twin Cities at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale Semi-Finals in San Francisco, November 18 to 20, 2026, competing against regional winners from 60+ countries for the $1,000,000 investment prize.
Important dates.
- Applications openAugust 22, 2026
- Application deadlineSeptember 5, 2026
- Top 10 announcedSeptember 10, 2026
- Regional finaleFriday, September 18, 2026
Who should apply.
This competition is open to startups at any stage. Whether you are pre-seed, seed, or growth-stage, if you have a compelling product, traction, a scalable business model, and the ambition to compete on the world stage, we want to hear from you.
Apply through the application page. Space is competitive. Only the top 10 startups will be selected to pitch on stage on Friday, September 18, 2026.
What to expect.
- SWC welcome presentation, 10 to 15 minutes, by the Startup World Cup Ambassador
- Top 10 startup pitches, 4 minutes each plus 2 minutes of Q&A
- Live judging and scoring by a panel of VCs and industry leaders
- Winner announcement and trophy presentation
- Networking with investors, founders, mentors, and the Twin Cities startup community across TCSW, September 14 to 18, for the top 10 founders
In partnership with.
About Startup World Cup.
Startup World Cup is the number one global startup pitch competition, organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm with more than $2B in assets under management. Since 2017, SWC has hosted 100+ regional competitions across 60+ countries, drawing 10,000+ startup applications and 50,000+ attendees worldwide. Past judges and speakers include Steve Wozniak, Reid Hoffman, Vinod Khosla, Tim Draper, and all five Shark Tank investors.
For attendees.
This is a free event open to the public. Founders, investors, corporate innovators, students, and anyone passionate about startups are welcome to attend.
This event is part of Twin Cities Startup Week 2026 and is organized by The BETA Group and Origin House in partnership with Startup World Cup and Pegasus Tech Ventures. There are no fees to apply or attend. Startup World Cup does not cover travel expenses to the Grand Finale.