September 18, 2026 · Saint Paul
Startup World Cup: Twin Cities Regional.
Windom Shields and General Ammonia Company won the Twin Cities regional and go on to the $1,000,000 Grand Finale in San Francisco.
The ten finalists.
Awesome People Leaders
Heather Polivka
AI-powered execution intelligence, measuring how work actually gets done inside an organization.
Biometrica Health
Anthony Dann
A turnkey remote patient monitoring company, closing the visibility gap between clinic visits for patients managing chronic disease, starting with the rural and independent practices that need it most.
- ~86,000physician shortage by 2036
- 2026CMS expands RPM reimbursement
Feedcoyote
Stevens Bonhomme
An AI-powered collaboration platform that connects freelancers with complementary skills into teams.
- 256K+registered users
Fledge Outdoors
Conner Couet
The Junior Hunter Gun, which teaches a beginner to handle and aim a shotgun without live ammunition. Built-in sensors only let a student aim once they are holding it correctly, a barrel-mounted camera shows where each shot would have landed, and an alarm reminds them to put the safety back on. In active conversations with Delta Waterfowl, NWTF, Snake River Valley Conservation Club, 4-H and DNR hunter education on adoption and grant support.
- Patentgranted, plus a 2026 provisional
- MN Cupwon Education & Training, 2026
- 25%drop in youth hunting
Gametime Hero
Brittany Bell
The operating system for active communities: pickleball groups, soccer leagues, run clubs. 11,000 users and counting.
- 11,000+users
- 90%organizer retention
- Referralthe only growth channel
General Ammonia Company
Windom Shields
A new electrochemical process that makes ammonia from nitrogen, water and electricity, powered by stranded wind and solar.
- 1 kg/dayscaling toward pilot production
Hello Wash
Meddy Ali
The AI customer operations system for vertical markets, starting with car washes.
- $1MARR
- 600locations
- 1 millionsupport calls handled
HLRBO
Heath Schubert
The largest independent hunting lease marketplace in the country, out of Brainerd: 1.7 million acres across all fifty states.
- $2.6MARR
- 230K+registered users
- $3.0Mled by Mairs & Power and Great North
Jam Packd
Brian Platt
The first functional fruit spread, with collagen protein and prebiotic fiber and no added sugar.
- 8 gcollagen protein
- 6-7 gprebiotic fiber
- $500Kin sales
Sobrynth
Marin Nelson
Helps employees and their families navigate alcohol and substance use disorder, and helps employers build workplaces that support recovery.
- 70%of people with SUD are employed
- 1 in 10employees struggling now
- $8,800annual cost per person
Alphabetical here, because none of them is ranked until the stage says so. The purple figures are the traction and validation each company brought, which is how the ten were chosen.
The four minutes.
What every founder was asked to cover, then two minutes of questions from the judges. A guideline, not a rule: they were told to follow their own flow.
- First minute
- Problem, market opportunity, solution, and why this team.
- Second
- Moat and differentiator, awareness of competitive risk, business model.
- Third
- Traction, validation milestones, and the twelve months ahead.
- Fourth
- The end game, where they see themselves in five years, closing thought.
The judges.
The panel scores the room and names the champion.
Marissa Almoslino
Director of Engineering
York Solutions
Leads within the Technology Solutions Group at York Solutions, overseeing engineering leaders and delivery teams across modernization, application development and systems integration. She focuses on translating business needs into practical, high-quality technical solutions.
Emmet Byron
Principal
Groove Capital
Has led Groove's investment and portfolio support functions since 2021, overseeing due diligence on more than 200 startups and investments into over 80 portfolio companies.
Susan Langer
Founder & CEO
Spave
Executive Director of Red Wing Ignite and founder of the fintech company Spave, which she launched through the accelerator. She builds businesses that create both economic and social value.
Andrea Nunes
Serial Entrepreneur, Certified EOS Implementer
EOS Worldwide
An entrepreneur for more than twenty years. She co-founded a Twin Cities fitness concept and scaled it from startup to $4M in revenue before selling and turning to coaching other founders.
Sara Russick
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Gopher Angels / Capita3
A five-time founder, venture capital partner, angel investor and startup mentor. Founding General Partner of Capita3 and co-founder of Gopher Angels.
Matt Soper
Executive Director
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
A relationship executive with J.P. Morgan Securities, working with middle-market healthcare technology companies across the Midwest and Canada. Before J.P. Morgan he spent fifteen years at Wells Fargo in relationship management, credit, underwriting and advisory roles.
Stephen White
Principal
Dune Sand Capital
Leads an investment firm focused on controlling equity positions, and is co-founder and majority owner of the West Texas truck stop chain Oilfield Outpost. Previously President of Hi-Crush.
Event details.
- Date
- Friday, September 18, 2026
- Time
- 1:30 to 3:00 PM CDT
- Location
- Great Northern Building, 180 5th St E, Saint Paul, MN 55101
- 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.
The Grand Finale prize is an investment, not a grant. Startup World Cup's terms describe it as up to $1,000,000 offered in exchange for equity based on your most recent or new funding round, or as a convertible note, subject to diligence and definitive agreements with Pegasus Tech Ventures.
Important dates.
- Applications openAugust 22, 2026
- Application deadlineSeptember 9, 2026
- Top 10 announcedSeptember 17, 2026
- Regional finaleFriday, September 18, 2026
The regional has run.
134 founders applied, 20 pitched in the semi-finals, and 10 took the 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.