MN Cup

The annual MN Cup new venture competition is for Minnesota entrepreneurs, researchers and inventors. Whether you are at the point of inception or already have created a company, this program is for you.

MN Cup accepts applications for the 2026 season from March 2nd to April 3rd. The application link will be available via MN Cup's homepage for the duration of the application period. For a detailed current season schedule, please view the Competition Schedule page.

Entrepreneurs based in MN with less than $1 million in annual revenue are eligible to apply.

Entrepreneurs who do not personally live, or operate businesses based in Minnesota (students attending a Minnesota college or University are welcome to apply to the Student Division, even if their permanent address is out of state). Companies with annual revenue exceeding $1 Million. Companies who have already taken 1st place in a prior season’s MN Cup Division (entrepreneurs who have previously won prize money in MN Cup or have been affiliated with other teams are welcome to re-apply with a new company or new idea).

Check out the division descriptions page. Some divisions are separated by industry type, others by age/school status. The Impact Division requires additional considerations. If you’ve reviewed the description pages and are still having trouble deciding, reach out to the MN Cup team at hellomncup@umn.edu for guidance.

No. You can only apply to one division per company per season. If you are part of more than one company, each company can apply separately, but they need to be distinct entities.

Yes! We welcome back anyone who previously entered and did not win money as a finalist. Prior winners can submit a new idea not associated with a previous win.

Yes it’s 100% free to apply!

The majority of the competition occurs online, using a combination of virtual and in-person events for judging and education. You will need access to a computer and Zoom. The Semifinalist Reception (June 3rd) and Grand Finale (September 14th) are both in person in Minneapolis.

MN Cup evaluates applications based on three primary criteria - Opportunity, Plan and Progress. Each application field has a 500-word limit. There are nine distinct sets of judges for each division, with relevant functional and industry expertise.

Though housed at Minnesota Carlson, MN Cup functions as a not-for-profit, receiving financial support via grants and sponsorships from a number of organizations. All prize money and operational costs are fundraised each season.

We have a YouTube channel! We will periodically upload past event recordings when/if they become available.

We are currently working with YouNoodle, the platform provider that hosts our application, to improve accessibility for the visual and hearing impaired. It is currently not compatible with web reader tools, but we have other support in place. For additional support completing the online application or suggestions for improvement, email hellomncup@umn.edu.

Your information is submitted through a portal called You Noodle. You will need to create a You Noodle account to begin. You will find it under the Apply tab on our website. The link is not active or available until opening day.

All you need is to describe your idea, the opportunity, your plan, and your current progress. You will have the ability to submit optional items like your website, social media channels, and financial projections. These are not required, but highly recommended.

No. But, if your business is a registered entity, you need to be licensed in the state of MN or can prove you have significant operations in the state. Email us if you have questions about this requirement.

No, but you will have a place in the application portal to enter that information. Some judges may follow those links to better assess your idea, but they are not required to.

As it states, the financial projections are optional, but highly recommended. Even a simple financial breakdown can help the judges better understand your vision.

You likely invited other team members to fill out their personal information, and those team members haven’t logged in to YouNoodle to complete that activity. Your application will display 100% complete as soon as all invited team members accept their invitation and complete their ‘Personal Information’ forms.

You will receive an email from MN Cup staff whether you have/have not moved on to the semifinal (Top 10) round by May 18th. If you don't hear anything by June, you can email us for clarification.

The semifinalists will be publicly announced on May 18th on our website and other social channels.

Your information will be kept strictly confidential. We report on such data in aggregate. These questions and their responses will not be viewable by MN Cup judges and will not be used to evaluate your company with respect to MN Cup’s specific judging criteria.

It is important to MN Cup that our competition and prizes are accessible to all Minnesotans. Founders of underrepresented groups are eligible for additional cash awards or mentorship from our sponsors even if they do not win their division. These questions and their responses will not be viewable by MN Cup judges and will not be used to evaluate your company.

It is up to your discretion how much proprietary or trade-secret level information you’d like to share. Our judges do not sign a legal NDA, but they do abide by our Code of Conduct. In later rounds, you can assess how much information you feel comfortable divulging during public pitches.

Completing Round 1 can be a valuable exercise for founders, providing feedback from volunteer division judges. Semifinalists are matched with two experienced mentors and gain access to free educational content and services. Winners, runners-up, and dedicated prize winners can win unrestricted seed money for their business.

Grand Prize Winner = $50,000, Division Winners = $25,000, Youth Division Winner = $10,000, Youth Division Runner up = $7,500, Youth Division 2nd Runner up = $2,500, plus additional cash prizes funded by sponsors & partners.

No! MN Cup does not take equity in exchange for your participation in the competition, or in return for cash prizes.

We leave it to your discretion to decide how the funds will be most helpful for your company.

Yes! We plan to have both virtual and in-person networking events this season.

Our mentors come from a variety of industries and businesses, many are serial entrepreneurs. They volunteer their time to support the startup ecosystem. Semifinalists can view bios and share preferences for mentor pairings.

In this round you will be judged on 3 deliverables: a 2-page executive summary business plan, a 15-slide pitch deck, and a 1-minute video.

You will receive an invite link to the YouNoodle platform to apply to the next round. Do not use the previous links from the first round.

You will be invited to the Minnesota mentor platform site. From there, you will assess the available mentors and submit your top 5 requests. MN Cup staff will match you.

That’s not something we recommend, but if you’re reluctant to work with one, let us know ASAP before the match. We want to make sure our mentors are utilized.

Division semifinalists will have a chance to publicly showcase their idea with a 3-minute pitch. This event may take place in person or virtually. Companies have a chance to win best pitch prizes and market their idea.

Division finalists (Top 3) will be judged during a live pitch/Q&A event. This event is virtual and closed to the public. Finalists do not turn in anything before the event for judging.

The 9 division winners will compete for the overall grand prize. Each division winner will pitch in person to the Grand Prize Review Board followed by a Q&A session.

The GPRB is made up of judges from across all 9 divisions, sponsor reps, long-time supporters of the MN Cup, and the founders.