STARTedUP Foundation Announces 10 Finalists for the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge Finals
Competition doubles in size as Indiana's top student entrepreneurs earn their chance for a $25,000 grand prize.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The STARTedUP Foundation is proud to announce the top ten student teams that will compete in the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge Finals, (formerly known as Innovate WithIN) the centerpiece event of the inaugural STARTedUP Summit on June 12, 2026 at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
This year's competition marks a landmark moment for the STARTedUP Foundation. The STARTedUP Challenge expanded from six to seven competitive regions by adding Region 7: West Central Indiana — a direct reflection of the thriving entrepreneurial energy taking root across the state. The numbers tell the story: in a single year, the STARTedUP Challenge doubled in scale. A total of 1,174 teams submitted ventures in 2026, compared to 515 in 2025; a 128% increase. Student participation grew from 979 to 2,162, making this high school pitch competition one of the most competitive in the state.
The ten finalists will compete for a prize pool that includes $25,000 for first place, $5,000 for second, $2,500 for third, and a $1,500 People’s Choice Award. Each finalist team member also receives $1,000 in personal funding as part of their selection.
Meet the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge Finalists
Seven regional winners and three wildcard selections, chosen from the strongest runners-up across the state, will compete for $25,000 in first-place prize funding on June 12.
Regional Winners
PageMD — Region 1
Chaz Burkett, Seth Donea & Veronica Rodionova | Signature School Inc.
PageMD is an AI-powered medical paging system that eliminates phone bottlenecks in clinics by intelligently handling and routing incoming calls, allowing staff to focus on patient care.
OccluSense — Region 2
Zaina Khan & Riya Koya | Carmel High School
OccluSense is transforming IV safety by replacing one-size-fits-all alarm systems with context-aware pressure analysis — reducing alarm fatigue, preventing unnecessary patient mortality, and freeing up critical nursing time through a smarter, more responsive hospital alerting system.
Luna Bandages — Region 3
Nathan Peck & Luke Padgett | Brownsburg High School
Luna Bandages revolutionizes the bandage industry with first-of-its-kind reusable, hook-and-loop secured fabric bandages designed to prevent and treat blisters.
Course Caddy — Region 4
Brandon Walker | Munster High School
Course Caddy is a golf ball retrieval system that saves both time and money through color strip and drone technology.
Reese Olivia Creative — Region 5
Reese Streicher | Carroll High School
Reese Olivia Creative offers custom designs through embroidery and painting, turning personal ideas into meaningful, one-of-a-kind creations.
Region 6 — Roots2Results
Tucker Harris & Kishan Patel | Floyd Central High School
Roots2Results is an AI-powered platform that simplifies and translates complex financial and business documents, tailored to local regulations and built to support immigrant and non-citizen entrepreneurs navigating systems like visas and compliance.
Phoenix Phuel — Region 7
Nathan Jones, Bradley Moore & Jude Sabla | Terre Haute North Vigo High School
Phoenix Phuel cuts down on plastic waste in landfills and reduces gas prices by turning plastic into fuel.
Wildcard Selections
With the expansion to seven regions in 2026, the wildcard pool was more competitive than ever with only three teams advancing.
Dermi — Region 2
Angie Xiu & Alex Mi | Carmel High School
Dermi is a bias-corrected skin cancer screening platform that combines an affordable smartphone dermoscope with high-accuracy AI to deliver accessible, equitable early detection across all skin tones.
Iconic Looks — Region 3
Trinity Easley | McKenzie Career Center
Iconic Looks delivers high-quality raw hair extensions designed for women who value consistency, confidence, and trust.
NAM — Region 4
Mason Green, Aris Koehler & Noah Deeds | Mishawaka High School
NAM Spike Guard protects track athletes’ racing spikes with a lightweight, snap-on cover that prevents damage on hard surfaces while allowing comfortable movement between events.
Bootcamp: Preparing for the Stage
Before the finalists pitch at the Summit, they’ll spend six weeks in the STARTedUP Bootcamp, an intensive preparation process designed to sharpen their ventures, refine their pitches, and accelerate their growth. The Bootcamp includes a two-day in-person intensive on May 16–17 in Indianapolis, where all ten teams will convene at Butler University and 16 Tech for one-on-one mentorship sessions, peer connection, and hands-on coaching.
The Inaugural STARTedUP Summit
The STARTedUP Challenge Finals are the main event inside the inaugural STARTedUP Summit, a full-day celebration of everything the STARTedUP ecosystem has built over the course of the year. Hosted at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University, the Summit brings together student entrepreneurs, alumni, educators, business leaders, and government officials under one roof. The event will also highlight and celebrate emerging regional innovators, STARTedUP alumni, and Innovation Accelerator educators from across the state.
The Inaugural INnovation Tour
Following the Summit, all ten finalist teams will embark on the inaugural INnovation Tour, a four-day immersive experience running June 15–18 across Marion, Hamilton, Lake, and Allen Counties, touching central, northwest, and northeast Indiana. Each year, STARTedUP invests in taking its finalists beyond the classroom and into the heart of Indiana’s business and innovation community. Last year’s cohort traveled to Washington, D.C.
Some stops along the way include:
June 15: Lucas Oil Lunch & Learn (Marion County)
June 16: Breakfast with the Founders at Fair Oaks Farms (Hamilton County)
June 17: Site visit at Fort Wayne Metals (Allen County)
June 18: Site visit and tour at Delta Faucet (Hamilton County)
Thank You to Our Regional Competition Hosts
The STARTedUP Foundation extends its deepest gratitude to the host organizations that made the 2026 regional competitions possible across Indiana:
Region 1: Deaconess
Region 2: Purdue Innovates & Purdue Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Region 3: IU Indianapolis, IU Innovates, IU LAB: Launch Accelerator for Biosciences & IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering
Region 4: Purdue University Northwest & Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest
Region 5: Trine University
Region 6: Maker13
Region 7: Indiana State University Scott College of Business
Sponsors & Partners
The STARTedUP Foundation is grateful to the sponsors and partners whose support makes the STARTedUP Challenge and Summit possible.
Summit Host: Butler University & Butler Lacy School of Business
Foundation Partners: Don Wood Foundation, Old National Bank Foundation
State Sponsor: Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)
Gold Sponsors: Beck’s Hybrids, Carmel Redevelopment Commission, City of Bloomington, Doral LLC, Indiana Tech, Lifeboost Coffee, Merchants Bank, MISO, Westmoreland Pharmacy + Compounding
Silver Sponsor: Unrulr
Bronze Sponsors: Brightwell, Plug and Play Indiana, Team Quality Services, SkilledUS
About the STARTedUP Foundation
The STARTedUP Foundation is an Indiana-based nonprofit dedicated to igniting entrepreneurial thinking in students across the state. Through the STARTedUP Challenge, Work-Based Learning programs, the Innovation Accelerator, and student immersion experiences, STARTedUP equips the next generation of Hoosier innovators with the skills, networks, and confidence to build something that matters. STARTedUP is an IDOE-approved Work-Based Learning solution.
