SHREVEPORT, LA — Startup Prize: Focus on Health, the Prize Foundation’s national competition for early-stage health startups, hit a major milestone this past weekend with its largest in-person Qualifying Event to date. Held June 20–22 in downtown Shreveport with generous support from Louisiana Economic Development, the event brought together 41 health-focused startups from 15 states across the country– including Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia– and major metropolitan areas, like Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia, Austin and New Orleans. They convened for three days of mentorship, networking, and entrepreneurial support with the hopes of moving on to this year’s finals.

This year's cohort marks a record number of participating companies, each with the potential to advance innovation in healthcare through impactful, accessible solutions. Over the course of the weekend, startups engaged in collaborative roundtables, met one-on-one with subject-matter experts, and received actionable insights from investors — all aimed at refining their commercialization strategies, accelerating their path to market and preparing them for the next stage of growth.

“It’s been amazing watching this event grow into one of the country’s preeminent health-focused entrepreneur events,” said Gregory Kallenberg, Executive Director of the Prize Foundation. “This year’s Startup Prize Qualifier, and the spirit and energy that was in room showed that Startup Prize is a required stop for anyone looking to gain wisdom, guidance and direction for themselves and their companies to get on the path to success.” 

Throughout the weekend, founders connected with a diverse mix of investors, subject matter experts, and industry leaders — all part of Startup Prize’s growing national network of mentors and partners, including MassChallenge, Health Wildcatters and Harvard i-Labs. The event is a core part of the competition’s unique model, which de-emphasizes the pitch and instead focuses on connecting founders with the people and resources who can help them refine their vision, overcome barriers, and build momentum. Startups compete in two tracks, FDA and Non-FDA, based on whether or not their company requires FDA regulation to initially get to market. There are no fees, no equity taken, and all support is designed to help startups move faster and smarter toward meaningful impact.

The competition is also fertile ground for investors seeking vetted, early-stage companies solving real-world problems in health and healthcare delivery. Five finalist companies will be announced in late July and invited to return to Shreveport for the Startup Prize Final Final happening late August. Each company will present their concept to the Startup Prize Investor-Judge panel and undergo rigorous questioning on the merits and feasibility of their businesses. A grand prize of $10,000 cash will be awarded to the winner of the FDA Track and the winner of the NonFDA Track. Not only do the Investor-Judges select the winners — they also have the option to directly invest in or continue mentorship with any startup that captures their interest.

To learn more about Startup Prize: Focus on Health, visit startupprize.com.