Students and alumni entrepreneurs among 2026 MN Cup semifinalists

Six companies with CSE ties compete to accelerate their businesses 

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (06/02/2026) - Of the 92 companies in this year’s 2026 MN Cup semifinals, six have University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (CSE) ties. 

Each team will be paired with an experienced mentor and participate in a series of summer educational workshops and events. The semifinalists are also preparing a pitch deck, a summary business plan and a one-minute video as the competition heats up to the Division Showcase and Finalist Selection round on August 3. 

Winners from the nine MN Cup divisions will then present live on September 14 at the MN Cup Grand Finale in McNamara Alumni Center.

The six 2026 MN Cup semifinalists with College of Science and Engineering ties are

Ambient Intelligence Inc. — Impact Ventures division
Founder Brian Johnson, who holds a 2025 M.S. in Medical Device Innovation from the University of Minnesota's Technological Leadership Institute (TLI), is a researcher at the University's Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center. His startup, which uses sensors to safeguard memory care residents, is one of 10 semifinalists in the division. (Read a TLI Q&A with him.) 

CASA Ai — Student division
Lalitaditya Divakarla, who earned his master's degree in robotics in 2025, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science. His app for property owners and home inspectors uses artificial intelligence to detecting damages big and small. Divakarla was on the University of Minnesota team, advised by Professor Maria Gini, that won the "Excellence in Smalls Farms Technology" prize in the 2025 Farm Robotics Award for a deer deterrence system.

HLMS (HL Medical Systems) — Life Science/ Health IT
Hassaan Khan, a 2017 graduate of TLI's M.S. in Medical Device Innovation program, wants to "save lives and catch breast cancer." His startup aims to detect tissue anomalies during breast exams with a handheld scanner.  (Read a TLI Q&A with him.) His team is among the 11 semifinalists in the division.

Lucidity LLC — Food/ Ag/ Bev division
Team lead David Emmons, former innovation head at The Duracell Company and Honeywell, holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota. His daughter, Kayla, is founder of this herbal supplement company, one of the division’s 10 semifinalists.

Operator_Lens — Student division
Co-founder Will Beaumaster earned his bachelor's degree in computer science this May. The inventory optimization software company he co-founded was named among the 11 semifinalists in the student division. For the past two years, Beaumaster served as executive director of executive affairs in the University of Minnesota Undergraduate Student Government.

Wahlquist Industries LLC — Energy/ Clean Tech/ Water division
Current University of Minnesota electrical engineering major Ashwin Wahlquist's startup, focused on wastewater desalination technology, is one of nine semifinalists in the division. Wahlquist is a mechanical team member with the University of Minnesota Solar Car Project and a team lead with the Engineers Without Borders chapter on the Twin Cities campus.

For more information about the competition, see the 2026 MN Cup website.