100 St. Louis startups. 10 finalists. 1 champion. One shot at $1 million.
The St. Louis Startup World Cup is back for its third year, and today TechSTL is proud to announce the ten companies advancing to the Regional Finals.
This year, 100 startups from across the St. Louis region entered the competition, representing some of the most promising emerging companies in AI, cybersecurity, biotech, health innovation, accessibility, geospatial, logistics, climate technology, education and more.
Now, just 10 finalists remain. (Snag your seat for next week’s event)
On September 23 from 5:00–8:00 PM at The Post Building in Downtown St. Louis, these founders will take the stage to compete for the opportunity to represent St. Louis at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, November 4–6, where startups from around the world will compete for a $1 million investment prize.
Meet the 2026 St. Louis Top 10
AMASS BIOSYSTEMS
Amass BioSystems by Justin Traenkle: Amass develops symbiotic species that help farmers diversify revenue, reduce input costs, and improve soil health.
CAPYBIO
CapyBio, by Guillermo Rivera-Gonzalez: CapyBio helps biotech and pharma build better human cell models, reducing costly failures and accelerating drug development.
HAULA
HAULa, by Christian Roberts: HAULa is an on-demand hauling marketplace that connects customers moving large or bulky items with vetted local drivers who own trucks and trailers, offering upfront pricing, live GPS tracking, and insured delivery in hours instead of weeks.
KING OF THE CURVE
King of the Curve, by Heath Rutledge-Jukes: King of the Curve is a personalized learning platform combining gamified test prep, predictive analytics, and AI-powered study tools to help students succeed in high-stakes exams.
LANDCONNECT
LandConnect, by Nashad Carrington: We turn America’s vacant city land into revenue, jobs, and climate outcomes: a municipal SaaS marketplace that forecasts parcel value, matches funding, and mobilizes vetted crews.
NEUROFORE
Neuro Fore, by Hamasa Ebadi: NeuroFore is using AI to help physicians diagnose Parkinson’s disease years earlier than is currently possible. By enabling earlier diagnosis and intervention, NeuroFore improves outcomes for millions of patients worldwide.
OPS COMPANION
Ops Companion, by Kenneth Eversole: OpsCompanion is a sovereign intelligence company dedicated to ensuring that the most capable AI is owned and controlled by the people who depend on it. Built for banks, hospitals, and law firms.
SIMAPTIC
SIMAPTIC, by Jacob Krasnov: SIMAPTIC provides on-demand AI-driven autonomous cybersecurity testing for small businesses, to meet regulatory and insurance mandated requirements at affordable costs and identify vulnerabilities before attackers can find them.
WE HEAR YOU
We Hear You, by Pierre Paul: We Hear You develops innovative accessibility technology that transforms existing spaces, giving people with disabilities greater independence, dignity, and freedom in how they navigate the world.
ZENTRYPASS
ZentryPass, by Karly Lamm: Zentry Pass is building the infrastructure powering the future of work, helping independent coworking spaces grow while giving companies access to trusted workspaces wherever business takes them.
From St. Louis to the Global Stage
Startup World Cup has become one of the largest startup competitions in the world, connecting entrepreneurial ecosystems through more than 120 regional competitions and bringing founders, investors and innovation leaders together at its annual global finale.
This year also marks an important milestone for Missouri.
For the first time, both St. Louis and Kansas City are hosting regional competitions, meaning two Missouri founders will earn the opportunity to advance to the global stage in Silicon Valley.
For St. Louis, the Regional Finals are about more than choosing one winner. They are an opportunity to put a spotlight on the companies being built here, introduce founders to investors and potential customers, and demonstrate the depth of innovation emerging across the region.
These ten companies represent very different industries and technologies, but they share something important: each is building from St. Louis with ambitions that extend far beyond it.
Join Us September 23
We invite the entire St. Louis startup, technology and business community to join us for the Regional Finals.
Come meet the founders. Connect with investors, executives and innovation leaders. See ten of the region’s most exciting emerging companies pitch live. And watch as one founder earns the opportunity to represent St. Louis on the world stage.
- St. Louis Startup World Cup Regional Finals
- September 23, 2026 from 5:00–8:00 PM
- The Post Building in Downtown St. Louis
- Tickets are free and open to the community
Original posted on the TechSTL Newsletter on LinkedIn.
