University of Notre Dame
McCloskey New Venture Competition 2026
- When
- Friday, April 24, 2026
- Where
- DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
Official event page · dates verified
About the event
The McCloskey New Venture Competition is Notre Dame's 26-year-old national venture competition, run by the IDEA Center. Five finalists competed on the main stage for more than $100,000 in prizes; the Grand Prize was awarded Friday, April 24, 2026.
2026 winners: RETRN Bioworks (Grand Prize $50K + Wray-O'Brien Innovation Prize $5K + Marmon Most Innovative Prize $10K), Anaphero (Best Graduate Venture $10K + Overcoming Adversity), Geddit (Best Undergraduate Venture $10K), Lantern Network (Defense Tech Prize $5K), Accedar Salud (People's Choice $2.5K), Petrine Properties (Catholic Mission Award), Azam Health (Community Impact Award), and Nullpoint (Most Innovative Venture).
Hosted by McCloskey New Venture Competition
Who should apply
Eligibility is on the school's page. This site does not take applications.
Presenting teams (8)
Teams the host has named for this event. This is not a scored applicant list.