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HopStart: Hopkins New Venture Challenge
Also known as: JHU Business Plan Competition, HopStart
Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD
Annual business plan and pitch competition hosted by the Center for Leadership Education at the Whiting School of Engineering. 26th annual competition held April 24, 2026. Two-stage format: remote rounds followed by in-person finals.
Quick fit check
- Offers direct funding
- No equity required
- Currently active
- Verified by research
Key numbers
Funding range
$500 – $5,000
Equity
None
Application
Annual
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-04-24
High confidence
Application and Timing
Registration opens November. Stage 1 (remote) runs February-March. Competition day in April at Inn at the Colonnade. 2026 timeline: registration closed Feb 15, Stage 1 submissions Feb 18 & Mar 27, competition day April 24.
Participants
Open to all JHU divisions — undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students. Teams may include non-JHU affiliates but at least one team member must be a current JHU student. Any team size; up to 8 members register.
Funding and Equity
$40,000+ total prizes across four categories (General Ventures I & II, Medical Technology & Life Sciences I & II). Additional awards from Pava Center ($1,000), A-Level Capital ($500), HopStone Capital ($5,000). Non-dilutive prize funding. No equity taken.
Recent Activity
- 2026 (26th annual): 275+ students, 75+ teams, $40K+ prizes. BME student teams won General Ventures II (PointSense) and Medical Technology Ventures categories.
- 2025 (25th annual): 254 students, 75 teams, $36K HopStart awards + $12.5K additional. Keynote: Michael Rosenbaum (Arena Analytics CEO).
- Notable 2025 winners: Chirp Charm, CodaHx, Parametric, Veina Vascular.
Known startups and winners
Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.
Chirp Charm
Johns Hopkins University
HopStart 2025 winner.
CodaHx
Johns Hopkins University
HopStart 2025 winner.
Parametric
Johns Hopkins University
HopStart 2025 MedTech winner.
PointSense
1st place
placement
Johns Hopkins University
Ballet-focused wearable; HopStart 2026 winner.
Veina Vascular
Johns Hopkins University
HopStart 2025 MedTech winner.
Historical winners (research notes)
- PointSense — Ballet-focused wearable (2026 Gen Ventures II winner)
- Chirp Charm — 2025 Gen Ventures I winner
- CodaHx — 2025 Gen Ventures II winner
- Parametric — 2025 MedTech I winner
- Veina Vascular — 2025 MedTech II winner
- FloSync, NΔVI, RescueReady — 2025 additional award winners
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting HopStart: Hopkins New Venture Challenge at Johns Hopkins University.
1 source
"HopStart: Hopkins New Venture Challenge"
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
"HopStart: Hopkins New Venture Challenge"
# HopStart: Hopkins New Venture Challenge 26th annual business plan and pitch competition (April 24, 2026). 275+ students, 75+ teams, $40K+ prizes. Four categories: General Ventures I & II, Medical Technology & Life Sciences I & II. Hosted by Center for Leadership Education. Additional awards from Pava Center ($1K), A-Level Capital ($500), HopStone Capital ($5K). Open to all JHU divisions.
Read on Johns Hopkins University