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McGinnis Venture Competition
Also known as: McGinnis Competition
Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA
CMU's flagship student pitch competition. 2026 total prize package: $125K cash + $250K AWS credits = $375K total. Features the new David and Lindsay Morgenthaler Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund ($50K prize). Final round March 17, 2026 with 70% increase in entries. Attended by Pittsburgh Mayor, County Executive, and US Senator.
Quick fit check
- Offers direct funding
- No equity required
- Currently active
- Verified by research
Key numbers
Funding range
$1,000 – $150,000
Prize, In Kind
Equity
None
Application
Annual
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-03-17
High confidence
Application and Timing
Annual cycle. Final round typically March. 2026: 70% increase in entries over prior year.
Participants
CMU student founders across all disciplines. Graduate and undergraduate tracks.
Funding and Equity
- Graduate 1st: $50K cash + $100K AWS credits
- Graduate 2nd: $25K cash + $25K AWS credits (two winners)
- Undergraduate 1st: $5K cash + $25K AWS credits
- Undergraduate 2nd: $4K cash + $10K AWS credits
- Undergraduate 3rd: $2.5K cash + $10K AWS credits
- Social Enterprise Prize: $10K cash + $25K AWS credits
- Gebhardt Sandbox: $1K each (three winners)
Non-dilutive prizes. AWS credits provided as cloud computing resources.
Recent Activity
- 2026 (Mar 17): 2026 competition finals. Mayor Gainey, County Executive Innamorato, Senator Fetterman attended.
- 2026: New Morgenthaler Prize ($50K) added.
- 2025: Prior competition with 2025 winners.
Known startups and winners
Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.
Historical winners (research notes)
- Analogical Engines — Graduate 1st ($50K + $100K AWS, 2026)
- Hermes Vision — Graduate 2nd ($25K + $25K AWS, 2026)
- RapidEye — Graduate 2nd ($25K + $25K AWS, 2026)
- Basics OS — Undergraduate 1st ($5K + $25K AWS, 2026)
- OS Keyboard — Undergraduate 2nd ($4K + $10K AWS, 2026)
- Caboodl — Undergraduate 3rd ($2.5K + $10K AWS, 2026)
- Pulse — Social Enterprise Prize ($10K + $25K AWS, 2026)
- HeartTech — Gebhardt Sandbox ($1K, 2026)
- MedQ AI — Gebhardt Sandbox ($1K, 2026)
- Pierogi Therapeutics — Gebhardt Sandbox ($1K, 2026)
Verification Gaps
- Historical prize data for years prior to 2026 not captured.
- AWS credit terms and restrictions not specified.
Additional research notesShow
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting McGinnis Venture Competition at Carnegie Mellon University.
3 sources
Carnegie Mellon University
McGinnis Venture Competition
Official McGinnis Venture Competition page. Flagship student pitch competition at CMU. 2026 total: $125K cash + $250K AWS credits = $375K total prize package. New David and Lindsay Morgenthaler Prize ($50K). 70% increase in entries. Final round attended by Pittsburgh Mayor, County Executive, US Senator.
Read on Carnegie Mellon University
CMU Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship — Home
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
CMU Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship — Home
Official Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship homepage. Founded 2016 via $31M gift from Jim Swartz (Accel Partners co-founder). Central entrepreneurship hub at CMU. Lists VentureBridge, McGinnis Venture Competition ($375K), Tartan Entrepreneurs Fund, Spark Grants, ICF, Deep Tech Venture-Ready, and CMU Startup Week as key programs.
Read on Carnegie Mellon University
CMU Swartz Center — Resources, Funding & Talent
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
CMU Swartz Center — Resources, Funding & Talent
Central hub page listing all funding and program resources under the Swartz Center. Categorizes programs into Idea Stage (Gebhardt Sandbox, Beyond 2% Fund, Spark Grants), Competitions (McGinnis, Social Enterprise Prize), and Later Stage (VentureBridge, Tartan Entrepreneurs Fund).
Read on Carnegie Mellon University