Five Central Minnesota Entrepreneurs Named Semifinalists in Regional Startup Competition

(KNSI) — Five entrepreneurs from across Central Minnesota have been selected as semifinalists to pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges next week in St. Cloud.

Greater St. Cloud and ILT Studios announced the five on Friday for the 2026 Trailblazer Challenge, a regional competition designed to support early-stage startups. The live pitch event is set for March 12th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Pioneer Place on Fifth in downtown St. Cloud.

The five finalists are Connor Mahoney of Acento Hidratación, an electrolyte supplement for Spanish-speaking athletes; Stephen Rider and Levi Bosshart of Buzz Care, a rural healthcare logistics company using autonomous drones to deliver prescription medications to underserved communities; Liz Fiedler Mergen of Farmers to Florists, a digital platform connecting specialty cut flower farmers with florists; Karl Larsen and Kristofer Larsen of MaintenancePulse, an electrical system monitoring and maintenance tracking platform; and Charlie Plum of RIGS RAMP, an ankle mobility and pain relief tool for athletes.

Judges will evaluate pitches on innovation, market potential, and scalability. The top finisher earns an automatic semifinalist spot in the 2026 MN Cup, Minnesota’s largest statewide startup competition, along with cash prizes of up to $5,500.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available by clicking here.

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