About Startup Prize: Focus on Health

If you have questions, contact Melissa Brannan: melissa@prize.foundation.

There are Three Startup Prizes

Prize #1: Elevating Your Business

Each and every business that shows up to Startup Prize will be given the tools and insight to make their business more attractive to the market and, as a result, to investors. A tight, realistic, business plan is what earns you dollars from investors, lenders, and customers. The mentorship gained alone by Startup Prize participants is worth thousands of dollars.

Prize #2: Two Tracks, $10,000 in Cash (for each)

A handful of startups will be selected from the Qualifying Events to advance to the Final Round based on their Entrepreneur Canvas submitted via our online Portal system. There will be one track for startups requiring FDA approval, and one track for startups that don’t. Each group of startups will present their final business plans and pitch to our panel of Investor Judges behind closed doors. The winner of each track will walk away with a $10,000 cash grand prize.

Prize #3: Investment in Your Business

While there can be only one grand prize winner in each track, every entrepreneur in the program is eligible for investment by Startup Prize Investors. This is the real deal, the “Big Prize” as we call it. Winning the Big Prize requires incredibly hard work to show the investors that your idea – and more importantly, YOU – are ready for that next step.

What is Startup Prize?

Startup Prize is a unique entrepreneur education program and competition designed to activate, evolve, and transform startups. It is one of several programs supported by the award-winning Prize Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Since its inception in 2014, Startup Prize has served as a springboard for entrepreneurs, equipping them with education, networking opportunities, expert assessment, and consultation to propel their businesses toward capital investment and long-term success.

Originally launched as the “Louisiana Startup Prize,” this industry-agnostic competition attracted early-stage startups across a spectrum of disciplines—from health and technology to innovative business solutions. In 2020, the program rebranded as Startup Prize: Focus on Health to leverage and energize health resources in Northwest Louisiana and to attract cutting-edge health and medical innovation to the region and state.

For 2025, Startup Prize is continuing its Focus on Health, expanding its impact by recruiting early-stage health and medical startups from across the nation. With a growing network of rock star mentors and investors, we are committed to elevating and accelerating the entrepreneurial journeys of every participant.

How Our Program Works

At Startup Prize: Focus on Health, we’re not just a competition—we’re a movement. Our mission is to activate, create, and transform startups by connecting entrepreneurs with the resources, mentors, and investment capital needed to shine a light on their path to success. Unlike traditional startup competitions, Startup Prize deemphasizes the pitch and prioritizes learning, collaboration, and meaningful connections.

Here’s how it works:

1) Qualifying Events All participants must attend at least one qualifying event. These two-day events—held virtually or in-person—are designed to provide direct access to mentorship from subject matter experts and opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs. The format includes engaging roundtable discussions, keynote speakers, and expert panels.

Topics at these events are tailored to essential entrepreneurial needs as well as topics within the health sector, such as:

- - - Financial Planning: Crafting realistic projections and valuations.
    - Legal Guidance: Protecting intellectual property and navigating regulatory compliance.
    - Marketing Strategies: Customer discovery and brand development.
    - Funding Opportunities: Exploring VC pathways, SBIR/STTR grants, and non-dilutive funding.
    - Health & Medical: Regulatory approvals, reimbursement strategies, clinical validation, provider/payer market navigation.

2) Entrepreneurial Portal Submission Participants submit an entrepreneurial portal—a lean canvas-based application detailing the problem the startup is solving, their team, customer base, go-to-market plan, and any revenue and investment secured to date. This helps evaluators understand the startup’s trajectory and viability. Feedback from mentors who engaged with participants at the qualifying events adds depth to the selection process.

3) The Startup Prize Final Final Finalists from each track—FDA and Non-FDA—are announced and invited to Shreveport, Louisiana, to participate in the Startup Prize Final Final, an exciting conclusion to the program. During this event, startups present their refined concepts to an esteemed panel of investor judges. The top-scoring startup in each track is awarded a $10,000 Grand Prize.

While the pitch event serves as the program’s finale, the true magic of Startup Prize lies in the relationships forged between entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors, which often extend far beyond the competition. We’ve found this event to be a galvanizing moment that leads to deeper mentorship, partnerships and in some cases, investment.

Our Mission

Startup Prize was founded to activate entrepreneurs, create opportunities, and transform startups into successful businesses. By connecting founders with mentorship, resources, and investment opportunities, we aim to transform early-stage ideas into sustainable companies.

Importantly, the big picture is to catalyze health-focused innovation while fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Louisiana. As an inclusive, no-strings-attached program—no entry fees, no equity taken— just opportunities to succeed—Startup Prize provides entrepreneurs from all backgrounds a chance to grow, evolve, and thrive.