Startup Prize: Health has announced its 2026 grand prize winners after a record-breaking competition that attracted 89 early-stage health and medical companies from across the country and four other countries.
OmniNano Pharmaceuticals of Houston won the FDA track, while KOM Analytics of Tulsa, Oklahoma, won the Non-FDA track. The winners were announced during a live, global broadcast awards ceremony hosted by the Prize Foundation with support from Louisiana Economic Development and Louisiana Innovation, or LA.IO.
The 2026 competition drew companies from 27 states, as well as Canada, South Africa, Australia and Algeria. Forty-seven percent of participating companies were founded by women, surpassing the national average of 35%, while 52% were founded by entrepreneurs of color.
“We were so proud to host this amazing group of founders, definitely the strongest group we’ve ever experienced at Startup Prize: Health,” said Gregory Kallenberg, founder of Startup Prize. “Congrats to OmniNano Pharmaceuticals and KOM Analytics for their big win. That said, in our book and the investor’s book, everyone who made it to this level is a winner.”
OmniNano Pharmaceuticals, which was born from research at MD Anderson, is developing a nanoparticle therapy designed to break through the defenses of pancreatic tumors and deliver treatment directly to the cancer.
KOM Analytics provides small and midsize health care organizations with a platform designed to organize data from systems including patient records, human resources and finances into reports without disrupting existing operations.
Each company received a $10,000 cash prize, along with additional mentorship and introductions. The six finalists also presented their concepts to an Investor-Judge panel, which questioned the companies on the merits and feasibility of their businesses.
Startup Prize said the $10,000 awards represent only part of the opportunity for participating companies, as investors at the event can invest in any company they find promising, regardless of whether it won the competition.
The other four finalists were Transformative Biotech of Boulder, Colorado; Métopi of Alexandria, Virginia; ClearSight Therapeutics of Dallas; and NurseBrain of Palo Alto, California.
Transformative Biotech is developing extraction-free technology and a handheld PCR device designed to provide rapid, accurate and affordable testing. Métopi is developing a portable inhaler intended to provide fast, reliable relief during medical emergencies for people with asthma and migraines.
ClearSight Therapeutics is developing an over-the-counter antimicrobial pink eye drop, with technology designed to form a protective barrier that fights bacteria and infection. NurseBrain is a workflow platform that organizes patient information, tasks and handoffs in real time to help nurses coordinate care.
To participate in Startup Prize: Health, entrepreneurs registered their early-stage, health-focused businesses to attend at least one qualifying event. Participating companies ranged from medical and surgical devices to drug delivery, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, health technology, care delivery and administrative solutions.
Qualifying events connected entrepreneurs with mentor-led roundtables, panels and keynotes featuring experts from across the country. Competitors seeking to reach the finals also submitted a detailed survey and business plan, which, along with mentor feedback, helped determine which companies advanced to the Investor-Judge panel.
“Louisiana’s innovation strategy has to extend beyond the industries we’re best known for,” said Josh Fleig, Chief Innovation Officer at Louisiana Economic Development. “Startup Prize: Health gives us an opportunity to bring promising health innovators to Louisiana and show them what our state has to offer. Through LA.IO, we’re investing in partnerships that broaden Louisiana’s health innovation economy, position our state to lead in the field and, ultimately, improve the lives of the people who call our state home.”
Startup Prize, based in Shreveport, is a nationally recognized early-stage innovation platform designed to support emerging companies preparing for commercialization. Founded in 2014, the program connects entrepreneurs with mentors, investors and ecosystem partners through curated events and competitions.
Louisiana Innovation, a division of Louisiana Economic Development, supports startups through strategic investments, entrepreneurial support, commercialization initiatives, workforce development and partnerships across industry, academia and government.
Photos courtesy of Jeremy Hernandez.
