HAE Startup World Cup Regional

September 24, 2026 - Martin Conference Center, Harvard Medical School - Boston

Shopperoo takes 1st place at the HAE Regional!

The competition was tight, the pitches were strong, and by the end of the night, Shopperoo emerged as the 2026 HAE Startup World Cup Regional Champion. The Harvard-founded startup took the top spot on September 24 at Harvard Medical School’s Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, earning its place at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco, November 4–6, where it will compete for the $1 million grand prize.

smartSTAT finished second, with CheckUps taking third, rounding out a highly competitive group of Harvard-founded startups.

But the night was about more than the competition. Founders, alumni, investors, judges, and members of the HAE community came together throughout the evening to celebrate entrepreneurship and make connections beyond the pitch stage.

The event began with a VIP Happy Hour hosted by Havas Edge, bringing founders and guests together the night before the competition kicked off. On stage, John Capodilupo and Emily Capodilupo of WHOOP shared a look back at the early days of building the company.

We also recognized SeeAir, Inc. with the Havas Edge Brand Velocity Award, celebrating another standout founder and company from the evening.

After the final pitches and awards, the event moved into a networking celebration sponsored by Kalodata, with founders, alumni, judges, and guests staying to connect, compare notes, and keep the conversation going. A photo booth sponsored by Pixability and Havas Edge added another way to capture the night.

It was a fitting close to an evening centered on the people behind the ideas, the companies they’re building, and the community around them.

You can read more about the event here.

Have a question? Email startupworldcup@harvardae.org

See the 2025 HAE Startup World Cup Regional

We are grateful to our Founding Supporters, whose generosity and early confidence in the HAE Startup World Cup Regional helped make our inaugural event possible.

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