Shopperoo Wins 2026 HAE Startup World Cup
Harvard-founded retail technology company Shopperoo advances to Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco to compete for $1 million
BOSTON, MA — Shopperoo won the 2026 HAE Startup World Cup Regional, emerging at the top of a field of 12 Harvard-founded startups competing at Harvard Medical School’s Joseph B. Martin Conference Center.
Founded by Harvard Business School alumni Namrata Singhal and Rohit Singhal, Shopperoo uses AI to help retailers make smarter assortment and pricing decisions. With the win, Shopperoo advances to 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 place, rounding out a highly competitive field of Harvard-founded companies spanning healthcare, artificial intelligence, climate, retail, data, and other industries.
“We’re really excited to go to San Francisco and incredibly honored to have won,” said Shopperoo co-founders Namrata and Rohit Singhal.
A Night of Harvard Entrepreneurship
The 2026 HAE Startup World Cup Regional brought together founders, investors, alumni, judges, sponsors, and members of the broader Harvard entrepreneurial community for an evening centered on the companies and founders building what comes next.
Each finalist had just four minutes to pitch, followed by two minutes of questions from the judges.
This year’s judging panel included Lou Shipley of Harvard Business School; Lian Zhang of Instrument Capital and Y Combinator; Laura Rippy of Alumni Ventures; Peter Dolch of Aeon Foundry; Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures; and Ashraf Hebela, Head of Startup Banking at J.P. Morgan.
The strength of the finalist field defined the competition. From the opening pitch through the judges’ final deliberations, the evening showcased ambitious founders tackling significant problems across industries—and demonstrated the breadth of entrepreneurship emerging from the Harvard community.
WHOOP: A Founder Conversation
Beyond the competition, John Capodilupo and Emily Capodilupo of WHOOP joined HAE on stage for a fireside conversation about the early days of building the company and the decisions, challenges, and lessons that shaped its growth.
The conversation gave founders and guests a candid look at the experiences behind WHOOP’s early growth.
SeeAir Wins the Havas Edge Brand Velocity Award
In a separate recognition, SeeAir, Inc. won the Havas Edge Brand Velocity Award.
The award includes support from Havas Edge across strategy, brand, creative, and media execution, helping SeeAir strengthen its market presence and accelerate its next stage of growth.
The Evening Before: Bringing the Community Together
The Startup World Cup experience began on September 23, when Havas Edge hosted a VIP reception for finalists, judges, sponsors, investors, and guests. The reception offered an opportunity to connect ahead of the following evening’s competition and brought together many of the people who make up HAE’s broader founder and investor community.
After the Awards: Time to Connect
Following the awards on September 24, the event continued with a networking celebration sponsored by Kalodata. The party continued through 10 p.m., giving founders, alumni, judges, sponsors, and guests time to connect beyond the competition.
Conversations continued throughout the evening, new connections were made, and a photo booth sponsored by Pixability and Havas Edge captured moments from the celebration.
The 2026 HAE Startup World Cup Regional was sponsored by Havas Edge, Ilker Baburoglu, Kalodata, Foley Hoag, Pixability, Fundex, and Ramp.
For Shopperoo, the win marks the next step on a bigger stage.
Next stop: San Francisco.