Sponsors¶
The strongest commercial asset in this research. The Minneapolis–St. Paul Fortune 500 corridor gives TCSW an unmatched corporate sponsor pool.
Confirmed sponsors by era¶
| Year | Title / lead | Notable backers |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Allianz Life (Innovation Day) | Fredrikson & Byron, Impact Hub, CoCo, Mall of America |
| 2018 | Cargill (first title) | Mayo Clinic, Walmart (MANOVA); Make It. MSP, Branch Messenger |
| 2019 | Target, Cargill, 3M (Fortune 500) | Microsoft, AWS, Ecolab, GreaterMSP |
| 2023 | Optum ("Optum Cup" naming) | TriNet, Twin Ignition, Workbox, FINNOVATION Lab |
| 2025 | Communiful (co-host) | Groove Capital, Great North, gener8tor, Launch MN, DEED |
2026 confirmed sponsors¶
Named sponsors and partners tracked for 2026 (organizations database). A mix of returning corporates, MN VCs, banks, and law firms.
| Organization | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Communiful | Co-organizer | Returning (2025–2026) |
| JPMorgan Chase | Finance / Premier | Returning (2023–2026) |
| Bread & Butter Ventures | VC | Returning (2025–2026) |
| Groove Capital | VC | Returning (2025–2026) |
| Launch Minnesota | Government | Returning (2019–2026) |
| MN Cup / University of Minnesota | Competition partner | Returning (2014–2026) |
| Mairs & Power | Finance / VC | 2026 |
| Augeo | Engagement / loyalty | 2026 |
| Northeast Bank | Banking | 2026 |
| Taft Law | Legal (exit planning) | 2026 |
| Brooksource | Talent / staffing | 2026 |
| Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community | Tribal nation | 2026 |
| Idea Fund | Regional VC | 2026 |
| Biometrica Health | HealthTech | 2026 |
| ezer21 | Startup | 2026 |
| Full Stack Saint Paul Scale Up | Ecosystem | 2026 |
Scale signal
The 2022 BETA brand metrics report 42 sponsors across the year — a useful benchmark for 2026 sponsor-count targets.
2026 re-engagement targets¶
Highest-ROI prospects: every one has sponsored before.
| Company | Last sponsored | Why now |
|---|---|---|
| Target | 2019 | Retail innovation; prior title sponsor |
| Cargill | 2018–2019 | AgTech + AI Day fit |
| 3M | 2018–2019 | 3M Ventures; AI Day |
| Optum / UnitedHealth | 2023 | Cup naming worked; MedTech track |
| Microsoft | 2019 | Azure AI; perfect for AI Innovation Day |
| AWS | 2019 | AWS Activate; AI/cloud angle |
2026 new-sponsor targets¶
| Company | Category | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Google for Startups | Tech | AI Day presenting |
| Salesforce | Tech/CRM | Investor Day; startup programs |
| JPMorgan Chase | Finance | Investor Day; funding structures |
| US Bank | Finance | MN HQ; startup banking |
| Medtronic | MedTech | Investor Day; healthcare track |
| General Mills | Food/Ag | Industry Day; Food/Ag track |
| Best Buy | Retail Tech | Industry Day; MN Fortune 500 |
| Boston Scientific | MedTech | MN HQ; healthcare/investor day |
2026 tiers¶
| Tier | Min investment |
|---|---|
| Builder | $5,000 |
| Host | TBD |
| Presenter | TBD |
| Premier | TBD |
Prospectus: Angela.Eifert@BETA.MN.
Source files¶
BACKGROUND/sponsors/sponsors-database.mdBACKGROUND/sponsors/all-years-summary.mdBACKGROUND/sponsors/fortune500-2019.mdBACKGROUND/sponsors/sponsors-database.csvBACKGROUND/sponsors/TCSW_Sponsors_Master.xlsx