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Minnesota Cup 2007 Recap

The 3rd annual Minnesota Cup launched on March 30th with the first round concluding on May 25th. Since then, members of the review board have read the submissions of nearly 500 entrants. On June 18th, we announced this years semi-finalist who provided amazing plans on their breakthrough business concepts.

Through late July & August, the review board read the submissions of our 30 semi-finalist and on August 20th, we announced this years Minnesota Cup finalist (to learn more, read the MN Cup Finalist Announcement).

On September 6th, the 2007 Finalists presented their plans to an esteemed panel of judges at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota. After these presentations, an awards event was held at the Alumni Center that included the awarding of the Entrepreneur of the Year award to Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad. As well as the presentation of the Minnesota Cup from Dave and Carolyn Cleveland. (to learn more, read the MN Cup Winner Annoucement).

Each year, Twin Cities Business provides enhanced coverage of the Minnesota Cup through an 8 page supplement.

Following you can find the supplements for the 2005,2006 & 2007 competitions.

2007 Winner builds on medical and entrepreneurial expertise

The 2007 Minnesota Cup winners, John Montague and James Levine, have burned a lot of calories running their company, Muve. That's no surprise - the start-up is dedicated to the commercialization of technology that might help limit the global obesity epidemic. The winning product, Gruve, is a movement-measuring device used in conjunction with an online network focused on weight-loss and wellness.

"Launching a new venture is a lot like sailing," says Montague. "You must have a good plan and know where you are going, yet be prepared to alter the plan as winds and conditions change. It is important to get your boat in the water and get moving instead of sitting on the dock contemplating. Winning Minnesota Cup put a great burst of wind in our sails."

Gruve is currently being beta-tested at two independent companies. "We've been seeing some extremely good results," says Montague. The television show "20/20" is closely following the beta testing for a feature that will air in April. The business has also attracted coverage from news media including "Nightline," "Good Morning America," MPR, and CNN.

The founders recently announced a new partnership with Steel Case, a $4 billion global office furniture leader. The partnership has already allowed them to bring the WalkStation, another Muve product, to market. Together, the two companies hope to reinvent the office environment. "We see this as an opportunity to bring together the health movement and the green movement," said Montague.