Carmel students among first STARTedUP Challenge finalists

The STARTedUP Foundation has announced the top 10 student teams that will compete in the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge Finals (formerly known as Innovate WithIN) the centerpiece event of the inaugural STARTedUP Summit on June 12 at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University in Indianapolis.

Among the finalists are four students from Hamilton County.

Riya Koya and Zaina Kahn, both of Carmel, are the Region 2 finalists. Their project is OccluSence, which is transforming IV safety by replacing one-size-fits-all alarm systems with context-aware pressure analysis, reducing alarm fatigue, preventing unnecessary patient mortality, and freeing up critical nursing time through a smarter, more responsive hospital alerting system.

Angie Xiu and Alex Mi, both of Carmel are the wildcard selection from Region. Their project, Dermi, is a bias-corrected skin cancer screening platform that combines an affordable smartphone dermoscope with high-accuracy AI to deliver accessible, equitable early detection across all skin tones.

This year’s competition marks a landmark moment for the STARTedUP Foundation. The STARTedUP Challenge expanded from six to seven competitive regions by adding Region 7: West Central Indiana – a direct reflection of the thriving entrepreneurial energy taking root across the state. The numbers tell the story: in a single year, the STARTedUP Challenge doubled in scale. A total of 1,174 teams submitted ventures in 2026, compared to 515 in 2025; a 128 percent increase. Student participation grew from 979 to 2,162, making this high school pitch competition one of the most competitive in the state.

The seven regional winners and three wildcard selections, chosen from the strongest runners-up across the state, will compete for a prize pool that includes $25,000 for first place, $5,000 for second, $2,500 for third, and a $1,500 People’s Choice Award. Each finalist team member also receives $1,000 in personal funding as part of their selection.

Sponsors & Partners

The STARTedUP Foundation is grateful to the sponsors and partners whose support makes the STARTedUP Challenge and Summit possible.

• Summit Host: Butler University & Butler Lacy School of Business
• Foundation Partners: Don Wood Foundation, Old National Bank Foundation
• State Sponsor: Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)
• Gold Sponsors: Beck’s Hybrids, Carmel Redevelopment Commission, City of Bloomington, Doral LLC, Indiana Tech, Lifeboost Coffee, Merchants Bank, MISO, Westmoreland Pharmacy + Compounding
• Silver Sponsor: Unrulr
• Bronze Sponsors: Brightwell, Plug and Play Indiana, Team Quality Services, SkilledUS

About the STARTedUP Foundation
The STARTedUP Foundation is an Indiana-based nonprofit dedicated to igniting entrepreneurial thinking in students across the state. Through the STARTedUP Challenge, Work-Based Learning programs, the Innovation Accelerator, and student immersion experiences, STARTedUP equips the next generation of Hoosier innovators with the skills, networks, and confidence to build something that matters. STARTedUP is an IDOE-approved Work-Based Learning solution. Learn more at startedupfoundation.org.