Duome: A MN Cup Semifinalist
Duome has been named a semifinalist in the 2026 MN Cup competition, the largest statewide startup competitions in the country. Run through the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, MN Cup drew more than 1,300 applicants this year. Duome is one of ten in the Impact Ventures division.
This recognition comes from a very different audience than the credit union ecosystem, where Duome recently won the NACUSO Next Big Idea Competition. MN Cup draws from the broader startup and impact investment community, where the standard is simple: scalable solutions to real market problems. The fact that Duome is resonating across both settings says something — not about Duome, but about the scope of the housing affordability crisis and the demand for approaches that can actually work.
Homeownership remains one of the clearest paths to long-term financial stability. Yet more households are being priced out every year by the widening gap between home prices, mortgage affordability, and available savings. Duome was built as a direct response to that structural problem — for families, communities, lenders, and mission-aligned investors who are ready to do something about it.
These recognitions confirm what we've heard consistently from the credit union community, from impact investors, and from the broader startup ecosystem: the need is clear, the model resonates, and the timing is right.
All voices are needed at the table for innovation to grow. We're grateful to MN Cup and the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management for building a table that includes entrepreneurs taking on problems that matter.
We'll have more to share soon. In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more or explore ways to be involved, we'd love to connect.
About MN Cup MN Cup is the largest statewide startup competition in Minnesota, run through the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Since 2005, MN Cup has awarded more than $5 million in prizes and supported thousands of emerging entrepreneurs through mentorship, programming, and community. Learn more at carlsonschool.umn.edu/mn-cup.
About Duome Duome (Doo' ohm) is a CUSO built to help credit unions close the housing affordability gap through shared ownership co-investment. Duome co-invests alongside homebuyers as tenants-in-common, reducing monthly mortgage burden for creditworthy buyers while enabling credit unions to grow funded loan volume and deepen member relationships. Duome is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.