StartUp Sioux Falls hosts a party tonight for their Midwest award

Entrepreneurs don’t often have time for parties.

There is hardly free time in bootstrapping, scaling, strategizing, iterating and panic.

At Startup Sioux Falls, a downtown support agency to build and sustain local and regional businesses, over 400 founders and makers have connected to hopefully participate in a continued robust economy, commiserating in the grind.

But now, may they take a break for a toast.

On Monday, June 22, Sioux Falls is being recognized as “The best startup community in the Midwest,” beating out innovator big wigs like Omaha, Fargo and Chicago in a 64-town, bracket-style tournament “designed to spotlight the growth of the startup and venture capital scenes” in the region.

The annual, fan-vote drive Midwest Madness Tournament is hosted by M25, an early-stage venture firm that invests solely in Midwest-based startups.

Tonight, they’ll be in town to award Startup Sioux Falls with a trophy, a free party that you’re invited to and maybe even their first-ever investment in a South Dakota-based founder.

“It’s great to be on their radar,” said Startup Sioux Falls President Brienne Maner.

She, too, was awarded Community Champ for her advocacy in business development.

“More founders here are launching businesses, more companies are scaling, more communities are investing in entrepreneurial support, and we’re seeing increasing recognition from business leaders and policymakers,” she says. “That’s the momentum we’re celebrating.”

What has Startup Sioux Falls been up to downtown?

What started as a business incubator in a far-away part of town over 20 years ago, Startup Sioux Falls has now made itself a bustling downtown hub, engaging more than 600 co-working members, doubling its daily usage of space and booking over 1,000 events per year.

Their programming includes mentorship residencies, days- and weeks-long workshops, accelerator programs, SaaS cohorts and CEO peer groups, with a goal to support 300 “resilient, community-impacting businesses” reaching sustainable revenue by 2031.

Since launching their Co.Starters business accelerator in 2020, nearly 300 founders have opened storefronts, built staff and expanded region wide.

“We meet founders at the earliest stage of their journey,” Maner says. “They walk in with a concept, a lot of questions and the courage to try. But now we’re seeing more founders move beyond the startup phase and into growth and scale.”

GrowCo, their latest year-long program for established businesses generating up to $1 million in annual revenue, reflects what they hear from entrepreneurs, Maner says: “They need support beyond the launch phase.”

The 2026 Midwest Madness Championship Celebration will be 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, June 22, in the MarketBeat Theater at Startup Sioux Falls, 100 E. Sixth St.

The free event will include food from Rudy Navarrete and drinks from JJ’s Wine, Spirits and Cigars. There will be free T-shirts. All are welcome. Register here.

Angela George covers trending news for the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Email ageorge@usatodayco.com.