- The 17th Annual Cade Prize for Inventivity finalists will compete for over $100,000 in equity-free cash prizes on Oct. 14 in Gainesville, Florida.
- This year, a record 157 applications were received from 26 states, featuring innovations in environment, healthcare, technology, sports, and wildcard categories.
Judges for the 17th Annual Cade Prize for Inventivity have selected 15 finalists to compete for more than $100,000 in equity-free cash prizes recognizing innovative ideas and technologies from across the United States.
The 2026 Cade Prize for Inventivity will be held Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville. Each category winner will receive $10,000 and advance to a live pitch competition for the $50,000 Grand Prize.
The Cade Prize Awards Ceremony will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 and tickets for the event are on sale at cademuseum.org. The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention is located at 904 South Main Street in Gainesville.
Throughout the evening, finalists will mingle with attendees, showcase their innovations in an expo-style format and meet one-on-one with members of the judging panel.
The 2026 finalists are:
Environmental
- Liquafilm, Cambridge, Massachusetts — A retrofittable, liquid-infused window screen that adheres to windows to improve indoor comfort and save energy.
- NanoSieve, Miami — Autonomous gas remediation technology that combines real-time gas remediation with gas detection to help industries manage flammable and toxic gas hazards and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Sealor, Miami — Subsurface, nature-based limestone-forming technology designed to strengthen and seal vulnerable coastal ground for seawall owners, buildings, coastal infrastructure and low-lying communities while helping manage underground water and reduce flooding.
Healthcare
- AMG Detection, Atlanta — The Joey, a wearable seizure predictor that provides 10 to 45 minutes of advance warning before a seizure begins.
- NEXI Biotech, Tampa — ENGRAM, a human “brain-on-a-chip” testing platform designed to show whether brain-disease drugs will work before human trials for conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and depression.
- Parrots Medical, Orlando — Polly, an AI-powered cognitive screening platform designed to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia years before symptoms become obvious. The platform combines at-home speech, wearable and cognitive-game data with in-clinic EEG to create a Cognitive-Sensory Index for early detection of cognitive decline.
Technology
- Aloft Biotechnologies, Alachua — Float-Layer, a bubble-free gas delivery technology for growing living cells.
- CloutFi, Baltimore — CloutScore, an income analytics platform that translates fragmented digital and non-W-2 income into structured, explainable signals for financial institutions.
- Soltair Energy, Jupiter, Florida — Soltair Ultra, a solar-thermal cooling solution for AI data centers.
Sports
- DiveBeacon, DeLand, Florida — A face mask that provides scuba divers, firefighters and first responders with hands-free, real-time directional guidance and an automatic emergency location system.
- Jump Dreams, State College, Pennsylvania — An automated Double Dutch training system that uses a portable, battery-powered system to replace the two human rope turners traditionally required for Double Dutch.
- SurfRing, Abilene, Texas — A circular standing-wave system that continuously recirculates water to generate multiple surfing waves within a compact footprint. The technology is designed for surf parks, sports facilities and mixed-use developments.
Wildcard
- Converstation AI, Tampa — CaseyMD, an AI-native clinical simulation platform for healthcare students and instructors that provides adaptive patient and caregiver simulations across multiple clinical fields, along with immediate, evidence-based feedback.
- MisTee Wants To Know, San Jose, California — MisTeePRO, a handheld hair-detangling tool that releases an oily steam to quickly detangle knotty, tangled hair.
- Nurtured Nuts Company, Minneapolis — A process for producing allergen-less peanuts by removing the three clinically relevant proteins that trigger anaphylactic reactions in people with peanut allergies.
This year’s competition attracted a record 157 applications from inventors and entrepreneurs representing 26 states. Applicants included innovators affiliated with research universities, private-sector companies and technology transfer organizations.
“We are thrilled to have received a record number of applications from inventors and entrepreneurs across the United States,” said Brad Gamble, CEO of the Cade Museum, in the release. “It’s exciting to see this national competition grow and a privilege to honor Dr. Cade’s legacy through supporting great ideas at their earliest stages.”
The Cade Prize is named for Dr. Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, and celebrates inventors and entrepreneurs who demonstrate creative approaches to solving problems through innovative inventions.
The 2026 Cade Prize is sponsored by The Community Foundation of North Central Florida, Scott R. MacKenzie, Florida High Tech Corridor, Gatorade, Cyle Sage, Lee & Associates, OneSixOne Ventures, Saliwanchik, Lloyd & Eisenschenk, NVision Strategies and Hyatt Place Downtown.