Unlock your startup’s potential with the Imagine Cup, the premier global technology competition for student founders using AI and the Microsoft Cloud to transform their innovative ideas into market-ready startups.
Imagine Cup
Imagine Cup
ClosedScienceSTEMCompetition
About the Program
Eligibility
You can create any solution you are passionate about, but it must include at least two (2) Microsoft AI services and consider diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Each team can have a maximum of four (4) members. All must be students. If you have previously competed in an Imagine Cup event as a World Finalist or Regional Finalist, any entry submitted must be substantially new, unique, and different from anything previously submitted. The competition offers two paths: Launch (for teams that have not received any dilutive funding and no more than $100,000 USD in external non-dilutive funding) and Scale (for teams that have not received more than $5,000,000 USD in combined dilutive or external non-dilutive funding). Teams eligible for Launch may choose to compete in either path. Participants must be at least 18 years old as of September 30, 2025. If you are 18 years of age or older but have not reached the age of majority in your legal place of residence, you must have the consent of a parent/legal guardian. All team members must be enrolled students at an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees (including home schools) at any time between September 30, 2025, and May 31, 2026.
Eligible Countries
residency permanent: Worldwide🌎 U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Russia, and the Region of Crimea. Therefore, residents of these countries/regions are not eligible to participate.
How to Apply
Visit the Imagine Cup homepage and click 'Register Now' to sign up for the competition. Once registered, you will be able to see the competition on your account page. All team members will need to create an account and register. Submissions should include a pitch deck, recorded pitch, and demo video, all addressing the judging criteria outlined in the official rules. Your product must be built with and require two (2) or more Microsoft AI service(s) to operate. All entries must be in English.