Revora Health
Revora Health is an AI-powered recovery platform that uses Azure Health Data Services and Azure AI to connect patients with personalized care, recovery guidance, and licensed providers after injury or surgery.
Step Onto the World Stage.
Join us live on June 2nd at 9:15 AM PT as the winner of the 2026 Imagine Cup World Championship is revealed during Day One of Microsoft Build. Stream the event free and watch three student startups take the global stage.
"Microsoft’s commitment to student innovators helped take my startup HairMatch to a global stage and continue revolutionizing hair care with AI. But most importantly, their partnership taught me that if your dreams don’t scare you, you aren’t dreaming big enough!"
Announcing the 2026 Imagine Cup World Champion
After months of innovation and intense competition, meet this year's winner of the Imagine Cup trophy, $150,000 USD cash prize, and a mentorship session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.
CopyFlag
CopyFlag uses Azure AI Vision, Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search, and Azure Machine Learning to help creators and brands identify copied and AI-modified content across digital platforms. Inspired by founder Patrick Brown's own experience having his work copied online, CopyFlag is building tools that make advanced intellectual property protection more accessible for creators and businesses of all sizes.
Meet the 2026 Imagine Cup World Finalists
Congratulations to this year’s incredible World Finalists. These student startups stood out among founders from around the world with bold ideas, strong technical execution, and solutions designed to create meaningful impact.
SpoilSafe
SpoilSafe is a cold-chain intelligence platform that uses Azure IoT Hub, Azure Data Explorer, and Azure AI to help food suppliers predict spoilage, reduce waste, and improve supply chain efficiency.
2026 Imagine Cup World Championship Judges
Meet the judges helping shape the final stage of the 2026 Imagine Cup World Championship, where ideas meet execution. These leaders bring real-world perspective on what it takes to build, scale, and last.
Next Steps: Imagine Cup 2026 Roadmap
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01Minimum Viable Product SubmissionsSemifinalists announced on February 18, 2026
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02SemifinalsTop 3 World Championship Finalists announced on April 8, 2026Top Launch Startup announced on April 10, 2026
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03Imagine Cup World ChampionshipWinner announced on June 2, 2026Watch the Livestream
*Open only to enrolled high-school or college/university students 18+. For additional eligibility criteria, round start/end dates, and detailed instructions on how to participate, see the
Imagine Cup Official Rules and Regulations.
Get Inspired
Learn about past competitors' journeys through the competition and find resources to get started.
Top Launch 2026 – Built to Scale
Introducing the Top Launch startup of the 2026 Imagine Cup—a group of student founders turning early-stage ideas into bold, high-potential ventures. These startups are building with intention, moving fast, and proving that what starts here has the power to scale far beyond it.
Advice for Student Startups Series: GitHub
Where building meets collaboration. This series highlights how student founders use GitHub to manage code, collaborate across teams, and turn early builds into maintainable, real-world-ready software.
Advice for Student Startups Series: Microsoft for Startups
Practical guidance for founders who are already building. This series shares lessons, tools, and insights from Microsoft for Startups to help student teams move forward with clarity and confidence.
Imagine Cup Mentors
Behind every strong student team is guidance that sharpens thinking and builds confidence. Our mentors bring experience, perspective, and thoughtful feedback to help founders navigate critical decisions as they grow.
Helping students turn builds into breakthroughs
Imagine Cup alumni have gone on to raise funding, win global recognition, transform industries, and create tools that improve everyday lives. Here are just a few of the teams that started exactly where you are.
Make tech matter where it counts most
Every year, Imagine Cup invites student founders to take on challenges that institutions, industries, and communities face every day. These categories point to where technology can make a lasting difference, offering you the chance to build solutions that scale.
Sprint to Imagine Cup: Pakistan Students Take the First Step Toward Global Innovation
When 80 students gather in one room, fueled by curiosity, creativity, and caffeine…you know something special is happening.
The pillars of Imagine Cup 2026
Every founder's journey looks different, but the path to building something that lasts often shares the same milestones. At Imagine Cup, we frame them simply: Innovate. Validate. Accelerate.
Imagine Cup 2026: Where students build what’s next
Bold startups rarely begin with a spotlight. They begin when a small team dares to test something new, or when a student sees a challenge and chooses to answer it.
Sprint to Imagine Cup: Fuel your innovation
Every great startup begins with a spark. But taking that spark and shaping it into something ready for the world requires support, tools, and the right guidance.
2025 Imagine Cup World Champion
Congratulations to Argus, the 2025 Imagine Cup World Champion.
2025 Imagine Cup World Championship Judges
Announcing the 2025 Imagine Cup World Championship Judges
2025 Imagine Cup World Championship Finalists
Congratulations to the top 3 teams moving forward to compete in the 2025 World Championship!
2025 Imagine Cup Semifinalists
Announcing the 2025 Imagine Cup Semifinalists!
Introducing the Imagine Cup 2025 Semifinals Judges
Announcing the judges for the 2025 Imagine Cup Semifinals!
Welcome to the 2025 Imagine Cup
Get ready for the 2025 Microsoft Imagine Cup: Let the innovation begin!
Meet the 2024 World Champion: Team FROM YOUR EYES
Congratulations to Team FROM YOUR EYES from Turkey!
2024 Imagine Cup World Championship
Recap the action and watch the moment the 2024 winner is crowned champion.
Introducing the 2024 Imagine Cup World Championship Judges!
Meet the judges tasked with selecting who wins the 2024 Imagine Cup.
Announcing the Top Three Teams of the 2024 Imagine Cup!
Congrats to the top 3 teams and their innovations moving forward to the 2024 World Championship.
Meet the Judges of the Imagine Cup 2024 Semifinals!
Announcing the judges for the 2024 Imagine Cup Semifinals.
Meet the 2024 Semifinalists
Meet the Semifinalists and their projects selected to advance in the competition.
A conversation with Imagine Cup Director, Tina Jones
Get the inside scoop on everything you need to know about Imagine Cup – from exciting benefits to essential deadlines.
Your Journey Continues: Next Steps for the 2024 Imagine Cup
Explore the exciting next steps on your path to AI innovation and entrepreneurship.
Welcome to the 2024 Imagine Cup!
Learn more about the competition!
Meet the 2023 World Champion: Team TAWI
Congratulations to Team TAWI from Kenya!
2023 Imagine Cup World Championship
Recap the action and watch the moment the 2023 winner is crowned champion.
Meet the Imagine Cup World Championship judges!
Learn about the experts who will select this year's World Champion.
Meet the top 3 teams!
Congrats to the top 3 teams and their innovations moving forward to the 2023 World Championship.
Meet the 2023 World Finals Judges!
Learn about the experts who will select the top 3 teams to move forward to the world championships.
Meet the 2023 World Finalists!
Meet the World Finalists and their projects selected to advance in the competiton.
Meet the 2023 Epic Challenge winners!
Get to know the 2023 Epic Challange winning teams and their projects.
Welcome to the 2023 Imagine Cup!
Learn more about the competition and start your journey today!
Meet the 2022 World Champion: Team V Bionic!
Congrats to Team V Bionic from Saudi Arabia for their hand paralysis rehabilitation solution.
2022 Imagine Cup World Championship
Recap the action and watch the moment the 2022 winner is crowned champion.
Meet the Imagine Cup World Championship judges
Learn about the experts who will select this year's World Champion
Meet the top 3 Imagine Cup teams
Congrats to the top 3 teams and their innovations moving forward to the 2022 World Championship
Meet the 2022 Imagine Cup World Finals judges
Learn about the experts who will select the top 3 teams to move forward to the World Championships
Meet 2022 Imagine Cup World Finalists
Meet the 48 teams and their projects selected to advance in the competition
Meet the Epic Challenge winners
Get to know the 2022 Epic Challenge winning teams and their projects
Welcome to the 20th anniversary of the Imagine Cup
Check out resources and how to start your competition journey.
Meet the 2021 World Champion: Team REWEBA!
Congrats Team REWEBA from Kenya for their IOT infant monitoring solution.
2021 Imagine Cup World Championship
Recap the action and watch the moment the 2021 Imagine Cup winner is crowned champion.
2021 Imagine Cup World Finals recap
Recap the action from the 2021 Imagine Cup World Finals, where the top 38 teams pitched their projects for impact.
2021 Imagine Cup: Top 4 teams
Congrats to the top 4 teams and their innovations moving forward to the 2021 World Championship.
2021 Imagine Cup Top 12 teams
Meet the top 12 teams selected to compete for World Championship spots.
2021 Imagine Cup category feature: Earth
Learn about the Earth category finalist teams and their innovations.
2021 Imagine Cup category feature: Education
Meet the top teams in the Education competition category and learn about their tech solutions.
2021 Imagine Cup category feature: Healthcare
Learn about the Healthcare category finalist teams and their innovations.
2021 Imagine Cup category feature: Lifestyle
Meet the top teams in the Lifestyle competition category and learn about their tech solutions.
Microsoft Learn Challenge January winners!
Meet the January Microsoft Learn Challenge winners who've won USD250 for their submissions.
2021 Imagine Cup World Finalists
Meet the World Finalists selected to advance in the 2021 competition to pitch their innovations.
Microsoft Learn Challenge December winners!
Check out the December teams who’ve won USD250 for their Microsoft Learn Challenge submission.
Microsoft Learn Challenge November winners!
Here are the November teams who’ve won USD250 in the first step of their Imagine Cup journey.
Microsoft Learn Challenge October winners!
Meet the five teams who’ve won USD250 in the first step of their Imagine Cup journey.
7 reasons to compete in the 2021 Imagine Cup
Check out why you should sign up to bring your tech idea to life.
Reimagine our world with technology in the 2021 Imagine Cup
We’re looking for bold thinkers and big dreamers to join the 2021 competition journey.
2020 Imagine Cup World Championship
Watch the six Imagine Cup finalists compete for the 2020 trophy at the Imagine Cup World Championship during Microsoft Build.
Meet the 2020 Imagine Cup World Champion!
Congratulations Team Hollo from Hong Kong SAR, winners of the 2020 Imagine Cup World Championship
2020 Imagine Cup Americas Regional Final
Share in the journey of the 10 regional finalist teams from across the Americas virtually pitching their technology solutions during the 2020 Americas Regional Final
Congratulations to our 2020 Imagine Cup Americas Regional Final winners!
Meet Team Deeptector and Team Tremor Vision from the United States, winners of the Imagine Cup Americas Regional Final
2020 Imagine Cup EMEA Regional Final
Share in the journey of the 10 regional finalist teams from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, virtually pitching their technology solutions during the 2020 EMEA Regional Final
2020 Imagine Cup Asia Regional Final
Share in the journey of the 10 regional finalist teams from across Asia, virtually pitching their technology solutions during the 2020 Asia Regional Final
Congratulations to our 2020 Imagine Cup EMEA Regional Final winners!
Meet Team The Knights from Kenya and Team RedWalls from Tunisia, winners of the Imagine Cup EMEA Regional Final
Congratulations to our 2020 Imagine Cup Asia Regional Final winners!
Meet Team Syrinx from Japan and Team Hollo from Hong Kong SAR, winners of the Imagine Cup Asia Regional Final
Meet the 2020 Imagine Cup Americas Regional Finalists
Meet the 10 teams selected in advance to 2020 Americas Regional Final
Meet the 2020 Imagine Cup EMEA Regional Finalists
Meet the 10 teams selected in advance to 2020 EMEA Regional Final
Meet the 2020 Imagine Cup Asia Regional Finalists
Meet the 10 teams selected in advance to 2020 Asia Regional Final
Innovate. Validate. Accelerate.
Scale
You’ve got traction, and now it’s time to Scale with intention.
Take that leap with Imagine Cup. Refine your product-market fit for leading organizations and unlock new growth through Microsoft’s trusted AI and global ecosystem. If your student led startup already has users, early traction, or capital, whether through any amount of dilutive funding or no more than $5,000,000 USD in combined dilutive or external, non-dilutive funding, you may be ready for Scale.
Join the Scale path and take your solution to the world stage.
Prizing:
- $100,000 USD*
- Mentorship session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella
- Opportunities for deeper partnership with Microsoft for Startups.
Launch
You're building something with real potential, and the Launch path will help you take it further.
Build momentum, sharpen your vision, and prepare for growth. If you're developing an AI-powered solution, have not received any amount of dilutive funding, or no more than $100,000 USD in external, non-dilutive funding, Launch gives you the guidance and resources to move forward. Whether you've built a prototype, tested an Minimum Viable Product (MVP), or are still refining your direction, this is where ideas become market ready.
Join the Launch path and position your work for the global community.
Prizing:
$50,000 USD*
Continued visibility and support from Microsoft
Imagine Cup x GitHub x Replit: A Power Combo for Student Founders
Imagine Cup and GitHub Education are equipping student founders with enterprise-grade AI tools, meaningful mentorship, and visibility. And we are excited that Replit is joining us – together, we are helping teams prototype faster, iterate with intention, and build solutions that are good for business and good for the world.
GitHub offers access to the world’s largest open source community, with 180M developers and counting, and workflows to collaborate like a pro. Partnering with Imagine Cup, GitHub equips student founders with AI-assisted coding through Copilot and resources like the Student Developer Pack, all on a platform trusted by top engineering teams.
Replit gives you the speed to build instantly and infrastructure to scale confidently. Partnering with Imagine Cup, Replit offers an AI-powered, in-browser workspace where student founders can prototype, test, and publish apps by chatting naturally with AI.
In Their Own Words: The Imagine Cup Experience
From first-time builders to student-led startups scaling with traction, Imagine Cup alumni share how the competition shaped their journey. Real stories, real lessons, and proof of what’s possible when innovation meets Microsoft’s trusted AI ecosystem.
Multicolor dots on black background and text reading Asia Regional Finalists
"Imagine Cup taught me what’s possible when you dream big and build without fear." - Sebastian Górecki from Intelligent Hives
Multicolor dots on black background and text reading EMEA Regional Finalists!
"As a blind, young, and female founder, having people truly see the vision behind what you build isn't always easy. But Microsoft Imagine Cup saw it and amplified it. It was our big bang: our first investment, the catalyst that took us global." - Zülal Tannur from FROM YOUR EYES.
Multicolor dots on black background and text reading Americas Regional Finalists
"Participating in the Imagine Cup, even as semifinalists, was a pivotal moment for us. It gave us credibility early on, exposed us to invaluable mentorship, and plugged us into a supportive ecosystem that continues to push us forward." - Rohan Singh of OctaPulse
Multicolor dots on black background and text reading congratulations Team Syrinx and Team Hollo
"Microsoft imagine cup was incredible way to meet founders and builders around the world all passionate about serving their community. The community you become apart of is truly special" - Aruna Srivastava of Koel Labs