Imagine Cup 2027 is open to eligible early-stage startups developing software-based products or services with commercial potential. Your startup must be a registered legal entity founded on or after November 2, 2024, and must not have raised Series C funding or later. Individual entrants must be at least 18 years old.

Your startup must also meet the competition’s submission and technology requirements. Eligibility for Microsoft for Startups benefits is assessed separately.

Review the Imagine Cup 2027 Official Rules
Review Microsoft for Startups benefits eligibility

No. Imagine Cup 2027 welcomes eligible early-stage startups across seven categories; founders do not need to be students.

The dedicated Student Startup category gives eligible student founders an opportunity to showcase their solutions, be evaluated using criteria designed for student-stage companies, and compete for the Student Prize. The Student Prize winner is included in the Imagine Cup 2027 Top 20 Startups but is not eligible for the three Finalist prizes.

Yes. Your startup must be a registered legal entity founded on or after November 2, 2024.

Yes. You and your startup must not be based in, organized in, headquartered in, or operating from any country or region subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). This includes Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

You must also not be prohibited from participating in or receiving a prize under applicable U.S. export controls or sanctions programs.

Sanctions and restrictions may change. For the most current information, review the U.S. Consolidated Screening List.

Please refer to the Imagine Cup 2027 Official Rules for complete eligibility requirements.

A startup may register up to four official team members unless the competition website states otherwise. All official team members must meet the applicable eligibility requirements.

No. Previous Imagine Cup winners are not eligible to participate.

Imagine Cup is designed for ambitious early-stage startups building solutions for enterprise customers. Strong submissions will demonstrate what makes the solution different, the customer problem it solves, and a credible path to enterprise adoption, commercial success, and scale.

Apply through Award Force, the official Imagine Cup application platform.

You will create a startup profile, identify the official team, select one category, provide the required information and materials, accept the Official Rules, and submit before the deadline.

Choose the category that best aligns with your startup’s primary solution, customers, and market. Eligible student-led startups are encouraged to enter the Student Startup category but may choose an industry category instead.

Each startup can create only one account and submit one entry form. Your selected category determines which judging panel reviews your entry and how your solution is evaluated.

• Developer Tools
• Retail
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Cybersecurity
• Financial Services
• Deep Tech + Physical AI
• Student Startup

For more information about each category, visit the Compete page.

• Startup name, website, founding date, headquarters, and primary markets
• Founder and team details, including your Authorized Representative
• Valid Azure Subscription ID and Microsoft for Startups account
• Product, customer problem, and Microsoft technologies used
• Market opportunity, business model, and go-to-market approach
• Traction and customer evidence

Your application must include information about your startup, a valid Azure Subscription ID, a Microsoft for Startups account, and complete responses to all submission questions. Submit the following materials through Award Force by 11:59 p.m. CST on February 28, 2027:

• A pitch deck
• A 2–3 minute product demonstration video
• An Azure architecture diagram or technical overview
• Written responses

Microsoft may request additional materials, clarification, or verification during later stages.

No. Corrections are not guaranteed after the deadline. Review all responses, files, links, permissions and answers before the submission deadline February 28, 2027.

Award Force is the third-party platform used to collect and manage Imagine Cup applications.

Confirm that the application shows a submitted status in Award Force. A saved or incomplete application is not a submitted entry.

Use the account-recovery option on the Award Force sign-in page. If you still cannot access your account, contact Imagine Cup support and include your startup name, account email, and a brief description of the issue.

Do not create another account for the same startup. Multiple accounts may be flagged as potential fraud or result in disqualification. Never share your password or authentication codes.

No. Once you submit your application through Award Force, you cannot make changes. Review your responses and uploaded materials carefully before submitting.

Business verification confirms that the startup information submitted to Microsoft is accurate and can be associated with a legitimate company.

Microsoft may review company information, founder details, the startup website, LinkedIn profiles, and other supporting documentation.

Startups enrolling in Microsoft for Startups must complete the applicable identity and business verification requirements. Separately, Microsoft may verify eligibility, request supporting documentation, or require technical verification at any competition stage.

Completing business verification does not guarantee competition advancement, startup benefits, credits, or a prize.

The competition progresses through these steps:

• Application review and scoring: The 30 highest-scoring eligible startups in each category advance.
• Expert review: The 10 highest-scoring eligible startups in each category advance.
• Live interviews: Advancing startups present a pitch, demonstrate their product, and answer questions in a recorded interview. The interviews are not scored at this stage.
• Final judging: Judges review the interview recordings and Entry materials to select the Category Winners, the Imagine Cup 2027 Top 20 Startups, the Student Prize winner, and three Finalists.
• Announcements and Finalist preparation: Microsoft announces the selected startups. The Finalists and Student Prize winner prepare for the World Championship.
• World Championship: The three Finalists and the Student Prize winner present.

• Application review and scoring: Judges assess the startup and business profile, product and technical approach, problem and market opportunity, and team execution potential. Industry Category entries are also assessed against category-specific criteria; Student Startup entries follow their own criteria.
• Expert review: Judges assess business readiness, technical excellence, and customer value using the pitch deck, product demonstration, Azure architecture information, and written responses.
• Live interviews: Interviewers gather evidence through the startup’s pitch, product demonstration, and answers to questions; the interview is recorded but not scored at this stage.
• Final judging: Judges evaluate enterprise customer validation, investability, technical excellence, and customer value using the recorded interview and Entry materials.

Yes, subject to eligibility verification. The highest-scoring eligible startup in each category is that category's Category Winner and is included in the Imagine Cup 2027 Top 20 Startups. Winning a category does not guarantee selection as a Finalist or advancement to the World Championship. The exception is the Student Startup Category Winner, who receives the Student Prize and is invited to present at the World Championship.

Explain the solution’s:

• Architecture
• Microsoft technologies
• Azure services
• Security
• Reliability and scalability
• Technical differentiation
• Product maturity

Yes, provided the startup has the necessary rights and permissions and satisfies the Microsoft technology and Azure requirements in the Official Rules.

Applications close at 11:59 p.m. CST on February 28, 2027. All required application materials must be submitted before the deadline. Changes cannot be made after you submit your application.

• November 2, 2026 – February 28, 2027: Application review, screening, and scoring (rolling)
• March 1–12, 2027: Expert review
• March 16–31, 2027: Category Live Interviews (recorded)
• April 2027: Final judging and selection
• May–June 2027: Announcements, Finalist preparation, and the World Championship (exact dates to be communicated)

Dates and competition activities may change. Selected startups will receive instructions through official competition communications.

No. Imagine Cup participation does not guarantee acceptance into Microsoft for Startups, Startup credits, additional benefits, competition advancement, or a prize. Eligibility and benefits are subject to the applicable program terms.

Approved, eligible startups may receive a unique participation code to support Microsoft for Startups enrollment. Codes are intended for the designated recipient and must not be transferred or shared publicly.

Receiving or redeeming a code does not guarantee program acceptance, additional Startup credits, or competition advancement.

To submit your entry and be considered for judging, your startup must provide a valid Azure Subscription ID by the Submission Deadline. The subscription must be one your startup owns, administers, or is authorized to use for the submitted solution. Microsoft may validate the subscription, its status, account relationship, service usage, and consistency with your entry. An entry may be rejected if the ID is missing, invalid, inactive, unauthorized, duplicated across unrelated entries, or cannot reasonably be associated with the startup.

Please refer to the Imagine Cup 2027 Official Rules and Microsoft for Startups guidance for complete requirements.

No. Azure validation, Azure usage, Business Verification, and startup credits are separate from judging. None guarantees advancement or a prize.

Contact Imagine Cup Support for:

• Eligibility questions
• Application requirements
• Award Force access
• Submission-status questions
• Competition communications
• Judging-stage instructions

Use Microsoft for Startups Support for:

• Program enrollment
• Business Verification
• Participation-code redemption
• Startup benefits or credits
• Portal and account access
• For more information on Microsoft for Startups Support visit our Support Hub

Use Azure Support for subscription, service configuration, quota, billing, usage, or technical issues.

Never send passwords, authentication codes, or sensitive credentials when requesting support.

For more information, visit Azure Support.