Get Started

Visit the Imagine Cup homepage and click 'Register Now' to sign up for the competition. Once you have registered, you will be able to see the competition on your account page. All team members will need to create an account and register.

Participants must be at least 18 years old as of October 1, 2024, and enrolled students at an accredited educational institution between October 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. 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. Mentors are not considered team members for the purpose of this competition. Please see the  rules and regulations  for full eligibility criteria.

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 October 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025.

Navigate to your Imagine Cup account page to review your account details, check the status of your registration and submissions, and manage your team.

Absolutely! We encourage all students who are interested to apply. You can join the Discord community to connect with other students who are also focused on building their own businesses and interested in bringing an AI-driven solution to market.

If you have previously competed in an Imagine Cup event as a World Finalist or Regional Finalist, you are eligible to enter, but any entry submitted must be substantially new, unique, and different from anything you’ve brought to the Imagine Cup before.

Each competitor may only belong to one team within the competition. You may only submit one entry per round. If you make multiple submissions, we will use the last one you submitted as your official entry.

You are eligible to compete in Imagine Cup if you/your business has not received any dilutive funding and if you/your business has not received external, non-dilutive funding of more than $100,000 USD. For full eligibility criteria, please check the rules and regulations.

Engage with us on social to stay up to date on tips and deadlines for the competition, including Discord, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and X.

All team members must visit the  Imagine Cup homepage and click 'Register Now' to register and create an account. Once registered, you can create a team from your account page and invite others to join. If someone invites you to join their team, a notification will show up in your account. Invitations to join a team must be accepted before the minimum viable product (MVP) submission deadline. You can also find teams to join using the search feature on the Imagine Cup website and/or the Discord Community (within the find-teammates channel).

Teams can consist of anywhere from one (1) to four (4) eligible students. Each team may come from different academic institutions and different countries. Up to four eligible students may submit a single entry as a team.

Teams may consist of members from multiple countries/regions and/or universities. For more information, review the rules and regulations.

The ineligible team members should remove themselves from the team via their Imagine Cup account page and cease participating. If they continue to contribute as a registered member of the team, the team may be disqualified.

You may receive assistance with your solution from additional students in specific disciplines beyond the four registered members of your official team and/or from a mentor (typically from academic institutions, not-for profit organizations, or private companies). Additional students and mentors are not considered team members for the purposes of the competition rules and regulations. Only the up to four team members you officially register with us are eligible for prizes, award ceremony inclusion, and official communications.

Your product must be built with and require one (1) or more Microsoft AI service(s) to operate. Submissions must include a pitch deck, recorded pitch video, and recorded demo video, all addressing the judging criteria outlined in the rules. Judging criteria includes AI technology implementation, inclusive design, and viability of the solution. Full judging criteria can be found in the rules and regulations. All entries must be in English.

• Apply to Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub – as you progress through the competition, you will have access to industry-leading AI services, increased credits with fewer restrictions, expert guidance, and essential tools to accelerate your growth and scale quickly.
• Visit the Microsoft Learn Student Hub to utilize free learning paths and quick start guides and explore the latest resources on AI.
• If you are unable to get access to Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, you can claim $100 USD in Azure credits and 25+ services for free through Azure for Students.

You can submit and check the status of your entry on the account page. Deadlines for each round can be found on your account page and are also detailed in the rules and regulations. Teams advancing to Semifinals and World Championship rounds will be posted as a blog post within seven (7) days following judging. Individual team members advancing will be notified via the contact information provided during entry.

All intellectual property rights remain with the respective owners of the entries. Microsoft does not claim any ownership over submissions.

You will gain benefits throughout each stage of the competition, including access to Azure credits and industry-leading AI services, mentorship and guidance on business and technical challenges, and global recognition. The winners of the Idea Submission Round will each win a mentorship session with an industry expert.  The World Champion will win $100,000 USD, which will be equally divided among registered team members, and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella. Select finalists may also have the opportunity to attend Microsoft Build in-person, where they will present, gain exposure, and make essential connections.

To learn more, please review the Microsoft Imagine Cup policy on privacy & cookies.