Microsoft
Microsoft Imagine Cup
Microsoft's global student startup competition - teams build a working product on Microsoft technology and compete along a Launch or Scale path toward global prizes.
Brabble editorial · Updated 12 Aug 2026 · Official page
Registration is open nowParticulars
- Organiser
- Microsoft
- Mode
- Online, global
- Prize / outcome
- Global cash prize pool plus Azure/AI credits (varies by season)
- Team size
- Team-based, size set per season's official rules
- Application fee
- Free
- Rounds
- 4
What it is
Imagine Cup is Microsoft's long-running global competition for student entrepreneurs and developers. Rather than a single build-in-a-weekend hackathon, it's structured like an early-stage startup competition: entrants pick a competition path (Launch, for earlier-stage ideas, or Scale, for teams with more traction) as of a stated date, and submit a Minimum Viable Product plus a pitch deck that shows the problem was validated with real customers, not just assumed. Encouraged categories include cybersecurity, education, finance, and health & life sciences, though solutions outside those areas are also accepted.
Rounds
01. Path selection
Entrants choose the Launch or Scale competition path based on how far along their idea already is, as of a date fixed for that season.
02. MVP submission
Teams submit a Minimum Viable Product along with a pitch deck: how the problem was defined and validated with real customers, not just assumed.
03. Regional/category judging
Submissions are judged within their category (cybersecurity, education, finance, health & life sciences, retail & consumer goods, or open category) and path.
04. Global finals
Top teams across paths and categories compete for the global title and the largest share of the prize pool.
Who can enter
- At least 18 years old as of the stated cutoff date each season
- Enrolled student at an accredited educational institution during the competition window
- Not a resident of a country under U.S. export regulation (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Russia, Crimea region)
- Free to enter
What you actually get
Winning teams get global recognition on Microsoft's own channels, mentorship, Microsoft Azure/AI credits, and a share of a global prize pool that has run into six figures (USD) across the top placements. Even teams that don't advance far get direct exposure to how Microsoft evaluates a student startup pitch, which is useful independent of the result.
Frequently asked questions
- Four broad stages: choosing a competition path (Launch or Scale), submitting a Minimum Viable Product with a validated-problem pitch deck, category/path judging, and a global final for the strongest teams.
- Launch is for earlier-stage ideas without much traction yet; Scale is for teams that already have some real user validation or growth behind their product. You pick a path as of a date fixed each season, based on which criteria your team actually meets at that point.
- The competition is built around Microsoft's developer ecosystem (Azure, AI services, GitHub), and using it is expected, though the exact technical requirements are detailed in the official rules each season rather than a single fixed checklist.
- Yes, free - the barrier is being an enrolled student at an accredited institution and meeting the age and residency requirements in the official rules.
- Global recognition, mentorship, Azure/AI credits, and a share of a global cash prize pool for the top-placing teams - the exact prize structure is published in the official rules each season.
How many rounds does Microsoft Imagine Cup have?+−
What's the difference between the Launch and Scale paths in Imagine Cup?+−
Do you need to use Microsoft technology to enter Imagine Cup?+−
Is Microsoft Imagine Cup free to enter?+−
What can you win at Imagine Cup?+−
More guides
Checked against Microsoft's own Imagine Cup 2026 official rules PDF and aggregator reporting, 12 Aug 2026. Path criteria, category list, and prize figures are republished each season - confirm on imaginecup.microsoft.com before entering.