Microsoft Imagine Cup 2027 – Student Startup Category

About

The Student Startup category is a dedicated cross-industry track in Microsoft Imagine Cup 2027 for student-founded early-stage startups, offering a $25,000 cash prize plus $250,000 in Startup Credits to the top eligible student venture.

Benefits

• 💵Student Prize cash
  Conditional on being selected as the Top Student Startup: $25,000 USD cash award.
• ☁️ Student Prize credits
  Conditional on being selected as the Top Student Startup: $250,000 USD in Startup Credits, subject to Microsoft for Startups terms and a two-year expiration.
• 🏆Top 20 inclusion
  Conditional on being selected as the Top Student Startup: inclusion in the Imagine Cup 2027 Top 20 Startups, presented by Microsoft for Startups.
• 🎤World Championship invitation
  Conditional on being selected as the Top Student Startup: invitation to attend and present at the World Championship for recognition and showcase only; this does not confer Finalist status or eligibility for the First, Second, or Third Prize.
• 🤝Mentorship and promotion
  Conditional on being selected as the Top Student Startup: one mentoring session with a Microsoft executive, at least one social post and one blog feature promoting the startup, and a feature in Microsoft’s “Startups to Watch” report.
• ☁️ Azure Progress Credits
  For eligible startups that redeem a valid Imagine Cup referral code and complete onboarding, Azure Progress Credits may be earned based on verified progress, service adoption, sustained usage, and continued Microsoft for Startups eligibility, from $1,000 USD up to $150,000 USD total; these are conditional and not guaranteed.

Eligibility Criteria

• Mandatory: all Startup founding 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 30 September 2026 and 31 May 2027; Microsoft may request proof of enrollment.
• Mandatory: the Startup must be a registered legal entity founded on or after 2 November 2024.
• Mandatory: the Startup must be an early-stage, privately held, for-profit startup (pre-seed through Series B) that has not raised Series C or later funding.
• Mandatory: the Startup must be headquartered in a country where Azure services are available and must not have received more than $350,000 USD in lifetime free Startup Credits.
• Mandatory: the Startup must not be an educational institution, government organization, consultancy, or agency, and must not be involved in cryptocurrency mining.
• Mandatory: each entrant must be at least 18 years old; an entrant above 18 but below the age of majority in their legal place of residence must have parental/legal-guardian consent.
• Mandatory: the Startup and team members must comply with applicable law, export controls, sanctions, and the Official Rules, and must not be resident in, organized in, headquartered in, or operating from OFAC comprehensively sanctioned countries or regions, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, or be on restricted-party lists.
• Mandatory: previous Imagine Cup winners, Microsoft employees or interns during the Entry Period, and persons involved in administering the competition are not eligible.
• Preferred: eligible student-led startups are encouraged to enter the Student Startup category but may instead choose an industry category; each Startup may enter only one category.

Participation Commitments

• Create an Award Force account and submit one entry through Award Force before 11:59 p.m. CST on 28 February 2027.
• Designate one Authorized Representative who is an official team member and has authority to bind the startup and team.
• Select the Student Startup category; each startup may submit only one entry and may not duplicate it in another category.
• Provide startup legal or operating name, website, founding date, headquarters, primary markets, founder and team details, product and customer problem, Microsoft technologies used, market opportunity, business model, go-to-market approach, and traction evidence.
• Provide a valid Azure Subscription ID and a Microsoft for Startups account; by the submission deadline, use at least 10 eligible Azure services with at least $1.00 usage per service in the submitted solution’s Azure subscription and maintain that usage while actively competing.
• Submit all required materials in English, including a pitch deck, a 2–3 minute product demonstration video, an Azure architecture diagram or technical overview, and written responses.
• Register up to four official team members, all identified before the submission deadline; each person may represent only one startup.
• If selected, complete eligibility verification, execute required documents including an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability and Publicity Release, and provide required tax forms.
• If selected as a Finalist or Student Prize winner, participate in required verification, mentoring, coaching, production reviews, technical reviews, and rehearsals, and present at the World Championship in the format and time specified by Microsoft; at least one official team member must deliver the presentation.
• Competition timeline: submissions 2 November 2026–28 February 2027; expert review 1–12 March 2027; recorded category live interviews 16–31 March 2027; final judging and selection April 2027; announcements and Finalist preparation May–June 2027; World Championship May–June 2027 with exact date to be determined.
• If the World Championship is in person, obtain a valid passport and any necessary visas and cover associated expenses; Microsoft may require in-person or virtual participation and flexible travel.

Target Sector

Sector agnostic, Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other

Target Location

Startup must be headquartered in a country where Azure services are available. Mandatory exclusions: neither the entrant nor the Startup may be resident in, organized in, headquartered in, or operating from OFAC comprehensively sanctioned countries or regions, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine; entrants must not be prohibited from participating in or receiving a prize under applicable U.S. export controls or sanctions programs. The current authoritative list of countries where Azure services are available for this purpose is unresolved and requires external verification.