Inaugural cycle · 2026–27
Registration closes November 1, 2026Build a real AI startup. In seven weeks.
A global competition for students ages 13–18. Pick a problem worth solving, build an AI-powered startup around it, and pitch it to a panel of judges. No experience required.
Judge scorecard
Multiple passes, averaged
- Problem importance20%
- Innovation20%
- AI implementation20%
- Product quality15%
- Business potential15%
- Presentation10%
Published before the build phase opens. Nothing is scored on criteria you can’t read in advance.
- Who
- Students 13–18
- Where
- Worldwide, online
- Cost
- Free to enter
- Build phase
- 7 weeks
A note from the team
We started IASC because the competition we wanted didn’t exist. Everything out there was either a weekend hackathon — too short to build anything real — or it treated AI as something to work around instead of something to work with.
So this is seven weeks, not forty-eight hours. It judges the business you built, not the demo you rushed. And it assumes you’ll use AI, because that’s how founders actually build now. The only thing we ask is that you can explain what you made.
This is year one. There are no past winners to show you and no track record to point at. What we can promise is a rubric published before you start, written feedback for every team that submits, and awards that actually arrive rather than awards we hope to afford. If that sounds like your kind of thing, we’d like you in the first cohort.
— The IASC team
Why this one
Not a weekend hackathon.
Most student competitions give you 48 hours and judge the demo. IASC gives you seven weeks and judges the business — the problem you picked, the customers you found, and how well you used AI to get there.
International recognition
Compete against student founders worldwide and earn a credential you can point to on applications and profiles.
Real startup experience
Seven weeks to research, validate, and build — the same loop real founders run, compressed for students.
Verifiable credentials
Signed digital certificates and shareable badges at every award tier, issued to you directly and yours to keep.
Written judge feedback
Every team that submits receives scored feedback against the rubric — most competitions never tell you why you placed where you did.
Mentorship
A written build playbook, tool guides, and founder resources — all published up front, no waiting on a reply.
Founding cohort
This is the inaugural cycle. The first winners of IASC are the ones every future cohort gets measured against.
Startup showcase
The top 10 teams pitch live over video in a session scheduled around their own time zone.
College resume value
A real startup, a scored international placement, and a credential that shows initiative rather than attendance.
Seven weeks, November 2 to December 20. Most of it looks like this.
Our position on AI
Use AI. That’s the point.
We don’t test who can write the most code unassisted. Modern founders build with AI, so IASC scores how well you do the same — creatively, deliberately, and with a real grasp of what you shipped.
The one requirement: your team can explain every part of your project. Every submission includes a short unscripted founder Q&A, and judges score understanding, not just output.
Read the full rulesPermitted and encouraged
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini
- Cursor
- GitHub Copilot
- Lovable
- Bolt
- Replit AI
- Midjourney
- Flux
- Runway
- ElevenLabs
…and any other AI system.
Calendar
Five phases, fixed dates.
- 1
Aug 20 – Nov 1
Registration
Sign up free, individually or as a school group. Registered teams receive resources by email throughout the fall.
- The build-phase playbook
- Founder resources & templates
- Competition updates
- 2
Nov 2 – Dec 20
Build phase (7 weeks)
Teams spend seven weeks turning an idea into a startup. Optional milestones help you stay on track.
- Customer discovery
- Market validation
- MVP planning
- Pitch practice
- 3
Deadline Dec 20
Submission
The portal is open for the whole build phase — submit any time before the deadline.
- 3-minute pitch video
- 2-minute founder Q&A
- Pitch deck (recommended)
- Prototype (optional)
- 4
Dec 22 – Jan 20
Judging
Every submission is scored against the six published criteria in multiple independent passes, and every team receives a full breakdown of their scores.
- Multiple scoring passes, averaged
- Six weighted criteria
- Written feedback for all entrants
- 5
Jan 22 – Feb 14
Online finals
Finalists pitch live over video in individually scheduled sessions. You pick a slot that works in your time zone rather than staying up for someone else's — no travel, no cost.
- 5-minute pitch over video
- 5-minute Q&A with the organizing team
- You choose your session time
- Results announced February 14, 2027
What you submit
Two required videos. Everything else is optional.
The bar on deliverables stays low so your seven weeks go into the startup, not the paperwork.
Required
3-minute pitch video
Every team submits a short presentation introducing their startup.
- Problem & solution
- Why AI?
- Target users
- Business model
Required
2-minute founder Q&A
An unscripted video answering three prompts published at the start of the build phase. This is how we verify you understand what you built.
- What did you build, and what did AI build?
- The hardest decision your team made
- What you'd do next with another month
Highly recommended
Pitch deck (8–10 slides)
Not required, but a strong deck often helps judges better understand the startup.
- Problem · Solution · AI technology
- Market · Product · Business model
- Competitive advantage · Go-to-market
- Vision · Team
Optional
Prototype / MVP
Extra evidence of feasibility — a polished product is not expected.
- Website or mobile app
- AI chatbot or ML model
- Figma prototype
- Interactive demo
Scoring
The rubric is public before you start.
Every submission is reviewed independently by two judges against these six criteria.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Problem importanceDoes the startup address a meaningful, real-world problem worth solving? | 20% |
| InnovationIs the approach original — a genuinely new angle rather than a copy? | 20% |
| AI implementationHow creatively and effectively is AI woven into the product itself? | 20% |
| Product qualityIs the product thoughtful, usable, and well executed for its stage? | 15% |
| Business potentialCould this become a real company — market, model, and traction path? | 15% |
| PresentationIs the pitch clear, confident, and compelling to judges? | 10% |
Recognition
Seven award tiers.
Recognition runs all the way down the field — every team that submits receives scored feedback against the rubric.
Grand prize
First Place
The grand prize winner of the inaugural International AI Startup Challenge — a placement no future cohort can hold.
4 benefits
Runner-up
Second Place
Runner-up across the entire international field.
3 benefits
Third
Third Place
Third place across the entire international field.
3 benefits
Top 10 teams
Startup Showcase
Pitch live over video in a session scheduled around your time zone.
4 benefits
Top 20 teams
International Finalist
The highest-scoring teams in the world advance to the finals round.
2 benefits
Top 5%
IASC Distinction Award
Recognition for the strongest submissions across the full competition field.
3 benefits
Every team
Scored Judge Feedback
Every team that submits receives their scores against all six criteria plus written comments from their reviewers. Most competitions never tell you why you placed where you did.
3 benefits
On cash prizes
Problem areas
Build in any field that matters.
The emphasis is on AI-powered products people would actually use — not technology for its own sake.
- Healthcare
- Education
- Finance
- Climate
- Accessibility
- Robotics
- Scientific research
- Productivity
- Public safety
- Agriculture
Questions
Before you register.
Any student aged 13–18 anywhere in the world. You can compete solo or in a team, and no prior coding or startup experience is required.
Registration is free. There is no entry fee, no submission fee, and nothing to buy at any stage.
Registration is open August 20 to November 1, 2026. The build phase runs November 2 to December 20, 2026, which is also when the submission portal is open. Judging runs December 22, 2026 to January 20, 2027, and the online finals run January 22 to February 14, 2027. Finalists are scheduled individually across that window, so you pick a time that works where you live. Results are announced February 14.
Yes. 2026–27 is the inaugural cycle of IASC. We are upfront about that: there are no past winners to show you and no track record to point to. What we can promise is a published rubric, real judge feedback for every team, and awards that arrive by email rather than awards we hope to afford.
Not in the inaugural cycle. IASC does not offer cash prizes or startup grants in 2026–27. We decided it was better to promise only what we can guarantee than to advertise money we have not raised. Awards are signed digital certificates, shareable badges, and a full scored breakdown for every team that submits. Everything is delivered by email, so it reaches you wherever you are.
No. Judges evaluate the quality of your idea, entrepreneurial thinking, and how effectively you use AI — not raw programming skill. Many strong submissions are built with no-code and AI tools.
Register for the inaugural cycle.
Registration is open until November 1, 2026. You're signing up for the founding cohort — the first winners of IASC are the ones every future year gets measured against.
- Free — no entry or submission fee
- Under a minute, six fields
- No idea or team needed yet