Microsoft Imagine Cup is an annual startup competition run by Microsoft for student founders building with Microsoft AI. The 2027 registration page is live and invites teams to address one of five suggested challenge areas or another problem of their choice.
Participants form teams of up to four and develop a minimum viable product, with Microsoft technologies, guidance and founder connections available along the way. The detailed 2027 rules, round dates and submission deadline are not yet published on the public pages.
Benefits & funding
- Registered participants can unlock up to USD 5,000 in Azure credits to experiment, test and refine an MVP.
- The program provides access to Microsoft AI technologies, tailored guidance and founder connections.
- The Scale path World Champion wins USD 100,000, divided equally among registered team members, plus a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella and deeper partnership opportunities with Microsoft for Startups.
- The Launch path winner wins USD 50,000, also divided equally among registered team members, plus continued visibility and support from Microsoft.
Eligibility
- The current general program guidance is for enrolled high-school or college/university students aged 18 or older.
- Teams may have up to four students, and every member must register on the Imagine Cup website.
- The project should be an AI-powered startup solution; the five featured challenge areas are optional rather than restrictive.
- Residence: the Official Rules bar residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Russia and the Region of Crimea under U.S. export regulations; the rest of Ukraine is not barred. The FAQ phrases this as being from a country not prohibited by those regulations, and no nationality is named.
- At submission a team picks the Scale path (already has users, revenue or capital, with no more than USD 5,000,000 in combined dilutive or external non-dilutive funding) or the Launch path (no dilutive funding, and no more than USD 100,000 in external non-dilutive funding).
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“You are NOT a resident of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Russia, and the Region of Crimea” Eligibility
Residence required
USA · Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Haiti · Jamaica
+ 218 more
Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · Bonaire · Saba · Sint Eustatius · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · Guadeloupe · Sint Maarten · Turks and Caicos Islands · US Virgin Islands · Greenland · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · Falkland Islands · UK · France · Germany · Italy · Spain · Portugal · Netherlands · Belgium · Luxembourg · Switzerland · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man · Åland Islands · Svalbard and Jan Mayen · Ireland · Poland · Czechia · Hungary · Romania · Serbia · Greece · Bulgaria · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Ukraine · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · Japan · South Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · Somaliland · South Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Western Sahara · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Guam · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna
Education required
High School · Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs
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Application process
- 1Open the 2027 competition page and select Register Now.
- 2Create an Imagine Cup profile; every proposed team member must register separately.
- 3Create or join a team of no more than four students.
- 4Use the available credits and learning resources to develop and validate an MVP.
- 5Check the account page and the updated 2027 rules for the submission form, required materials and deadline.
Program timeline
Registration is open; the public page gives no exact opening date.
2027 cycle
Submission deadline
Not yet published.
Later rounds and final
Not yet published for the 2027 season.