Microsoft Imagine Cup

Semifinalist spotlight 🌐✨ Stories should evolve with the people experiencing them. Meet World37 from @Stanford and @UniversityofIl 🇺🇸 World37 is an AI powered platform where creators can build interactive story worlds without complex coding, while players shape the narrative through meaningful choices. By combining Azure OpenAI with persistent character memory, the team is redefining how stories are created, experienced, and scaled 🎮📖 @CaoCaojess Huda Siraj Creative worlds. Dynamic storytelling. Technology that brings imagination to life. Discover the teams shaping this year’s #ImagineCup and read more on the blog:aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight ⛑️✨ Workplace safety should reach every worker. Meet Sentinel Rhino from Rajiv Academy for Technology and Management, Mathura and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra in India 🇮🇳 With Dustinel AI, the team is tackling undetected health and safety risks in mining and construction through AI powered worker triage and real time risk analytics for contractors. Designed with voice and icon based interfaces, offline functionality, and support for regional dialects, the platform ensures even low literacy and migrant workers can report hazards and stay protected ⚠️ Aditya Pamar Lakshya Sharma Aditya Chooramani Safety that includes everyone. Technology built for real world conditions. Protection where it matters most. Learn more about this year’s Imagine Cup semifinalists and read the full announcement on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

💡 Building with @microsoftcoplot isn’t about moving faster for the sake of speed—it’s about thinking more clearly as you build. In this week’s Advice for Startups, we look at how founders are using Copilot to move from scattered ideas to structured progress—whether that’s outlining features, refining code, or pressure-testing decisions along the way. Copilot can help you: → Turn early concepts into something tangible → Iterate on code without getting stuck → Stay focused when you’re juggling building, school, and everything in between But it doesn’t replace your judgment. It strengthens it. The teams that get the most out of it are the ones who stay curious, keep questioning, and use it to think, not just generate. 👉 How are you using AI in your build right now? 🔗 Read the full blog: aka.ms/AdviceforStude…

Semifinalist spotlight 🚦✨ Safety should not depend on connectivity. Meet L-Guard Ltd from ALU in Rwanda 🇷🇼 L-Guard is improving road safety with automatic crash detection, driving behavior monitoring, and real time alerts for riders, families, fleets, insurers, and emergency services. Built as a hardware first, phone independent system that works offline, the solution ensures protection for users of any age, literacy level, or connectivity access. An Azure AI agent powers intelligent dashboard insights to support faster response and safer roads 🛵 @helen_codeadict @olowoyoerioluwa Ramadhani Wanjenja Terry Manzi Protection that works anywhere. Technology designed for real world conditions. Safer roads for more communities. Discover the teams shaping this year’s #ImagineCup and read more on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 📈✨ Investing decisions should be guided by insight, not emotion. Meet IONMONKS from AMC College of Engineering in India 🇮🇳 IONMONKS helps retail investors cut through emotional bias with explainable, AI driven decision guidance in plain language. By replacing overwhelming charts with clear insights, the platform empowers investors of every experience level to make informed decisions with greater confidence 💡 Gnanesh G Clarity over complexity. Confidence over confusion. Technology that helps people make smarter financial decisions. Learn more about this year’s #ImagineCup semifinalists and read the full announcement on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 📚✨     Access to knowledge should never depend on sight.     Meet Clear For All from Universitas Sumatera Utara 🇮🇩     Clear For All is reimagining access to books for blind and visually impaired students by replacing costly Braille production with Literaku, an inclusive voice command reading platform. Co designed with blind learners, the solution empowers academic institutions to support independent, equitable reading with no sighted assistance required 🎧     Clara Angelin Pijoh  Farhan Ar Rahman  Muhammad Rizky Fadhillah  Rifki Al Sauqy     Independent learning.  Inclusive design.  Education that meets every student where they are. 
 Discover the teams shaping this year’s #ImagineCup and read more on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 🚶‍♀️✨ Recovery does not end when the appointment does. Meet WalkTDY from @NTUsg... WalkTDY supports stroke survivors rebuilding mobility at home by increasing safety, confidence, and daily walking practice beyond the clinic. Designed with a simple, accessible interface for varying vision and attention needs, the team is reducing barriers to rehabilitation while strengthening both physical and mental recovery 💙 @dchin2002 Jaya Trisha Jayaperakash @lel_venus Confidence rebuilt step by step. Technology that supports healing beyond the hospital. Learn more about this year’s #ImagineCup semifinalists and read the full announcement on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Every startup begins with possibility ✨ An idea takes shape, a few lines of code appear, and something that did not exist before starts to become real. In our latest Imagine Cup Builder Series session, @github Developer Advocate Kedasha Kerr shared how founders can use GitHub and GitHub Copilot to turn those early ideas into real products with strong development practices. The lesson for student founders is simple. Progress does not come from trying to build everything at once. It comes from clear iterations, organized repositories, and learning in the open. GitHub brings together more than 180 million developers collaborating, reviewing code, and improving projects every day 🌍. For startup teams, that environment creates an opportunity to build faster while learning from a global developer community. Tools like GitHub Copilot can accelerate the process 🤖 — helping founders generate code, explore solutions, and debug more efficiently so they can focus on solving the problem their product was designed to address. For teams building in this year’s Microsoft #ImagineCup, the message was clear: Start small. Iterate often. Build with confidence 🚀 Read the full blog: aka.ms/AdviceforStude… @GitHubEducation

Food waste often starts before anyone can see it. Meet SpoilSafe from @CarnegieMellon... Using AI to detect early spoilage signals in the cold chain, SpoilSafe helps grocery and logistics operators prevent costly food waste before it happens. By making predictive tools accessible to operators of all sizes, the team is strengthening supply chains and supporting long term food security 🌍📦 Advika Vuppala Rohan Ganesh Troy McBride Vivaan Sawant Smarter systems. Stronger supply chains. Less waste, more impact. Discover the teams shaping this year’s #magineCup and read more on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 🛡️✨ Online safety should adapt to the child, not the other way around. Meet Snailly Labs from @unikomtwit in Indonesia... Snailly Labs is protecting children ages 5 to 14 from harmful online content with adaptive cybersecurity that goes beyond one size fits all parental controls. Built with inclusive design, human in the loop insights, and multilingual support, their platform empowers families and academic institutions to define what safe means for them — with transparent, context aware protection designed for real world needs 🌐💬 Ariq Hikari Hidayat Muhammad Favian Jiwani Raditya Aryabudhi Ramadhan Regia Atmowidjaja Protection with context. Technology with intention. Safety shaped around families. Learn more about this year’s #ImagineCup semifinalists and read the full announcement on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 🧪✨ Understanding should never be limited by access. Meet CodeHers from @NTUsg in Singapore... With MolecuLab, an AI powered platform designed for secondary school adoption, CodeHers is helping GCE A Level students visualize molecules, understand reaction mechanisms, and correct misconceptions in real time. Built mobile first and affordably, the platform delivers a multimodal learning experience with supportive AI guidance so advanced chemistry becomes accessible for every type of learner 📱🔬 Dharshini Saravanan Hwee Woon Lim Ruba Sulaiman Clarity over confusion. Access over barriers. STEM learning that meets students where they are 💡 Discover the teams shaping this year’s #ImagineCup and read more on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 🌏✨ Connection should not be a luxury. Meet Massey HiLily from #MasseyUniversity and #UniversityofAukland in New Zealand... The Massey HiLily team is addressing loneliness and fragmented care for seniors living alone with a 20 dollar voice companion that offers long term memory and quiet health monitoring. Designed with a Solve for One, Extend to Many mindset, their solution removes voice, cognitive, and economic barriers while supporting seniors, families, and care institutions alike 🤝💬 Alex XIANZHONG Luo Sarah Liu Yu Tang Inclusive design. Accessible technology. Care that feels personal, not distant 🌱 Learn more about this year’s #ImagineCup semifinalists and read the full announcement on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

You can build something impressive and still struggle to get it adopted. In our Builder Series – Week 1 session, Shish Shridhar from @msft4startups shared what many founders discover the hard way. The shift from MVP to enterprise is not about adding features. It is about building trust. Enterprise buyers are not asking if it works. They are asking if it delivers measurable outcomes and can scale securely inside their organization. That second conversation after the demo is the one that matters. If you are building for long term impact, build for that question. Read the full blog to learn what founders need to know as they move from early traction to enterprise growth. aka.ms/AdviceforStude… #Startups #StudentSuccess #TechInnovation

Semifinalist spotlight 🏥✨ Recovery should not pause between appointments. Meet Revora Health from @CarnegieMellon... With Clara, an Azure powered AI agent, Revora Health is reinventing physical therapy through instant triage, personalized recovery plans, and real time form feedback. By bridging the gap between clinic visits, the team is helping patients recover faster, more affordably, and with greater confidence 💪 Surya Kukkapalli Smarter support. Stronger recovery. Care that continues beyond the clinic. Discover the teams shaping this year’s #ImagineCup and read more on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 🎼✨ Music should adapt to the musician — not the other way around. Meet Virtuoso from @GeorgiaTech... Using Azure AI, Virtuoso transforms existing sheet music into custom arrangements tailored to any instrument combination or skill level. By removing cost, language, and skill barriers, the team is making music more accessible for hobbyists, classrooms, and lifelong musicians alike 🎻🎹 Hudson Etkin Jonathan Cheng Sanjan Sen Creative technology. Expanded access. More people making music 🎶 Learn more about this year’s #ImagineCup semifinalists and read the full announcement on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight 🌍✨ Support should start with understanding. Meet SIRIUS from ESPRIT: Private Higher School of Engineering and Technology... Through StepWise, the team is empowering children with Down syndrome with a platform designed to support developmental growth, independence, and daily skill building. Built with cognitive and motor needs in mind, and featuring an accessible interface with OpenDyslexic fonts, StepWise gives children, parents, and health providers clearer guidance from the very beginning 🤝💙 ahmed douss kiram Ben Ali Zied Gachita Thoughtful design. Intentional technology. Impact that starts early and grows over time 🌱 Discover the teams shaping this year’s #ImagineCup and read more on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Semifinalist spotlight. 🌎🔥 When wildfires move fast, response has to move faster. Meet Interlinked from @UCBerkeley... Using real time AI to predict wildfire ignition and spread, their platform equips firefighters, communities, and local governments with smarter tools when every second matters. 🚒🌲 Built alongside local leaders and Indigenous communities, Interlinked reflects lived experience, real world collaboration, and a commitment to equitable access. Neel Shetty Rehaan Bicha Rushil Desai Technology in service of people. Builders in service of impact. Learn more about this year’s #ImagineCup semifinalists and read the full announcement on the blog: aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Behind every strong build is someone who asks the right question at the right time. The #ImagineCup 2026 Builder Series mentors are here — founders, CTOs, AI strategists, and technology leaders who have built, scaled, and transformed companies at the highest levels. Now they’re investing that experience into our semifinalists. From generative AI and cloud to cybersecurity and startup growth, their real-world insight will help teams sharpen decisions and build with greater clarity. To every mentor guiding the next generation of founders…thank you! Semifinalists, lean in. Read the full blog to meet the mentors shaping this year’s Builder Series. 💡🏆 aka.ms/2026ImagineCup…

Builder Series begins today. 💡 Semifinalists, this is where your build deepens. Week 1 focuses on how leading companies use Microsoft AI to solve real problems at scale and how you can apply that same foundation to strengthen your own solution from day one. More clarity. Stronger architecture. Smarter decisions. Momentum starts here.💻🏆 #ImagineCup #Startup #CollegeStudent #Hackathon