startup founder track
summary
The Startup Founder Track is designed for aspiring teen entrepreneurs ready to build scalable, high-impact ventures. Whether you're just starting with an idea or refining your go-to-market strategy, this path supports founders in both the ideation and growth stages.
Choose between:
Ideation Track: For early-stage founders with innovative concepts ready to be shaped into viable businesses.
Growth Track: For teams with MVPs or early traction, focused on refining operations, scaling, and fundraising.
Teams must consist of 1–5 participants.
All participants must be under 19 years old as of August 31, 2025.
U.S. residency is required.
Each student may only join one team per competition year.
All team members must be registered to compete.
Business ideas must be original, not previously commercialized, and free of plagiarism.
Submissions must be in English and comply with all relevant laws and trademarks.
AI tools may be used for ideation.
All rounds will be conducted via Zoom, except the Finals, held in person in San Diego.
Teams must consist of 1–5 participants.
All participants must be under 19 years old as of August 31, 2025.
U.S. residency is required.
Each student may only join one team per competition year.
All team members must be registered to compete.
Business ideas must be original, not previously commercialized, and free of plagiarism.
Submissions must be in English and comply with all relevant laws and trademarks.
AI tools may be used for ideation.
All rounds will be conducted via Zoom, except the Finals, held in person in San Diego.
Teams must consist of 1–5 participants.
All participants must be under 19 years old as of August 31, 2025.
U.S. residency is required.
Each student may only join one team per competition year.
All team members must be registered to compete.
Business ideas must be original, not previously commercialized, and free of plagiarism.
Submissions must be in English and comply with all relevant laws and trademarks.
AI tools may be used for ideation.
All rounds will be conducted via Zoom, except the Finals, held in person in San Diego.
Applications Close: July 25, 2025
Quarterfinals (50 teams): July 30, 2025
Semifinals (25 teams): August 5, 2025
• Finals (12 teams): August 15, 2025 (in-person in San Diego)
Participants will receive access to curated startup workshops, mentorship from industry leaders, peer networking sessions, and startup tools. Finalists may receive feedback from founders of nationally recognized companies and university partners.
Prize details:
Ideation Track Winner: $7,000
Growth Track Winner: $7,000
People’s Choice Awards:
1st Place: $10,000
2nd Place: $4,000
• 3rd Place: $2,000