ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½

What is the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Entrepreneurship Competition?

This competition is an opportunity to design, pitch, and execute your start-up idea in a supportive environment. Whether you are a postgraduate researcher thinking about commercializing and technology transfer, a first-year undergraduate interested in trying your hand at conceiving a business plan, or an alumnus currently involved in a more developed start-up venture, we want to hear from you and help you take your project to the next level.

Finalists will have the chance to win prize money of more than £10,000 across our themes of Sustainability & Conservation, Global Health, and Artificial Intelligence, as well as the opportunity to present their pitches to the WES network of expert speakers and judges. There will also be a grand prize for the overall winner.

Applications will be accepted from Monday 5 January until 08.00 on Monday 23 February 2026.

More information

Find out more about the details of the competition below.

Timeline

Entries may be submitted from the competition's opening on 5 January 2026, through to 08.00 on 23 February 2026. The eligibility requirements and materials requested for this submission may be found in the Enter Competition section. 

The ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Executive Committee will thereafter review submissions' conformity with eligibility requirements and submit the full application materials for review by the WES network of experienced Judges and Mentors. 

Finalists will be invited to participate in a live event held on Saturday 14 March 2026 and present their full pitches in person to the Judging Panel, as well as to our audience - including mentors, investors, College alumni, and other members of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Entrepreneurship network.

Strong early stage ideas will be invited to participate in a Shark Tank on Wednesday 6 May 2026 and present their pitch to our Judging Panel and audience. Participating teams will receive feedback from our expert judges to help with their next steps.

Eligibility Requirements

All teams must include at least one current University of Cambridge student, or an alumnus/alumna with a maximum of five members.

Eligibility criteria for ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Entrepreneurship Competition 2026 are broad, and we encourage all start-up teams or aspiring founders with ties to ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ or Cambridge University to submit a proposal.

We are especially seeking investable projects; the most successful proposals will have clear value propositions, development objectives, and intended uses of funds. Teams which have previously raised financing may still apply, but those beyond the Series A stage will be ineligible.

Our expert judges will assess entries based on five criteria, with equal weight given to all five:

• How ready for investment is this business?
• How likely is this business to secure a long-term competitive advantage?
• How strong is the team which runs this business?
• How much benefit to humanity might derive from this business?
• How clear and convincing is the financial plan?

Be sure to submit your entry by the deadline, 08.00 on 23 February 2026.

Expectations

It is preferable that teams/members of teams who go on to be successful in the Final will be available in the course of the year to engage with ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ and its community. In return, teams will have the opportunity to engage with College’s extensive global and entrepreneurially minded network. 

Teams will be expected to stay until the end of their slot on Saturday 14 March 2026 to receive feedback from the judges. They will also be expected to attend the prize giving, which is estimated to start at 16.30, if they wish to be eligible for a prize. 

A dinner in the College's Dining Hall will follow the prize giving, to provide the opportunity for networking and to celebrate with the winners.

Enter Competition

Your competition entry will ask you to include the following:

• Company Mission/Vision
• Problem statement
• Summary of the idea/product
• Market size of opportunity
• Competitors
• Team & ability to execute
• Traction/progress to date
• Financial Plan 
  
  Note: every idea is different, and not all categories will be relevant to every business. We encourage a wide range of companies to apply, so please adapt this as you see fit. If your company has other documents that would support your application, please upload these too.

*Please submit your application using the form available .*