Since 2002, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup has served as the springboard for innovative ideas in technology. The Imagine Cup has engaged thousands of U.S. college and high school students to generate and nurture their entrepreneurship and technology prowess. Recent competitions have focused on technology ideas that help solve the world’s toughest problems. Now in the event’s 11th year, U.S. Imagine Cup participants are again encouraged to participate in the most prestigious student technology competition.

This past year, Dinesh Agarwal, a Ph.D. student at Georgia State University, showed what the U.S. Imagine Cup is all about.  As a finalist, Dinesh created Crayons, a system that can quickly and accurately determine the safest rescue shelters during a natural disaster. Crayons would enable emergency response teams to use real-time feedback to make informed decisions for evacuation strategies, thus saving lives.



New Competitions and Challenges in 2013



Additionally, students can participate in online challenges that focus on specific Microsoft platforms, including Windows 8 Apps, Windows Azure and Windows Phone.  Winners of the competition and online challenges will be sent to the worldwide finals in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2013.

U.S. Imagine Cup Accelerator

The Student Accelerator Program will equip and enable top talent to build new apps on Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Microsoft Azure. Entries into the program will be reviewed by a panel of judges and 25 teams will be admitted into the Accelerator Program where they will engage in a two month mentorship program with Microsoft. This mentorship program will include technical training and workshops to create a prototype and build a go-to-market
plan. The 25 teams will also have the opportunity to participate in a five-day, in-person “Start-Up School” in Silicon Valley paid for by Microsoft. At the end of the program, selected teams will be invited to pitch ideas to a community of investors and technology industry professionals at the U.S. Imagine Cup Business Accelerator Demo Day in the Silicon Valley area. Students can learn more about the U.S. Imagine Cup Accelerator program at

More Financial Rewards for U.S. Students


