OFFICIAL HANDBOOK · 2026
Participant Guide & Competition Rules.
Everything you need to know about the format, eligibility, milestones, and deliverables for Startup Showdown ’26. Read carefully before submitting your team application.
Eligibility & Team Rules
Mandatory Team Size: 3 to 4 Members
Every participating team must have at least 3 and at most 4 members, including the designated Team Leader. Solo founders, 2-person teams, and groups of 5+ are strictly not permitted. Roster entries cannot be submitted without all required details.
Open Eligibility — No Institutional Barriers
The competition is open to all passionate builders regardless of university affiliation, academic department, or background. You do not need a university email to register.
One Active Team Per Participant
An individual may only be registered on a single active team. Duplicate emails across registrations are automatically rejected by the platform.
Honest Work & Tool Use
You are encouraged to use modern libraries, open-source code, APIs, and AI coding assistants. However, teams must honestly represent their own contributions and disclose any pre-existing code when submitting.
Mandatory Weekly Updates (SHOWDOWN PULSE)
During the build phase (October 26 – November 9), approved teams must submit a weekly status report via their Team Dashboard. Reports track goals, completed work, blockers, and help needed.
Full Intellectual Property Ownership
Participating teams retain 100% ownership of their ideas, codebase, and prototypes. Startup Showdown does not take equity or claim ownership of your product.
The Competition Journey
Online Startup Launch Session
October 15, 2026Orientation session breaking down what qualifies as an authentic startup problem, competition mechanics, and live Q&A. (Exact time and Google Meet link to be announced).
Registration & Questionnaire Window
October 15 – October 22, 2026Select your track (Track A from the challenge catalogue, or Track B with an original idea) and complete the team application with your 3-4 member roster.
Rolling Idea Evaluation
Starts October 26, 2026Our panel reviews applications with a target turnaround of 24–48 hours. Applications receive either 'Approved with Feedback' (ready to build) or 'Not Approved with Feedback' (direction to pivot).
MVP Building & Weekly SHOWDOWN PULSE
October 26 – November 9, 2026Build your working product! Approved teams report progress weekly via the dashboard, flagging blockers so organizers and mentors can step in.
Final MVP & Startup Launch Pack Submission
November 9, 2026 (23:59:59 PKT)Submit your complete Startup Launch Pack: working MVP with live demo link or video, final pitch deck, Startup Brief, business & revenue model, financial forecast & spending plan, customer validation evidence, 90-day roadmap, team contributions, and honest risks/limitations. Technical supporting materials (code repo, architecture docs) are optional but recommended.
Winner Finalization
November 13, 2026Internal scoring calibration combining jury evaluations and preliminary rubric scoring.
Onsite Grand Finale & Demo Day
November 15, 2026Live in-person event! Teams showcase live products at demo tables during the morning exhibition, deliver stage pitches (Pitch 2), defend their work in judges' live Q&A, and the Top 3 winners are awarded.
What counts as an MVP?
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a working version of a product that demonstrates at least one core feature solving a specific problem for its intended user.
It must demonstrate something that actually works. It does not need to be a complete, commercially polished, or venture-scale product. It may be a software web or mobile app, an AI-powered agent or tool, an embedded hardware prototype, or a research-oriented product.
Teams should clearly and honestly state what is fully functional, what is simulated (e.g., test fixtures or mock backend data), and what remains unfinished.
⚠️ Important: A presentation alone is not enough
A pitch deck explaining an idea, a set of static Figma mockups, or a concept video of an unimplemented product is not sufficient on its own to qualify as a working MVP. The product must possess functional code or hardware that can be tested.
The MVP
The tangible, functioning software or hardware developed during the 2-week sprint (October 26 – November 9). Demonstrates at least one core user workflow end-to-end.
The Startup Launch Pack
The full submission package evaluated by the jury: your working MVP accompanied by 9 supporting deliverables that demonstrate your market validation, business model, financial planning, and startup potential.
Startup Launch Pack Deliverables Checklist
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: NOV 9, 2026 · 23:59:59 PKTWorking MVP
RequiredA functional product or prototype with at least one working core feature solving a specific problem. Accessible via live URL, test environment, or physical demonstration.
Recorded Product Demonstration
RequiredA concise 2–3 minute video showing the product working live and explaining the primary user journey. Screen recordings or phone camera demos are completely acceptable.
Final Pitch Deck
RequiredA clean 8–10 slide presentation covering problem, target customer, solution, product demo, business model, validation, financials, team, and next steps.
Startup Brief
RequiredA 1–2 page executive document detailing the product, problem, target users, proposed solution, value proposition, existing alternatives, and user acquisition plan.
Business & Revenue Model
RequiredExplains who uses the product, who pays for it, how value is created, and how it could generate revenue (subscriptions, usage fees, one-time purchase, or transaction fees).
Financial Forecast & Spending Plan
RequiredAn estimated 3-month forecast of development and operating costs (hosting, APIs, hardware, tools) and expected revenue. Realistic assumptions are welcome; actual revenue is not required.
Customer Validation Evidence
RequiredDocumentation of user interviews, surveys, prototype tests, or pilot feedback verifying problem demand. Report honest findings — do not fabricate traction.
Next 90-Day Roadmap
RequiredA practical post-Demo Day roadmap detailing technical milestones, product enhancements, customer discovery goals, and resources needed to advance.
Team Roles & Contributions
RequiredA concise breakdown of individual member contributions across engineering, design, user research, business planning, and testing.
Risks, Limitations & Responsible Use
RequiredAn honest disclosure of known technical constraints, dependencies, privacy/security factors, potential user risks, and unresolved challenges.
Technical Supporting Material
OptionalSource code repository, setup instructions, architecture diagram, hardware BOM, experimental results, or research methodology (optional but recommended).
Guidance for Student Founders
Judges evaluate thinking and execution — not corporate paperwork.
No legal incorporation: You do not need a registered company, bank accounts, or corporate bylaws to compete.
No venture funding: Having investors or funding is not required and provides no scoring advantage over bootstrapped prototypes.
Estimates are expected: Financial forecasts and customer adoption numbers are assessments of your market logic and assumptions.
Ready to build something real?
Assemble your team of 3 to 4 members and submit your startup questionnaire before October 22.