Imagine Cup is an annual competition sponsored and hosted by Microsoft Corp. which brings together student developers worldwide to help resolve some of the world's toughest challenges.[1] It is considered as "Olympics of Technology" by computer science and engineering and is considered one of the top competitions and awards related to technology and software design. All Imagine Cup competitors create projects that address the Imagine Cup theme: "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems". Started in 2003, it has steadily grown, with more than 2 million competitors representing 150 countries in 2022. The 2023 Imagine Cup World Championship was held in Seattle, United States.[2][3]
History
The Imagine Cup began in 2003 with approximately 1,000 competitors from 25 countries and regions and has grown to more than 2 million competitors representing 150 countries in 2022. The Imagine Cup World Championship has been held all over the globe. Since 2014, the Imagine Cup World Championship has been held in Seattle, United States.[2]
- 2003: Barcelona, Spain – Theme: Link between people, information, systems, and devices, using Web services and. NET as the springboard.
- 2004: São Paulo, Brazil – Theme: Imagine a world where smart technology makes everyday life easier.
- 2005: Yokohama, Japan – Theme: Imagine a world where technology dissolves the boundaries between us.
- 2006: Agra & Delhi, India – Theme: Imagine a world where technology enables us to live healthier lives.
- 2007: Seoul, South Korea – Theme: Imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all.
- 2008: Paris, France – Theme: Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment.
- 2009: Cairo, Egypt – Theme: Imagine a world where technology helps solve the world's toughest problems.
- 2010: Warsaw, Poland – Theme: Imagine a world where technology helps solve the world's toughest problems.
- 2011: New York City, United States – Theme: Imagine a world where technology helps solve the world's toughest problems.
- 2012: Sydney, Australia – Theme: Imagine a world where technology helps solve the world's toughest problems.
- 2013: St. Petersburg, Russia – Theme: All dreams are now welcome.
- 2014: Seattle, United States
- 2015: Seattle, United States
- 2016: Seattle, United States
- 2017: Seattle, United States
- 2018: Seattle, United States
- 2019: Seattle, United States
- 2020: Digital event at Microsoft Build in Seattle, United States[4]
- 2021: Digital event at Microsoft Build in Seattle, United States[5]
- 2022: Seattle, United States[6]
- 2023: Seattle, United States[7]
- 2024: Register to take part
Competition structure
All Imagine Cup competitors create projects that address the Imagine Cup theme: “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems.”
Competitions
- Software Design
The Software Design competition challenges participants to use technology to solve what they consider to be the toughest problems facing the world today. Using Microsoft tools and technology, competitors create software applications. Participants develop, test, and build their ideas into applications that can change the world.[8] - Game Design
The Game Design Competition challenges participants to create a new game that illustrates the Imagine Cup theme.[9]
Winners
There are a number of competitions and challenges within the Imagine Cup. The Software Design category is the primary competition in which its winners take home the Imagine Cup trophy.
Software Design
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Team EPITA[10] Aymeric Gaurat Apelli Francois Beaussier Guillaume Belmas Vincent Vergonjeanne |
Team Inspiration[10] Stanislav Vonog Nikolay Surin Konstantin Zhereb Taras Kushko |
Team SmartEyes[10] Eleni Korkontzila Dimitrios Bisias Styliani Taplidou Nikolaos Trichakis |
2005 | Team OmniMusic[11] Stanislav Vonog Nikolay Surin Alexander Popov Ruslan Gilfanov | ||
2006[12] | Team Even.ctor Giorgio Sardo Massimo Paternoster Silvia Perrone Andrea Sossich |
Team Trivial Carlos Rodrigues Ivan Cardim Madson Menezes |
Team NTNU Jan-Kristian Markiewicz Gøran Hansen Hans Olav Norheim Jonas Follesø |
2007 | Team 3KC Prachaya Phaisanwiphatpong Vasan Chienmaneetaweesin Jatupon Sukkasem Pathompol Saeng-Uraiporn |
Team En#605/Project Finger Code Prachaya Phaisanwiphatpong Vasan Chienmaneetaweesin Jatupon Sukkasem Pathompol Saeng-Uraiporn |
Team ICAD Imran Allie Conroy Smith Ayson Baxter Damion Mitchel |
2008[13] | Team SOAK[14] David Burela Edward Hooper Dimaz Pramudnya Long Zheng |
Team Housekeepers Dusan Zelenik Jakub Simko Michal Kompan Marian Honsch | |
2009 | Team Sytech Adrian Buzgar Calin Juravle Andreas Resios |
Team VitalLab Maxim Bovykin Sergey Fedorov Denis Gnatyuk Alexey Klishin | |
2010[15] | Team Skeek Krithee Sirisith Pichai Sodsai Thanasunn Dilokpinitnun Nonthawat Srichad |
Team TFZR Zlatibor Veljković Milan Kojadinović Goran Nikolić Vanja Zavišin |
Team OneBeep Vinny Lohan Steve Ward Kayo Lakadia Chanyeol Yoo |
2011[16] | Team Hermes James McNamara Calum Cawley Matthew Padden Aine Conaghan |
Team Note-Taker Qian Yan Shashank Srinivas David Hayden Michael Astrauskas |
Team OaSys Yousef Wadi Mohammad Azzam Monir Abu Hilal Hani Abu Huwaij |
2012[17] | Team quadSquad Stepanov Anton Posternikov Anton Osika Maxim Jasakov Valery | ||
2013[18] | Team For a Better World | ||
2014[19] | Team Eyenamia | ||
2015[20] | Team EFitFashion | ||
2016[21] | Team ENTy | ||
2017[22] | Team X.Glu | ||
2018[23] | Team SmartArm | ||
2019[24] | Team EasyGlucose Bryan Chiang |
Team Caeli Bharat Sundal |
Team Finderr[25] Ferdinand Loesch Choon Kiat Lee Sachin Sriskanda |
Office Designer
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2005[26] | Team Solvent-OD Andre Furtado Adeline Silva Madson Menezes Raony Araujo |
Team FIBRA Sergey Dubovi Pavel Zadumkin Dmitry Kozlov Anastasiya Filinova |
Team Paladin Liu Teifeng Yang Yongzhi He Cong Yang Lizhen |
Embedded Development Competition
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Team TriventDreams ED
Andre Furtado | ||
2008 | Team Trail Blazers | Team AcidRain Team Wings |
Team Aero@PUT |
2009 | Team Wafree | Team iSee | |
2010 [15] | Team SmarterME | Team MCPU | Team GERAS |
2011 [16] | NTHUCS | Harmonicare | Endeavour_Design |
Interoperability Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | SKAN [27] Sameet Singh Khajuria Karun AB Amith George Noel Sequeira |
Ecologix [28][29] Carlos Eduardo Rodrigues Eduardo Sonnino Renato Ferreira Roberto Sonnino |
Together [30] Dariusz Walczak Marcin Wrzos Piotr Sikora Tomasz Nowak |
2009 [31] | Proativa Team Amirton Chagas Flavio Almeida Joao Paulo Oliveira Santos Lucas Mello |
ECRAM Mohammed Y. Eshbeata Laith Dawahir Wassim Shehadeh |
Fteams Tomasz Ciejka Grzegorz Glonek Jacek Pintera Krzysztof Szokal-Egird |
2010 [32][33] | Xormis Shawn Mclean Derron Brown Dwayne Samuels Markel Mairs |
Uptiva Dreams IT Hugo Rodrigues Edmiel Leandro Daniel Ferreira Eduardo Sonnino |
Chandradimuka Yudha Antawiryawan Kania Audrint Anggunmeka Luhur Prasasti Widyara Desgita |
2011 [16] | Team Alaniarides Giorgos Karakatsiotis Vangos Pterneas |
Bells Team Daniel Ferreira Lucas Mello Amirton Chagas Joao Paulo dos Santos Oliveira |
DemosceneSpirit Lukasz Michniewicz Szymon Majewski Marek Banaszak Magdalena Dudarska |
Game Design
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Team Mother Gaia Studio
Rafael Costa |
Drunk Puppy Productions
Kenny Deriemaeker |
GomZ
Dong HoonKim |
2009 | Team LEVV It
Luciano José |
Epsylon Games | Sanguine Labs |
2010 [15] | Team By Implication | NomNom Productions | Green Gears Studio |
2011 Mobile[16] | Geekologic | Close World Mobile | Team Dragon
Pierre Elias |
2011 Web[16] | Cellardoor | Signum Fidei
Thomas Tiam-Lee |
Quegee Team |
2011 Windows/Xbox[16] | Signum Games | JubJub[34] | WickedTeam |
2012 Windows/Xbox[35] | TANG Thai[36] | ||
2014[37] | Brainy Studio | BOMON | Illogic |
2015 [38] | IzHard | Kuality Games | Thief |
2016 | PH21 |
IT Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Stefan Plizga | Emanuel Pentescu | Andreas Tomek |
2006 | Andreas Tomek | Valy Greavu | Daniel Boteanu |
2007 [39] | Zhifeng Chen | Romain Larmet | Ilie Cosmin Viorel |
2008 [13] | Jean-Benoit Paux | Cosmin Ilie | Yan Liu |
2009 | Cosmin Ilie | Wu Chang | Miklos Cari Sivila |
2010[15] | WeiQiu Wen | Miklos Cari Sivila | zxc1984 |
2011 [16] | Jean-Sébastien Duchêne | Błażej Matuszyk | Yunheng Mong |
Digital Media
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2010[15] | Mirror Vita | Dreaming Spirits | Woolgathering |
2011 [16] | M.N.A. | Brothers Forever | CottonCandy |
Health Awareness Awards
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2012 [40] | FifthElement Project
Matteo Valoriani |
N/A | N/A |
Connected Planet Award
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Y Nots | N/A | N/A |
Microsoft Azure (Cloud)
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Y Nots | nLife | LetssGo |
Windows Phone
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2011 [16] | HOMERUN | Zipi Zigi | Lifelens Tristan Gibeau Cy Khormaee Wilson To Jason Wakizaka |
2012 [17] | Vivid Noureldien Hussein (Nour El-Dien Hussein) Muhammad El-Orabi Kariem El-Shazly |
The Stack Karol Stosik |
Aaltovation Apurva Jaiswal Irena Prochkova Gitanjali Sachdeva Maimuna Syed |
Windows 7 Touch Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2011 [16] | Team India Rose Anthony Froissant José Martins |
_dreambender_ | IUVO |
World Citizenship Competition
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2013 [41] | For a Better World | Omni-Hearing Solution | Foodbank Local |
2014 [37] | Eyenaemia | SMART Crew | Access Earth Matthew McCann Jack Gallagher KC Grant Donal McClean |
2015 [38] | Virtual Dementia Experience | Mozter | Prognosis |
2016 [42] | AMANDA | Night's Watch | InSimu |
Innovation Competition
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2013[43] | soundSYNK Robert Parker Alex Bochenski Jonathan Neumann Edward Noel |
Dora | SkyPACS |
2014[37] | Estimeet Hayden Do Jason Wei Chris Duan Derek Zhu |
Tep | ButterFly |
2015 [38] | eFitFashion | NoObs Team | Siymb |
2016 [44] | ENTy | Bit Masters | HealthX |
Facebook Creativity Award
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | ij Developers | ||
2013 [41] | Team Ayni |
AppCampus Award
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | Tep Brainy Studio |
Skype Award
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | Drive Social Impact Eyenaemia Learning and Education |
Visual Studio Online Boost
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | Genesis LeapKin |
Apps For Office Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | iGeek CodeBlue |
Windows & Windows Phone Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | Pomato Apps |
User Experience Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | World Citizenship
Team HCI/d |
Pitch Video Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | World Citizenship Team Symbiote Games |
||
2015 [38] | World Citizenship Rapid Response |
Project Blueprint Challenge
Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
2014 [37] | World Citizenship Team Life Up Games |
Innovation Accelerator
The Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator was a program that, between 2006 and 2008, provided Imagine Cup Software Design teams with direction on the next stage of developing their innovative ideas into a business. Each year, between 2006 and 2008, six teams were selected for the Innovation Accelerator program. Participants in the Innovation Accelerator program travelled to the Microsoft Mountain View campus in Silicon Valley and received technical support and business coaching to create the must-have technology and communications applications of the future. In 2010, Microsoft began inviting every Imagine Cup team to participate in its new program for startups: Microsoft BizSpark.[45] With this program, startups receive access to current, full-featured software development tools and platforms.[46]
Previous teams include:
Imagine Cup Grant
A three-year, $3 million competitive grant program was established by Microsoft in 2011 to support a select number of winning teams’ solutions to go to market and realize its potential to solve a critical global problem. The inaugural grant recipients were announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 27, 2012, which included the following teams:
- Team Lifelens from the United States
- Team Apptenders from Croatia
- Team Falcon Dev from Ecuador
- Team OaSys from Jordan
The grant packages include US$75,000 for each team, as well as software, cloud computing services, solution provider support, premium Microsoft BizSpark account benefits and access to local resources such as the Microsoft Innovation Centers. Microsoft will also connect grant recipients with its network of investors, nongovernmental organization partners and business partners.
For the 2012 version of the competition, the following teams were announced in December 2012. The teams are:
- Team Graphmasters from Germany. The team members are: Christian Brüggemann, Sebastian Heise and Iulian Nitescu.
- Team StethoCloud from Australia. The team members are: Hon Weng Chong, Andrew Lin, Mahsa Salehi and Karthik Rajah.
- Team Vivid from Egypt. The team members are: Noureldien Hussein (Nour El-Dien Hussein), Muhammed Mousa El-Orabi and Fady Fawzy Rafla.
- Team Cipher256 from Uganda The team members are: Aaron Tushabe, Joshua Okello, Dr. Davis Musinguzi, Josiah Kavuma and Joseph Kaizzi.
- Team QuadSquad from Ukraine. The team members are: Maxim Osika, Valeriy Yasakov, Anton Stepanov, Anton Posternikov and Dmytro Samoilenko.
Recognition
Imagine Cup participants from around the world who won their regional competitions in 2010 have been recognized by their government leaders.[47] In October 2010, two Imagine Cup 2010 United States finalists (Wilson To [48] from the Mobilifeteam and Christian Hood from BeastWare) were invited to participate in the White House Science Fair. New Zealand's Prime Minister, Hon. John Key sent Team OneBeep from New Zealand a personal letter that congratulated them on their third-place finish. Team Skeek from Thailand, winners of the 2010 Software Design competition, met Dr. Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich, a member of Parliament and Secretary General of The Rajapruek Institute Foundation. Microsoft Poland and members of the European Parliament hosted the “Pushing the Boundaries of Innovation” conference in Brussels. Imagine Cup teams from Poland (fteams and Mutants), Serbia (TFZR), Germany (Mediator), and Belgium (Nom Nom Productions) were in attendance. Greek Imagine Cup winners, Giorgos Karakatsiotis and Vangos Pterneas, of Megadodo, met with the Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, and demonstrated their project that creates personalized descriptions of museum exhibits based on the user's needs. Teams Xormis and Educ8 from Jamaica were honored with a special luncheon hosted by the Government of Jamaica that included an address from Hon. Bruce Golding, the prime minister. Team Think Green had the opportunity to meet with Ivo Josipović, President of Croatia.[49]
See also
References
- ↑ "Tune in to Imagine Cup July 27 to see which team wins more than $200,000 in prizes - The Official Microsoft Blog". The Official Microsoft Blog. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
- 1 2 "Meet the 2022 Imagine Cup Champion: V Bionic". 2022-06-01.
- ↑ "Imagine Cup official site". Imaginecup.com. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ↑ "Meet the 2020 Imagine Cup World Champion: Team Hollo from Hong Kong SAR!". Imaginecup.com. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- ↑ "Meet the 2021 Imagine Cup World Champion: Team REWEBA from Kenya!". Imaginecup.com. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ↑ "Meet the 2022 Imagine Cup Champion: V Bionic". Imaginecup.com. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
- ↑ "2023 Imagine Cup World Championship Winner Revealed!". Imaginecup.com. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ↑ Imagine Cup (2010-09-01). "Imagine Cup Official Rules".
- ↑ Imagine Cup (2010-09-01). "Imagine Cup Official Rules".
- 1 2 3 Imagine Cup (2010-12-01). "Microsoft Presspass". Microsoft.
- ↑ Imagine Cup (2005-08-01). "Microsoft Awards Student Technology Rock Stars at Imagine Cup 2005". Microsoft.
- ↑ "Microsoft Announces Imagine Cup 2006 Winners" (Press release). 2006-08-11.
- 1 2 "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ↑ Brett Winterford (2008-07-09). "ZDNet.com".
- 1 2 3 4 5 Justin Robinson (2010-07-09). "Atomic.edu".
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- 1 2 "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. August 2014. Retrieved 1 Aug 2014.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 4 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft.
- ↑ "Microsoft Announces Imagine Cup 2008 Winners". Microsoft.com. 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
- ↑ "Interoperability Achievement Award Winners". Microsoft.com. 2008-12-11. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009.
- ↑ "Imagine Cup 2008 Year Book" (PDF). Microsoft. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
- ↑ "Centrum Prasowe Microsoft". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
- ↑ "Egypt 09 Imagine Cup - The World's Premier Student Technology Competition" (PDF). Microsoft.com. 2009-07-07. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ↑ Lawton, Chuck (2010-07-09). "Imagine Cup 2010: The Winners!". Wired. Wired.com. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ↑ "Imagine Cup 2010 Yearbook". Microsoft.com. 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
- ↑ Microsoft Thailand. "Imagine Cup Thailand". Microsoft.
- ↑ "Imagine Cup 2012 Winners". www.imaginecup.com. 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
- ↑ The Nation Newspaper. "Imagine Cup Thailand".
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Imagine Cup 2014 Winners". www.imaginecup.com. 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- 1 2 3 4 "Imagine Cup 2015 Winners". www.imaginecup.com. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
- ↑ "Microsoft Announces Imagine Cup 2007 Winners". Microsoft.
- ↑ "Microsoft's Imagine Cup 2012 Winners". www.pcmag.com. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
- 1 2 "Imagine Cup 2013 Winners". www.imaginecup.com. 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ↑ "Imagine Cup 2016 Winners". www.imaginecup.com. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
- ↑ "Press Release". Microsoft News Center. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- ↑ "Imagine Cup 2015 Winners". www.imaginecup.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
- ↑ Chuck Lawton (2010-07-26). "Wired.com". Wired.
- ↑ BizSpark (2010-07-26). "BizSpark".
- ↑ Microsoft (2010-10-27). "Microsoft on the Issues Blog".
- ↑ "Educate to Innovate: The White House Science Fair Kickoff". HuffPost. 20 October 2010.
- ↑ Microsoft (2010-10-04). "Imagine Cup Croatia". Microsoft.