SparkLabs is delighted to announce the SparkLabs Tech Startup Challenge (TSC) to encourage young makers in identifying a problem in a nearby or faraway community and providing a tangible solution. TSC is the most distinguished international competition in technology, engineering, and business for high school students.
The challenge theme is “Find a problem and provide a technological and entrepreneurial solution.” TSC is aimed to foster young makers, engineers, and entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to solve a real-world problem by creating a prototype and a business plan to implement it.
The first part of the challenge consists of making a prototype that can solve the problem you’ve pinpointed, and the second part requires you to generate a business proposal on how you will turn your idea into a company.
Table of Contents
Who May Eligible:
High School students can participate as an individual or team of 2-3 members, to complete the task of building a prototype and creating a business proposal for the judges.
How to Apply & Competitions Rules:
To participate in the challenge, applicants must need to do register through the given link:
http://techstartupchallenge.com/register.jsp
Rules:
- Number of Participant(s): You may enter as an individual or a team of 2 or 3 members (no more than 3 members)
- Part 1: Technical Prototype
- The finished product must be your original design.
- This means you have no limitations in using some or all of the following elements (and beyond); microcontroller motherboard, programming, 3D printed parts, various sensors, mechanical components, and electrical/electronic devices.
- If you choose to use Arduino, make sure to use genuine Arduino product(s)
YouTube Demo Video (under 3 minutes):- You must create and submit the link to a YouTube Demo Video of your working prototype including an explanation of the technical detail.
- The length should be no longer than 3 minutes.
- Part 2: Business Proposal
- You must submit a business proposal that answers the following questions in the submission form
- Describe the problem found and the solution provided
- Market analysis: target market, market need, competition, barriers to entry, and more
- Plans for funding, launching, and projection for growth
Benefits:
There is $5,000 cash prize, tens of various awards, Arduino kits, and free mentoring opportunities to be won by participating teams.
- Grand Prize (1-2 winners): $2,500 for each winner
- Gold Prize (3-4 winners)
- Silver Prize (5-6 winners)
- Bronze Prize (5-6 winners)
- Honorable Mention (10 Winners)
Application Deadline:
You must submit your work by September 30th, 2018.
