Imagine Cup 2013 Opens with Larger Prizes

Last week Microsoft announced the opening of the 2013 Imagine Cup. This year there are thee competition and three challenges for students to enter. The prizes are larger as well with a top prize for each of the three competition being $50,000 (USD) and each of the challenges having a top prize of $10,000 (USD). Participants must be 16 and older. Last year we had a team of high school students reach second in the game division in the US. I suspect that will be looking pretty well on their college applications. For university students success in the Imagine Cup is a great resume builder. Not only that many teams in the past have taken their Imagine Cup projects and made businesses out of them. For example Australian Imagine Cup 2012 Team StethoCloud was recently featured in the 'Innovators' section of Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine!  Have you got it in you to compete with the best? Time to build a team and start working on your project.

Sign up to get the Imagine Cup newsletter, talk to us on Facebook and Twitter, and get the latest scoop on our contests and even more ways to win.

Competitions:

• World Citizenship: Make an app that could change someone’s life. Pick your cause: the environment, education, health, you name it. Use technology as an agent of change.
• Games: Put a smile on the face of the world. Make the next great game and see people playing it all around you on console, PC, phone, slate – wherever people play games.
• Innovation: Reinvent social networks. Transform online shopping. Experience music in a new way. Do something amazing with GPS. It’s time to take that crazy idea of yours and ship it!

Challenges:

• The Windows 8 App Challenge will test a team’s ability to design and build a Windows Store app that takes advantage of Windows 8 features and design principles to deliver an exceptional experience on the platform.
• The Windows Phone Challenge is seeking the best apps that feature startling functionality and device-focused utility, combined with a delightful Windows Phone user experience.
• The Windows Azure Challenge is about getting your team started on the “next big thing” by leveraging Azure platform features to build a great web application.

For each competition, we'll award:

• First Place: $50,000 (USD)
• Second Place: $10,000 (USD)
• Third Place: $5,000 (USD)

And each challenge:

• First Place: $10,000 (USD)
• Second Place: $5,000 (USD)
• Third Place: $3,000 (USD)

Plus every finalist team and their mentor will also get a free trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, to compete in the Worldwide Finals!

Looking for resources to get started? Take a look at:

• How to Develop a Windows 8 App in 30 Days
• How to Develop a Windows Phone App in 30 Days
• Azure 90-day Free Trial