This February, some of the world’s brightest young minds will gather in the technology center of the world – the Silicon Valley –for the opportunity of a lifetime: to take their winning Imagine Cup ideas to the next level – market reality.

Now in its third year, the Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator propels Imagine Cup software design champions into the next stage of developing their innovative ideas into a business. The Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator, a joint project from Microsoft and BT, is a unique prize and opportunity for the top six Imagine Cup finalists from the software design competition to harness their exceptional talents and take their ideas a step further toward commercial reality. Over an intensive two-week period, students further develop and refine their designs and learn to create viable business plans with close guidance from some of the best minds at Microsoft and BT.

These university students will get comprehensive training in what it takes to develop an idea from a concept into a business. After receiving in-depth guidance using Microsoft and BT platform and network assets, the teams will work to improve the software applications they created for the Imagine Cup World Finals in Korea. In addition, experts coach the students on running a startup business, developing a solid business plan, gaining venture capital, and bringing their concepts to market.

The students maintain intellectual property rights over their projects and can create businesses from their concepts in their home country or gain venture capital funding elsewhere – the future of their dream is in their hands. The Innovation Accelerator program is designed to inspire new generations of students to apply their skills and creativity to make a difference, both globally and locally, through technology.

The six teams participating in the 2008 Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator program are:

• Thailand - Team 3KC Returns/Project LiveBook!
  Team Members: Prachaya Phaisanwiphatpong, Vasan Chienmaneetaweesin, Jatupon Sukkasem, Pathompol Saeng-Uraiporn
• Korea - Team En#605/Project Finger Code
  Team Members: Lim Chan-kyu, Min Kyoung-hoon, Lim Byoung-su, Jeong Ji-hyeon
• Jamaica - Team ICAD/Project CADI
  Team Members: Imran Allie, Conroy Smith, Ayson Baxter, Damion Mitchell
• Ireland - Team inGest/Project Signal-Sign Language Learning Environment
  Team Members: Daniel Kelly, Cathal Coffey, Eric McClean, Mark Clerkin
• Mexico - Team Wisdom Spice/Project Wisdom Spice
  Team Members: Ramiro Berrelleza Perez, Dimitri Limberopulos Fernandez, Sergio Marcin Gorrino, Francisco Sandoval Zazueta
• Poland - Team InPUT/Project Onespace
  Team Members: Szymon Wybranski, Michal Zygmunt, Michal Taranus, Marek Wronowski