Rubric teardown
“What exactly are the judges rewarding this year?”
What they hand inA one-page plan mapped to the marking criteria.
Before the entry startsProgrammes / AI, Technology & Entrepreneurship
Competition · AI, Technology & Entrepreneurship
The AI Founders Challenge
A ten-week online AI venture competition: students discover a problem, build a working AI product with no-code tools, and compete through semifinals and a live final. A project-based AI and entrepreneurship challenge where students progress from Dreamer to Builder to Founder, build a real AI-powered product using vibe-coding tools, and pitch it at the Entrepreneurship Olympiad with Next Billion Lab.
Next cohort starts Sat, 26 Sept 2026 · USD 60
Starts in 16 daysDecide by 16 SeptCohorts of Small live cohort
Length70 days
Cohort sizeSmall live cohort
EligibilityGrades 8–12 (13–17)
Live sessionsLive session times confirmed on registration · live on Zoom
What your child will actually do
Live, mentor-led sessions - worked problems and real output, not lectures.
1
Understand what judges reward
A live briefing on the The AI Founders Challenge rubric, so your child knows what a winning entry looks like before starting.
2
Research and build the entry
Structured work across 70 days, with checkpoints rather than a last-minute scramble.
3
Submit and get judged
Entries are assessed by the organising panel, with feedback and rankings returned to every participant.
Skills your child will gain
Named, practised skills - grouped the way universities read them, tied to how each is used in this competition.
Communication
Writing and speaking so an adult expert takes them seriously.
- Argument under scrutiny
Rehearsed in front of a mentor and peers, then corrected on the spot.
Building & doing
The hands-on craft that turns an idea into a finished artefact.
- Python and prompting
Used directly on the work your child hands in across 70 days.
- Model evaluation
Learnt by building the real artefact, not by following a tutorial.
- Product thinking
Refined through revision rounds until the output is portfolio-ready.
- Editing ruthlessly
Used directly on the work your child hands in across 70 days.
Working with people
Deadlines, teams, feedback - the habits universities and employers notice.
- Working to a hard deadline
Built through real deadlines and written mentor feedback.
- Handling results, win or lose
Practised in small-team work with students your child has never met.
Projects they finish with
Sample briefs from recent cohorts - the actual work that comes out of the programme, not a syllabus.
The competition entry itself
“Can your child produce ai, technology & entrepreneurship work that stands up to outside judging?”
What they hand inA submitted entry - essay, case or presentation - kept for the portfolio.
70 daysPost-result reflection
“What did the judges' feedback reveal to fix next time?”
What they hand inJudge feedback plus a written reflection worth quoting in interviews.
After resultsA judged entry with a result attached
Builder evidence: something that runs, with a repo and a demo behind it. By the end of The AI Founders Challenge, the aim is simple: a working prototype, a public repo and a two-minute demo video.
What you end up holding
- A rank, award or honourable mention
- A submitted essay or case entry
- A line that needs no explaining on a form
What they'll take away
Certificate of ParticipationJudging feedback and rankingAwards for top entriesA submission to show universities
How this strengthens their university profile
The point isn't the certificate. It's the line a family can honestly write afterwards - and the artefact sitting behind it.
Before
"My child is interested in ai, technology & entrepreneurship."
Nothing an admissions officer can check.
After The AI Founders Challenge
"My child completed The AI Founders Challenge and finished a judged entry with a result attached."
A line with an artefact behind it.
Why this competition counts
External validation. A competition is judged by someone other than us, which is exactly why admissions officers weigh it - a rank or an award is a third party saying the work was good.
Builder evidence: something that runs, with a repo and a demo behind it.
What a university can verify
- A rank, award or honourable mention
- A submitted essay or case entry
- A line that needs no explaining on a form
- A rank, award or honourable mention
- A submitted essay or case entry
Upcoming cohorts
Starting soon
Sat, 26 Sept 202670 days · Grades 8–12Season 1 · 26 September 2026
Live session times confirmed on registration
Sat, 27 Feb 202770 days · Grades 8–12Season 2 · 27 February 2027
Live session times confirmed on registration
Sat, 12 Jun 202770 days · Grades 8–12Season 3 · 12 June 2027
Live session times confirmed on registration
Sat, 23 Oct 202770 days · Grades 8–12Season 4 · 23 October 2027
Live session times confirmed on registration
Session times shown in Dubai time (GMT+4) with US Eastern alongside. Fees are correct at time of publishing - confirm on the programme page.
Live mentors, every single session
The AI Founders Challenge is taught live by mentors from leading universities and partner organisations - never pre-recorded. Small cohorts mean your child is spoken to by name, not counted in an audience.
Parents usually ask
Is my child the right age for this?
It is designed for Grades 8–12. No prior background is assumed - mentors calibrate to the cohort in the first session.
How much time does it take?
70 days in total, with live sessions live session times confirmed on registration plus light preparation in between. It is built to sit alongside school.
What if we miss a session?
Tell the team in advance and they will share the materials and arrange a catch-up so your child rejoins without falling behind.
How do we pay and confirm a place?
Places are confirmed on the The AI Founders Challenge application page. Fees shown here are correct at time of publishing - always confirm on the programme page before paying.
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USD 60next cohort 26 Sept