There is the saying we all know too well, “the youth are our future”. However, as we all know as young entrepreneurs or individuals involved with young entrepreneurs, why wait for the future? Many young thinkers are producing great solutions to world issues right now.

Microsoft’s annual competition, Imagine Cup, launched Wednesday, allowing youth worldwide to address and combat these world issues by utilizing technology and other innovative tools. Teens in Tech and Daniel Brusilovsky, Teens in Tech CEO & Founder in particular, are no strangers to Imagine Cup after attending finals in New York and Sydney. Here’s more on Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013.

If you aren’t familiar with Imagine Cup, the competition brings in young innovators from around the world, allowing them to use Microsoft technologies to create products that improve on social ills and global issues.

What’s different this year is, first off, the categories involved. Last year, there were four categories. However, this year, there are three categories, plus free reign over your team’s theme. The three categories involved are:

  • World Citizenship: Create a product that improves the world at large
  • Games: Making the use of games to engage youth in creating something great
  • Innovation: Experiencing life in a new way, through existing mediums.

Now in its eleventh year, Imagine Cup 2013 is allowing for more entrants to win larger prizes. Aside from these three competitions, there are also online competitions available for individuals who want to get involved. Entrants can focus more on specific up-to-date Microsoft technologies available to them, some of which include Windows Phone, Windows Azure and Windows 8.

 “With the evolution of Imagine Cup, we’re further inspiring students from all academic backgrounds to collaborate on applications and seize opportunities post-Imagine Cup to polish their applications, gain the support they need to bring their technology to market, and fully realize their potential to impact their local communities and the world.” - John Scott Tynes, Imagine Cup Competition Strategy and Development Manager.

This year, the first place winner will win $50,000, second place will win $10,000, third place, $5,000. The Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013 WorldWide finals will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 8th – 13th, 2013, a trip all finalist will win along with their monetary prize. The first place online entrant team wins $10,000, second place wins $5,000, and third place wins $3,000.

But Microsoft isn’t done yet! To help with their competition’s venture, Microsoft will also give finalist a chance to receive a Microsoft Imagine Cup Grant if they wish to grow their product further.

 

Last year, the Ukrainian team quadSquad took home the prize. With over 1.65 million innovators who have competed over the past eleven years, are you ready to become apart of this group? If so, sign up and register on the Imagine Cup website.

Disclosure: The Microsoft and Teens in Tech Labs relationship is important to disclose, and Microsoft has supported the Teens in Tech Conference and Incubator.