Talk to us about judging
Spend a day at Stanford with twelve of the most promising student founders anywhere, chosen from applicants at universities around the world. See them before anyone else does.
- Meet standout student founders before they raise
- Judge alongside investors, operators and social entrepreneurs
- Get every finalist's materials ahead of finals day
Join the judging panel
The organizing team reads every note and replies by email.
Why investors judge
Only the top 12
Applications from universities around the world, narrowed to 12 finalists against a published rubric. You meet the top of the funnel, not the whole funnel.
Finalists are flown to Stanford
Finalists from outside the Bay Area are flown to Stanford. The best founders come to campus whether they study down the road or across the world.
Other investors in the room
Judges sit alongside fellow investors, operators and social entrepreneurs, with founders, donors and the Stanford community in the audience.
Every venture has a social mission
Every finalist is building something with a social or environmental mission: climate, health, education, food access and more.
What judges do on finals day
01
Before finals day
We share each finalist's materials and the presentation rubric, so you walk in knowing the ventures.
02
Round 1
Each panel hears four pitches, asks questions, scores them against the rubric and picks one group winner.
03
Round 2
The three group winners pitch again to everyone. Final-round judges rank them first, second and third.
04
After
Meet the founders, the other judges and our donors. Many of the best conversations start here.
Judging is in person at Stanford. Judges score on a short, published rubric covering the problem, the business, the impact, feasibility, financial sustainability and the pitch itself.
44 ventures applied in 2026, and Foliage won
Foliage uses AI and satellite imagery to predict wildfire risk from trees near power lines, so utilities can send inspectors where they matter most. Niko pitched it as repairing the system that causes wildfires, not just their aftermath.
The first competition raised $42,500 and drew a full room at the Koret Pavilion. This year it opens to the world.
See the 2026 finalsBacked by
Help fund the prizes
Sponsors fund the prize pool and fly finalists to Stanford, and are thanked at the finals and in the program.