Where the best ideas earn recognition
Publish your startup page on Ekidea, nominate it for this competition, compete for recognition and prizes, and keep full ownership. Open to founders at every stage, from pitch deck and prototype through MVP, traction, or revenue.
- Ekidea-reviewed
- No random winners
- Founder-owned
- Clear criteria
- Guaranteed prize
Section 01
Competition overview
Ekidea Competition Q2 2026 is a startup idea competition designed to help founders move their ideas forward.
Founders can submit ideas, startups, products, MVPs, or early businesses for review by the Ekidea team. Every submission is scored on 4 criteria (25 points each, 100 total): problem, market & demand; solution & differentiation; execution & founder, and overall promise. Two selected winners share a guaranteed $1,500 prize pool (1st place $1,000, 2nd place $500). To enter, use one entry credit to nominate your startup page for Ekidea review (one competition entry uses one credit for this program).
Section 02
Prize award
Guaranteed Prize Pool: $1,500
Prize money is paid to verified winners after Ekidea review and approval. Amounts by place are shown in the competition summary at the top of this page.
Prize awards are guaranteed for the selected winners of this competition. Winning is not guaranteed for every participant.
- 1st place$1,000
- 2nd place$500
Section 03
Who can enter
Open to founders working on:
- startup ideas
- product concepts
- SaaS tools
- AI tools
- marketplaces
- e-commerce ideas
- local business ideas
- mobile apps
- early products
- MVPs
- prototypes
- revenue-stage startups
You do not need to have a finished product to enter. Strong early ideas are welcome.
Section 04
Accepted stages
All stages are welcome. Map yourself to how you would describe the company in a pitch deck or investor update, from narrative-only through MVP, traction, and revenue. These are reference points, not a checklist or ladder.
Pitch deck
Problem, solution, market, and why now: clear on a slide deck, one-pager, or narrative even before a product ships.
Prototype & demo
Designs, clickable flows, mockups, video walkthroughs, or a thin slice investors or users can try.
MVP
A live product with the smallest useful version of your core value: real users can sign up or use the main workflow.
Traction
Meaningful usage or demand signal: active users, pilots, waitlists, LOIs, or repeated engagement and feedback loops.
Revenue
Paying customers, signed contracts, or recurring revenue: you can point to real money and a path to scale.
Between two stages? Pick the closest fit. A strong pitch deck without shipped code is absolutely in scope.
Section 05
What Ekidea reviews
4 criteria, 25 points each (100 total). Every nomination follows the same rubric.
- Problem, market & demand25 pts
Who you help, why it matters, opportunity size, path to customers, and reason to believe they will care.
- Solution & differentiation25 pts
How the product fits the problem and why you win versus alternatives or the status quo.
- Execution & founder25 pts
Realistic next steps for your stage and a clear, credible plan from the founder.
- Overall promise25 pts
Holistic view of the idea's potential as a meaningful product or company.
Section 06
Review process
- 1
Nominate startup page
Publish your startup page on Ekidea, then nominate it for this competition from that page.
- 2
Eligibility Check
Ekidea checks that the submission is complete, relevant, and follows the rules.
- 3
Ekidea Review
The Ekidea team reviews eligible submissions based on the review criteria.
- 4
Final Selection
Ekidea selects the top two submissions based on quality, potential, execution, and overall promise.
- 5
Winner Verification
Selected winners complete verification and payout details.
- 6
Prize Awards Sent
Winners receive their guaranteed prizes (1st place $1,000, 2nd place $500).
Section 07
Timeline
Competition Opens
Q2 2026
Entries Close
May 21, 2026
Review Period
May 22 – June 30, 2026
Winners Announcement
July 2026
Prize Payout
After verification and approval
Section 08
Rules & transparency
Ekidea is designed to be clear, founder-first, and fair.
- Winners are selected by the Ekidea team.
- Winners are not selected randomly.
- This is not a lottery.
- Founders keep full ownership of their ideas.
- Ekidea does not take equity.
- Prize awards are not guaranteed to every participant.
- The $1,500 prize pool is guaranteed for the selected winners (1st place $1,000, 2nd place $500).
- Submissions must be original or properly authorized.
- False, misleading, copied, or incomplete submissions may be rejected.
- Ekidea's review decision is final.
Founder ownership
Your idea stays yours.
Submitting to Ekidea does not transfer ownership, equity, IP rights, or control of your startup idea to Ekidea. Founders keep full ownership of their ideas, products, and businesses.
Ready to nominate your startup page?
Enter Ekidea Competition Q2 2026 and compete for recognition and guaranteed prizes.