Opportunity brief
About the Competition:
EUREKA! Campus Pitching Challenge 2026 is a startup pitching competition organized as part of the National Entrepreneurship Challenge (NEC) in association with E-Cell, IIT Bombay. The competition provides student entrepreneurs, early-stage startups, and aspiring founders with an opportunity to pitch their ideas, receive expert feedback, and compete for a pathway to the Eureka! 2026 Zonal Round.
Why Participate:
- Direct pathway to the Eureka! Zonal Round, subject to Eureka! eligibility requirements.
- Pitch before entrepreneurs, startup professionals, investors, mentors, and entrepreneurship experts.
- Receive feedback on your business model, market opportunity, scalability, and pitch.
- Showcase your startup or idea to an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Gain insights to strengthen your startup journey.
Eligibility:
- Students with innovative startup ideas.
- Student entrepreneurs.
- Early-stage startups.
- College founders and aspiring entrepreneurs.
- Teams developing innovative products, services, or business models.
- Open to both idea-stage teams and existing startups.
- Individual and team participation is allowed, subject to the competition rules.
Competition Structure:
Round 1 – Eureka! Registration Verification:
Participants must register for Eureka! 2026 using the designated NEC ID provided by the organizing team.
- NEC ID: NEC2636194
- Submit a screenshot confirming registration on the Eureka! platform using the designated NEC ID/referral.
- Submit the Eureka! generated Team ID.
- Submit basic startup/team details.
- Eureka! registration using the designated NEC ID must be completed by 20th August 2026.
Only participants who successfully complete the required Eureka! registration will remain eligible for further evaluation under this competition.
Round 2 – Pitch Deck Submission:
Shortlisted participants will be required to submit their startup pitch deck.
The pitch deck should cover:
- Problem Statement
- Proposed Solution
- Product/Service
- Target Market
- Business Model
- Market Opportunity
- Competitive Landscape
- Go-to-Market Strategy
- Traction, if applicable
- Team
- Future Roadmap
Participants are encouraged to keep their decks clear, concise, visually engaging, and data-driven.
Round 3 – Campus Pitching Round:
Shortlisted startups will be invited to the campus for the final pitching round.
- 2 minutes: Startup Pitch
- 3 minutes: Jury Q&A
The jury will evaluate participants based on:
- Problem & Solution
- Innovation
- Market Potential
- Business Model
- Scalability
- Traction/Validation
- Go-to-Market Strategy
- Team Capability
- Pitch Quality & Clarity
- Responses during Q&A
Recognition & Eureka! Zonal Opportunity:
- The top 3 teams will be recognized at the campus level.
- The winning startup will get an opportunity to have its evaluation fast-tracked for the Eureka! 2026 Zonal Round, subject to fulfilment of Eureka! eligibility and submission requirements.
- Selected teams may get an opportunity to progress towards the Eureka! Zonal ecosystem across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
Mentorship Opportunity:
Participants will have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback and guidance from experienced industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and startup mentors.
The interaction can help teams understand:
- How to validate their business idea.
- How to improve their business model.
- How to identify their target customers.
- How to build a scalable venture.
- How to strengthen their pitch.
- What investors and industry professionals look for in startups.
Important Eligibility Requirement:
Mandatory Eureka! Registration:
All participants must register on the Eureka! platform using the designated NEC ID.
- NEC ID: NEC2636194
- Participants must submit proof of registration along with their Eureka! Team ID during Round 1.
- Failure to register using the designated NEC ID may result in ineligibility for the Eureka! Zonal evaluation opportunity.
Important Dates:
- Registrations Open: 10 August 2026
- Round 1 – Eureka! Verification: 17 August 2026
- Round 2 – Pitch Deck Submission: 17 August 2026
- Shortlist Announcement: 20 August 2026
- Round 3 – Campus Pitching: 23 August 2026
- Winner Announcement: On Campus
Pitch Deck Requirements:
- Problem: What problem are you solving?
- Solution: How does your startup solve the problem?
- Product/Service: What are you building?
- Market: Who are your customers and how large is the opportunity?
- Business Model: How will your startup make money?
- Competition: Who are your competitors and what makes you different?
- Traction: Share users, revenue, pilots, partnerships, validation, or other relevant metrics, if applicable.
- Go-To-Market Strategy: How will you acquire and retain customers?
- Team: Who is building the startup and why are you the right team?
- Vision: Where do you see the startup in the next 3–5 years?
Participation Guidelines:
- Participants must complete Eureka! registration using the designated NEC ID.
- Participants must submit their Eureka! Team ID during Round 1.
- Participants must submit a pitch deck within the Round 2 deadline.
- Only shortlisted teams will proceed to the campus pitching round.
- Shortlisted teams must be available to pitch on campus on the designated event date.
- Each team will receive 2 minutes for pitching and 3 minutes for jury interaction.
- Participants must provide accurate information during registration.
- The decision of the jury regarding the campus competition will be final.
- The Eureka! Zonal opportunity is subject to the eligibility criteria and evaluation process prescribed by E-Cell IIT Bombay.
- Participants may be required to provide additional information or documents for Eureka! evaluation.
Who Are We Looking For?
The competition is open to founders and teams with:
- Just an idea.
- A working prototype.
- An early-stage startup.
- An existing customer base.
- Early traction or revenue.