IEC Startup Pitching Competition

Startup for Good

Innovation for Sustainability and Well-being. Pitch your startup to a panel of judges at IEC 2026 for a share of RM12,000 in prizes, plus convention access for your whole team.

Register Your Team Eligibility & Rules

Who Can Enter

Eligibility & Criteria

01 Open to full-time students and recent graduates (within one to two years of graduation) from public and private higher education institutions worldwide.
02 Each team consists of two to three members, with at least one active student.
03 Open to early-stage startups or business ideas (pre-revenue or early-revenue), registered as a business entity for no more than two years, and at least at Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or early commercialisation stage.
04 Each team submits a Business Model Canvas (BMC) and a three-minute pitch video no later than 20 September 2026.
05 Shortlisted teams pitch live: five minutes of presentation followed by five minutes of questions and answers with the judging panel.
06 Each team prepares a 2ft × 6ft exhibition bunting. T-stands are provided by the organiser.
07 Ideas must be original and must not have previously won a similar national or international competition. Intellectual property rights remain with the team.

Six Tracks

Competition Categories

01
Digital Innovation & Technology
Mobile and web applications, AI, FinTech, blockchain-based solutions and other digital technologies.
02
Halal Economy & AgriTech
Halal traceability solutions, smart agriculture, agri-entrepreneurship and food technology.
03
Social Impact & Islamic Social Finance
Solutions involving zakat, waqf, sadaqah, community welfare, financial inclusion and social enterprises.
04
Green Business & Sustainability
Circular economy initiatives, eco-friendly products, renewable energy and waste management.
05
Creative Economy & Lifestyle
F&B, fashion, tourism, creative industries, media and digital content.
06
HealthTech & Biotechnology
Digital healthcare solutions, medical devices, biotechnology and health informatics.

How Teams Are Judged

Scoring Rubric

Criteria Weight Scale
Innovation & Originality 20% 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent)
Market Viability & Business Model 20% 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent)
Social & Economic Impact 20% 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent)
Scalability 15% 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent)
Team Execution & Pitch Delivery 25% 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent)

Registration Fees

Pricing

Convention access for your whole team is included at every tier. Select your tier when you register.

Type Early Bird Normal Price Notes
Public University Free Free Free for the first 10 participants from each Public University; further participants from the same university register under Local University pricing instead
Local University MYR 650.00 MYR 700.00 Malaysian universities not in the Public University list
International MYR 700.00 MYR 750.00 Universities outside Malaysia

Prices shown are per participant. For the pitching competition, the total team fee is the per-participant amount × team size.

What's At Stake

Prizes

1st Place
RM5,000
2nd Place
RM3,000
3rd Place
RM2,000
10 Side Prizes
RM500 each

Ready to
Pitch?

Register your team now. Convention access is included, no separate registration needed. Fee depends on your university type.

Submission Deadline
20 September 2026
Pricing
See the fee table above
Register Your Team