Microsoft’s Imagine Cup 2016 is well underway, with the award and challenge winners already having been announced in the competing countries to determine who will make it through to the World Semi-Finals!

Created in 2003, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup is a ‘global student technology program and competition that provides opportunities for students across all disciplines to team up and use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications, games and integrate solutions that can change the way we live, work and play.’ Available for students aged 16 and above, Imagine Cup is held in countries all over the world. Each country holds a National Finals to select their best teams, who then go on to enter the World Semi-finals, which will be held in Seattle this year. Winning teams also get to take home $50,000 as their prize.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Imagine Cup “provides opportunities for students across all disciplines to team up and use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications, games and integrate solutions that can change the way we live, work and play.”[/pullquote]

Imagine Cup holds three main competitions – Games, Innovation and World Citizenship. Your team of four have the task of making an original technology project from start to finish, from an awesome idea, to the planning and building, all the way through to the submission. The project can either be just software or a combination of software and hardware, and needs to use Windows, Windows Phone or Windows Azure. Although you’ll be working in a team with 3 other students, you will receive help from mentors, associates and faculty members, who can all advise you on your project.

Past members of Imagine Cup have gone on to form successful businesses, including Chris King, Devin de Vries and Dave New, founders of the WhereIsMyTransport app. WhereIsMyTransport began back when the team entered Imagine Cup, however they lacked the necessary data required to power the app. Instead, they ended up creating a WhereIsMyShuttle app, which allowed transport providers to track their vehicles and manage their operations. The team ended up winning first place in the Imagine Cup South Africa and second place in the Rural Innovation Category at the World Finals in Paris.

Projects made by winners in the past have ranged from medical apps for anaemia and posture, to interactive tours and nail polish design. Every year, Imagine Cup sees more and more innovative ideas and creations from their entrants, and gives talented coders the recognition that they deserve.

So far, this year’s first round winners have included a Waste Management project from Sri Lanka, a piano learning app from France and a 2D illusion based puzzle adventure game from Indonesia. Keep up-to-date with the winners here!