Announcing SXSW EDU 2026 Launch Startup Competition and Student Impact Challenge Finalists & More

By Auva Saghafi

01/05/2026

News

The new year is here, and we are thrilled to kick it off by announcing this year’s Launch Startup Competition and Student Impact Challenge finalists and semifinalists! From breakthrough startups to student-led initiatives, these teams are redefining what’s possible.

We are also proud to share this year’s panel of judges, the emcees who will be hosting the competitions, as well as the organizations providing coaching to help the finalists rock the stage.

Launch Startup Competition

This year, the Launch Startup Competition, presented by the Walton Family Foundation, is celebrating its 15th year of the competition. The finalists and semifinalists shaping the future of education will present an array of innovative products and services that tackle issues from how to make apprenticeships more accessible to creating unique employment pathways.

Finalists will be competing for three awards, which will be announced at the Launch Spotlight, presented by Walton Family Foundation. To prepare, finalists and semifinalists will have access to coaching provided by StartEd. In addition to competing in the Launch Startup Competition, this year’s finalists will have opportunities to expand their impact at SXSW 2026 by accessing Pitch Demo Day and the grand prize winner will be able to present at the Pitch Awards Ceremony.

Finalists

Semifinalists

Judges & Emcee

Seven finalists from across the country and around the globe will be pitching their startups to our panel of judges, which includes Nectir CEO and co-founder, Kavitta Ghai; deputy director of edtech R&D at Digital Promise, Shayla Cornick; and UCLA professor Tina Austin. Emceeing the competitions will be SXSW EDU Keynote Speaker and founder and CEO of MagicSchool AI, Adeel Khan.

Student Impact Challenge

Six finalists, including one international team from Singapore, and two semifinalists, will be participating in this year’s Student Impact Challenge, presented by The Allstate Foundation. These high school student innovators are providing solutions to fill the literacy gap, improve water quality, connect immigrants with jobs, and more.

To prepare, finalists and semifinalists will have the opportunity to receive coaching provided by CASE at Duke. The winner will take home the Student Impact Award, awarded at the Student Impact Ice Cream Social, presented by The Allstate Foundation.

Finalists

Semifinalists

Judges & Emcees

This year’s judges’ table will include 2025 Student Impact Challenge winner and founder of Spark, Nandana Menon; founder of Shield Seniors and TIME Kid of the Year 2025, Tejasvi Manoj; founder of Phia, Sophia Kianni; and the head of Youth Empowerment at The Allstate Foundation, Alex Quian. Zöe Jenkins, director of Civic Trust and Recruitment at Civics Unplugged, and Kennedy Little, youth advocacy team member at Food Empowerment Project, will be emceeing the competition.

Have a startup of your own? Check out the SXSW EDU Startup Bootcamp. This curated itinerary during SXSW EDU 2026 offers the essential skills and guidance you need to successfully scale your startup.

Don’t Miss Out On SXSW EDU 2026

Register and book your hotel today to break new ground in education through compelling sessions, in-depth workshops, mentorship, film screenings, trailblazing competitions, a dynamic expo, networking opportunities, and so much more at SXSW EDU from March 9-12, 2026.

Be the first to know of any information leading up to the event through Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and our newsletter.

SXSW EDU Competition Judge photos (left to right in order of appearance):

Explore SXSW