A pre-startup competition for secondary schools across Central Europe. Student ventures are evaluated and validated by our panel of judges — active investors, founders, and executives from the region.
Teams go from idea to functioning business over the course of the semester — not a pitch deck, but an actual product or service with real customers.
Schools receive a curriculum framework, coaching sessions, and milestone checkpoints modelled on how early-stage startups actually operate.
The top teams from across the region pitch live to a panel of active venture capitalists at The English College in Prague.
"The Venture Capital Cup is a pre-startup accelerator designed to get secondary school students building real companies — not hypothetical pitch decks."
Over one semester, student teams receive a structured framework — modelled on how early-stage startups operate — to take an idea from zero to a working venture with real customers.
The best teams from each participating school advance to the Prague Summit, where they pitch live to an active panel of venture capitalists. The goal is not to win a competition — it is to begin a founder career.
The Venture Capital Cup 2026 is limited to international schools within Central Europe. We believe regional density is the foundation of a high-performance startup ecosystem.
By concentrating our network, we ensure that only the most committed student ventures earn the right to pitch at the Grand Finale in Prague.
The Venture Capital Cup structure is designed to move teams from raw hypothesis to validated market reality through a three-stage progression.
"The Venture Capital Cup Grand Finale is not a student fair; it is a high-stakes, professional-grade venture presentation held at The English College in Prague."
This event brings together the top-performing teams from across the region for a single day of high-pressure, live-pitch sessions. Here, finalists defend their validated data ledgers before an elite panel of active venture capitalists and industry leaders. Hosted at one of Central Europe's most prestigious international institutions.
Select the registry tier optimized for your school's team size. All packages grant full entry to the validation workspace, ledger database, and evaluation loops.
The Venture Capital Cup is reserved for secondary schools committed to high-performance entrepreneurship.