The Global Challenge Lab evolves into a specialised, Imperial-led innovation sprint. While the programme is anchored by Imperial College London, it remains a borderless platform open to students, and offer holders from our official university partners worldwide.
By aligning the research themes of our Schools of Convergence Science with the strategic leadership of our four Global Hubs, we are creating a direct pipeline from concepts to global markets. Join 1,000 fellow innovators to turn ‘how might we?’ into ‘here is’ the solution.
What is Global Challenge Lab at a glance?
- 14-day entrepreneurship programme.
- Mixed teams: a team size of 3-6 members and each team must include participants from at least 2 different faculties.
- Delivered online: a mix of live masterclasses and pre-recorded content.
- Compete for a share of the £3,000 prize fund.
- Build skills in master design thinking, the Lean Canvas, and high-impact pitching.
- Connect with 1,000+ Imperial students and incoming postgraduates.
- Earn an official certificate of participation from Imperial College London.
What are this year’s challenge tracks?
– You will have the opportunity to form an international team and innovate within one of the following tracks:
- Climate & Sustainability
- Health & Technology
- Space, Security & Connectivity
- Smart Cities & Urban Futures
What would you gain from participating?
- Learn how to identify meaningful, high-impact problems and turn them into clear, actionable opportunities.
- Go through a structured ideation process and learn how to generate strong, differentiated solutions.
- Gain the tools to analyse markets, competitors, and ecosystems.
- Be introduced to startup finance and fundraising, including understanding what investors look for.
- Build a Strong Value Proposition and clearly articulate why your solution matters, who it’s for, and why it stands out.
- Learn the fundamentals of building a scalable venture, from business model design to early financial thinking.
- Test your idea in the real world, including validating assumptions and refining your concept.
- Craft a powerful narrative around your startup to confidently pitch your idea.
More details about this year’s challenge can be found on the Enterprise Lab website.