Real experience
Solve a real Thai SME problem, not a hypothetical.
AIKS StartUp Case Challenge 2026
Think With AI. Not For It.
Give student teams a realistic SME problem, a clear business objective, and an opportunity to build a working AI prototype within the competition timeline.
- Registration closed
- 3 business case tracks
- 10,000 THB top prize
- October 2026
Case Launch · 11 October 2026
Prizes & Recognition
Bold ideas. Real impact.
Case Champions
10,000 THB cash + 1,000 USD cloud credits
1st Runner-up
6,000 THB cash + 600 USD cloud credits
2nd Runner-up
4,000 THB cash + 400 USD cloud credits
E-certificates for all 25 teams; physical certificates for the top 10.
What You Will Gain
Practical AI skills
Apply AI tools and build a working MVP.
Industry mentorship
Work directly with business and technical mentors.
Portfolio, network & prizes
A working project, nationwide contacts, certificates and cash.
How It Works
Three steps. Five weeks.
Explore the cases
F&B & Hospitality · Services Industry · Digital Innovation
Build with mentors
The real SME case drops 11 October. Two workshops plus mentor sessions to build your AI-powered MVP.
Pitch & win
25 teams pitch on 1 November; 10 finalists reach the Grand Final on 15 November.
Sponsors & Partners
Business case tracks · 2026
Registration closedThree tracks. Real business value.
Track 01 · F&B & Hospitality
Smart Café: Sell More, Waste Less
Sponsor inspiration: Forbest • Himalaya • Lactasoy
The SME problem
A small café struggles to predict daily demand. Some ingredients go unused, popular items run out, and staff spend time manually reviewing sales and creating promotions.
The business challenge
Build an AI assistant that helps the café make smarter daily operating decisions.
Required deliverable
A working prototype that takes sample sales data and generates useful recommendations.
What teams could build
- AI sales and demand forecasting using historical sales data.
- Ingredient and food-waste recommendations.
- Menu and promotion suggestions based on sales patterns.
- A simple owner dashboard with recommended actions.
Success metrics
- Forecasting accuracy against historical sales.
- Estimated reduction in food waste.
- Potential improvement in revenue or gross margin.
Fairness guardrail
Provide every team with the same synthetic sales, inventory, and menu dataset. Teams may choose different approaches, but must test their results against the same baseline.
Program Details & FAQ