Competition · 2026
AIKS StartUp Case Challenge 2026
A five-week program where university student teams solve a real business problem from a real Thai SME, using AI tools and business thinking to build a practical, implementable solution and pitch it to industry judges. An AI Kid School initiative, in partnership with Thammasat Business School. It is deliberately not a hackathon or a hypothetical case exercise — the problem is real, and so is the impact.
Register your teamObjectives
- Empower students with real-world experience solving actual business problems.
- Support Thai SMEs with practical, implementable AI-driven solutions.
- Bridge academia and industry, and promote AI for real business impact.
Key facts
- Format
- AI-powered business case challenge — real Thai SME problems
- Who competes
- University students across Thailand · teams of 2–5
- Duration
- 5 weeks (1 Sept – 18 Oct 2026) · free to enter
- Top prize
- Winner: 10,000 THB + a ZTE smartphone per member · 2nd: 6,000 THB · 3rd: 4,000 THB
- Final venue
- Thammasat University, Phra Nakhon
Timeline
- Stakeholder Opening Day1 SeptIW Sathorn Office, 3–6 PM
- Registration3–19 SeptOnline application in teams of 2–5
- Case Launch20 SeptReal SME case released; AI session 10 AM–2 PM
- Workshop Day 127 SeptTop 30 · mentor matching, case discussion (online)
- Workshop Day 211 OctTop 15 · mentoring, review outcomes
- Final Day18 OctThammasat Phra Nakhon · presentations, winners, ceremony
1,000+ registrations are narrowed to ~30 teams, then 15 finalists, then winners.
Prizes & recognition
- 1st — Case Champions
- 10,000 THB + 1 ZTE smartphone for each member
- 2nd — 1st Runner-Up
- 6,000 THB cash
- 3rd — 2nd Runner-Up
- 4,000 THB cash
- Best AI Project Award
- 1 award
- Best Cloud Project Award
- 1 award
- Certificates
- Official — Top 15 teams · E-certificates — Top 30 teams
Prize details are subject to change and partly sponsor-funded.
What students gain
- Real experience: they solve an actual problem for a real Thai SME — not a hypothetical case.
- Practical AI skills: hands-on workshops in AI tools applied to a live business context.
- Industry mentorship: matched with business mentors who guide their team.
- A portfolio piece: a finished AI solution, implementation plan, and final pitch.
- Networking: mentors, judges, sponsors, and students from other universities.
- Recognition & prizes: certificates backed by Thammasat, plus cash and devices for winners.
What professors & universities gain
- Real-world project experience for their students, ready to fold into coursework.
- Optional curriculum integration or academic credit for participation.
- Industry exposure: connections to mentors, judges, sponsors, and real SMEs.
- Association with an AI-talent initiative and the Thammasat partnership.
- An engaged, AI-capable student pipeline and visible faculty involvement.
What sponsors gain
- Reach: brand visibility across 1,000+ students and ~5 universities.
- Talent access: a direct line to emerging, AI-capable student builders.
- Brand association: AI innovation, entrepreneurship, and the Thammasat name.
- Multi-channel exposure: on-site and online engagement (full detail in the Sponsor Pack).