LUMA Hackathon: Pitch your idea, win $250 cash!

LUMA Ideathon 2026 is a month-long virtual ideathon open to high school and middle school students across the US. No coding or building required. Just bring your best business idea.What is an ideathon?An ideathon is like a hackathon, but instead of building a product, you pitch an idea. You will submit a written description of a business concept you believe could solve a real problem in the world. Think: What problem bothers you? Who does it hurt? How would you fix it? Could it be a business?Round 1: Idea SubmissionSubmit a written description of your idea covering:The problem you are solvingWho experiences this problem (your target customer)Your proposed solutionWhy your solution is better than what already existsYour rough business model (how would it make money?)Submissions should be 100 to 250 words. That is it. No slides, no prototypes, no code. Just your idea, written clearly and compellingly.Prizes1st Place: $250 cash + [TBD subscription bundle] 2nd Place: [subscription bundle] 3rd Place: [subscription bundle]Judging CriteriaProblem clarity: Is the problem real and well-defined?Solution quality: Is the solution creative, feasible, and differentiated?Market thinking: Does the submission show an understanding of who the customer is?Business viability: Does it have a realistic path to generating revenue?Writing quality: Is it clear, concise, and compelling?Who can participate?Any middle or high school student (ages 11 to 18). Teams of 1 to 3.The top ideas from Round 1 will be selected to advance to Round 2, where finalists will build a basic MVP and deliver a 5-minute live pitch to judges.