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SEED Business Challenge 2026

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Join the Challenge

insights The $100M Question

SEED Business Challenge 2026

University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business presents SEED Business Challenge 2026. Only 0.4% of startups ever reach $100M in revenue. Transform a hypothetical mid-stage company stuck at this critical inflection point and engineer their path to $100M through real-world datasets.

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University of Maryland
Total Cash Prize
₹1,50,000
verified_user Eligibility

Who Can Participate?

2-3
Team Size ( Members )
NA
Participation Fee
01

Undergraduate Students

  • Students currently enrolled in their pre-final year (third year of four-year programs, second year of three-year programs)
  • Students currently enrolled in their final year of undergraduate studies
02

Graduate Students

  • First-year and second-year students pursuing MBA, MTech, MA, M.Com., MSc, or equivalent master's programs at a local university in India
03

Early-Career Professionals

  • Working professionals with up to 3 years of full-time work experience (as of the competition start date)
SELECT YOUR PATH

The $100M Question

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Solving the Growth Equation

A B2B SaaS company at $12M revenue has a broken growth engine—customer acquisition costs doubled to $16,400 while conversion dropped to 2.3%, and they're losing deals to competitors. Design a data-driven customer acquisition strategy that cuts CAC by 30%, fixes the leaky funnel, and charts a credible path from $12M to $100M ARR.
description Essay Topic
When Growth Stalls - Diagnosing and Fixing Customer Acquisition Challenges in Scaling Businesses
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Key Focus Areas

Customer Intelligence - Segment 15K prospects and 50K leads to identify high-value customer profiles worth targeting
Funnel Optimization - Diagnose conversion breakdowns across marketing-to-sales-to-close pipeline
Channel Strategy - Reallocate $95K monthly marketing budget based on ROI analysis and predictive modeling
Growth Roadmap - Build month-by-month financial projections showing customer acquisition targets to reach $100M
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The Profitability Engine

A food delivery platform making $15M revenue is losing $2.60 on every delivery due to inefficient operations, semi-autumatic dispatch, and broken technology—only 3 of 25 cities are profitable. Redesign the operational backbone with intelligent routing, automated systems, and integrated technology to cut costs 25% and reach profitability while scaling to $100M.
description Essay Topic
Scaling Without Breaking - How Technology and Operations Drive Profitable Growth
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Key Focus Areas

Operations Optimization - Analyze 2.5M deliveries to design routing algorithms that increase driver efficiency from 3.2 to 5.0 deliveries per shift
Technology Architecture - Build integrated platform connecting customers, restaurants, and drivers with real-time tracking and automated dispatch
Process Automation - Replace broken workflows (18 dispatchers, paper systems) with intelligent systems reducing labor costs by $1.3M annually
Market Strategy - Determine which of 25 cities to grow, optimize, or exit based on profitability analysis and unit economics
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The Retention Game Play

A cloud security SaaS company at $10M ARR loses 28% of customers annually with an LTV ($11.2K) lower than CAC ($12K)—only 15% buy a second product and customers leave after 16 months. Build churn prediction models, design retention interventions, and create expansion strategies to improve net revenue retention from 85% to 115%+ while charting the path to $100M.
description Essay Topic
Beyond Acquisition - Building Business Models Where Existing Customers Drive Growth
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Key Focus Areas

Churn Prediction - Build financial models using 8K customer accounts and usage telemetry to predict churn 60-90 days early
Retention Interventions - Design targeted strategies for onboarding, engagement, expansion, and win-back based on customer segments and risk scores
Product Strategy - Analyze feature adoption, cross-sell patterns, and feedback data to prioritize R&D investments that drive retention
Revenue Expansion - Model financial impact of reducing churn and increasing cross-sell to show path from $10M to $100M through existing customers
EVENT TIMELINE

Important Dates & Timelines

Mark your calendar - here's your complete roadmap

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25 NOV 2025

Registration & Team Formation

Form your team and register

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22 DEC 2025

Essay Submission Deadline

Choose essay one of three

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24 DEC 2025

Shortlist Announced
(6 PM IST)

Top 25-30 teams revealed

assignment
24 DEC 2025

Problem Statements Announcement

Challenge topics revealed

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25 DEC 2025
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07 JAN 2026

Brainstorming Phase

Develop your strategic solution

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03 JAN 2026
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06 JAN 2026

Mentorship Phase

Expert guidance sessions

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07 JAN 2026

Final Submission Deadline

Submit by 6 PM IST (Report, Dashboard & Presentation)

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08 JAN 2026

Business Challenge Finale

Winners announced

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Ready to Transform Ideas into Reality?

Join ambitious minds competing for ₹1L+ in prizes. Registration closes soon!

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What is Essay Submission?

Your first step to solving the $100M Question growth challenge

The essay is your strategic pitch and the gateway to the SEED Business Challenge 2026. Choose ONE of the three challenge topics (Acquire, Operate, or Retain) and write a compelling essay that demonstrates your understanding of the core business problem and outlines your strategic approach to solving it.

Your essay should address the specific essay topic associated with your chosen challenge, showcase analytical thinking, and present innovative yet practical solutions. This is not about having all the answers—it's about demonstrating how you think through complex business problems.

Key Requirements: Must be original and non-plagiarized. No AI-generated content. Maximum 1000 words. Focus on strategic insights, not just problem description. Use the provided template for structure and guidance.

₹1,50,000 Prize Pool

Prizes, Rewards & Recognition

Three parallel breakout rooms, six winning teams - compete simultaneously for ₹1,50,000 in total prizes!

school Exclusive Scholarships
workspace_premium Application Fee Waivers
verified Certificates for All Participants
meeting_room Breakout Room 1
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Winner ₹35,000
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Runner Up ₹15,000
meeting_room Breakout Room 2
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Winner ₹35,000
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Runner Up ₹15,000
meeting_room Breakout Room 3
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Winner ₹35,000
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Runner Up ₹15,000

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions about participation, requirements, and the event format.

A comprehensive business competition where teams tackle real-world scaling challenges. Work with actual datasets to transform a hypothetical company stuck at $8-15M into a $100M revenue powerhouse through strategic growth, operations, or retention strategies. This isn't theory—it's the brutal reality CEOs face daily.
Open to undergraduate students (pre-final and final year), graduate students (1st and 2nd year master's programs), and early-career professionals with up to 3 years of experience. Teams of 2-3 members work best. No prior business experience required - we provide all resources, real-world datasets, and expert mentorship.
Not at all! This is a learning experience designed for all backgrounds. We provide comprehensive datasets covering sales, marketing, operations, customer behavior, and financials. Plus detailed guidelines, industry frameworks, and expert mentorship throughout the challenge.
Real-world datasets covering sales pipelines, marketing performance, operations metrics, customer behavior, and financial data. Expert mentorship sessions from industry veterans who've scaled businesses to $100M+. Industry frameworks, analytical tools, and ongoing support from the SEED team throughout all phases.
Teams are evaluated on analysis quality and depth, strategic innovation and creativity, practical applicability of solutions, data insights and model accuracy, financial projections validity, presentation clarity, and overall business acumen demonstrated.
Yes! 100% free participation. No registration fees, no hidden costs. Access to all resources, mentorship, real-world datasets, and opportunity to win ₹1L+ in cash prizes plus university appreciation letters, gift hampers, and application fee waivers.

Contact Us

Have questions? We're here to help you succeed.

email

Email Us

info@seedglobaleducation.com

phone

Phone

+91 7658 918 811

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Ready to Join the Challenge?

₹1,50,000 Prize Pool • Free Entry • Expert Mentorship