HPU Startup Challenge

JOIN THE HPU STARTUP COMPETITION!

HPU is the first university in Hawaiʻi to participate in the Hult Prize, a global competition where students build, scale, and pitch innovative startup ideas for a chance to win $1 million in funding.

HPU’s campus qualifier, the HPU Startup Challenge, will award $10,000 to the winning student team. Teams of students will compete for the cash prize, and the winning HPU team will advance to the Hult Prize Nationals, traveling to represent HPU in the next stage of the competition. If a team keeps advancing, later rounds can include the Global Accelerator at Ashridge House near London and the Global Finals in London.

There will be a series of recommended workshops leading up to the HPU Startup Challenge Finale on February 26, 2026.

The HPU Startup Challenge is part of the John F. Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway, which includes a variety of events and resources designed to spark and promote entrepreneurial thinking across HPU.

The first round of the competition will take place on FEBRUARY 18, 2026. The finale will be held February 26, 2026. While the official last deadline to register for the HPU Startup Challenge is February 15, 2026, those who register early will be able to gain both financial and mentoring support from the Scarpa Entrepreneurial Pathway.