IMD Startup Competition

What IMD Startup Competition does

The IMD Startup Competition is an initiative operated by IMD Business School (formally, IMD – International Institute for Management Development), a Swiss foundation headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The competition specifically offers early-stage companies an opportunity to develop and validate their business models, functioning as a pipeline within IMD's broader venturing ecosystem initiative and entrepreneurship alumni community. The parent institution was established as a Swiss foundation and operates across three physical campuses in Lausanne, Singapore, and Shenzhen, serving senior executives, C-suite leaders, corporate organizations, family business leaders, board directors, and MBA/EMBA candidates globally.

IMD's product portfolio spans degree programs (MBA, EMBA, MSc in Sustainable Management & Technology, Executive Master in Sustainable Business Transformation, Executive Master in AI & Digital Business Transformation), more than 80 executive education offerings across Open Programs, Custom Programs, Sprint Programs, Online Programs, and Executive Certificates and Diplomas, plus research outputs including the annual IMD World Competitiveness Ranking covering 70 global economies. The underlying technology stack consists of the MyIMD participant portal, the liVe Virtual real-time interactive platform, asynchronous online course delivery, and ISO 27001/ISO 27701 certified information security infrastructure. The IMD Causes fundraising platform, operated via Sponsorcraft Ltd with Stripe payment processing, supports scholarship fundraising.

The business model is a hybrid of one-time program tuition fees (for degree, open, custom, sprint, and online programs paid in advance of program start), recurring alumni association membership subscriptions (annual, January–December), professional services revenue from executive coaching, and donation/fundraising inflows. Distribution is split between direct enterprise field sales for Custom Programs targeting corporate leadership teams and self-serve inside sales for individual online and Sprint program enrollment, with alumni referral as a third channel. The Startup Competition itself is a smaller, specialized program within this broader enterprise, not a standalone revenue-generating entity at institutional scale.

Name

IMD Startup Competition

Legal name

IMD – International Institute for Management Development

Website

https://imd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The IMD Startup Competition, an initiative of IMD Business School (a Swiss foundation in Lausanne), offers early-stage companies opportunities to develop and validate their business models within IMD's broader executive education and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Competition / Entrepreneurship Programs

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Startup competition
• Entrepreneurship programs
• Business model validation
• Executive education
• Venture acceleration

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Alumni Association Membership: Annual membership in the IMD Alumni Association runs from January 1 to December 31. Alumni clubs may also charge annual membership fees. Membership provides access to global alumni network, events, and exclusive benefits.
2. Program Tuition Fees: Programs include Degree Programs (MBA, EMBA), Open Programs (individual executive education courses), Custom Programs (tailored for organizations), Sprint Programs (intensive short programs), and Online Programs. Each program has a Program Fee that must be paid prior to the official start date.
3. Executive Coaching Services: IMD provides executive coaching services as a separate offering, available as a trending service for organizational solutions.
4. Donations and Fundraising: The IMD Scholarship Foundation accepts donations through the giving.imd.org platform. Donors can make one-time gifts or set up recurring donations to support scholarship causes including Women In Business Scholarships, MBA Scholarships, and EMBA Scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The IMD Startup Competition is an entrepreneurship challenge run by IMD Business School that invites early-stage companies to develop and validate their business models. Participants gain exposure to IMD's executive education expertise, mentorship from faculty, and access to a global network of executives and investors across the school's Lausanne, Singapore, and Shenzhen locations.

Product overview

IMD Business School offers a comprehensive portfolio of management and leadership education programs. The portfolio includes degree programs (MBA, EMBA, MSc in Sustainable Management & Technology, Executive Masters in Sustainable Business Transformation and AI & Digital Business Transformation), accelerated Sprint Programs for rapid skill development, Executive Certificates and Diplomas for professional certification, Open Programs across 15+ management disciplines, Custom Programs for enterprise clients, and Online Programs for virtual learning. The institution also produces the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking as a research initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IMD Alumni Association: The official global alumni association supporting IMD's alumni community worldwide, focusing on connect, learn, and develop pillars.
• IMD Causes
• I by IMD
• IMD Report It

Products and services

• IMD Startup Competition A competition program that invites early-stage companies to build and validate their business models, providing mentorship, exposure, and access to IMD's executive network. Intended for startup founders and entrepreneur teams.
• IMD MBA Program A full-time MBA program for experienced professionals seeking general management training.
• IMD Executive MBA (EMBA) An executive-format MBA program designed for senior managers balancing work and study.
• IMD Executive Education (Open Enrollment) Open-enrollment executive education courses covering leadership, strategy, finance, and operations for individual managers and executives.
• IMD Custom Programs Bespoke corporate education programs co-designed with individual companies to address specific organizational challenges.
• IMD Online / Digital Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• IMD has educated over 145,000 alumni from more than 180 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DeloitteminorOthersIMD Report It is an independent whistleblowing service managed by Deloitte on behalf of IMD across all regions. Deloitte reviews reports and initiates follow-up investigations where necessary.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition: The MIT $100K (formerly MIT $50K) is one of the world's premier business-school-affiliated startup competitions, offering prize money, mentorship, and exposure for early-stage founders. Directly comparable to the IMD Startup Competition in mission, structure, and target entrepreneur profile.
• Stanford BASES (Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students): Stanford BASES organizes flagship entrepreneurship events and competitions for Stanford student and alumni founders, including the BASES Challenge and Startup Fair. Directly comparable as a top-tier global business school startup competition.
• Harvard Business School New Venture Competition: The HBS New Venture Competition is one of the most prestigious MBA-affiliated startup competitions, awarding prizes to student and alumni-led ventures. Directly comparable to the IMD Startup Competition in being a leading business school's flagship founder showcase.
• Wharton Entrepreneurs' Challenge: Wharton's Entrepreneurship Challenge and related competitions provide pitch opportunities, mentorship, and capital for early-stage Wharton-affiliated founders. Direct peer as a top global business school startup competition with comparable brand prestige.
• INSEAD Entrepreneurship Programs: INSEAD, like IMD, is a leading international business school with strong global presence across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and runs entrepreneurship competitions and startup support programs for founders. Comparable as a peer global business school with similar startup ecosystem ambitions.
• London Business School (LBS) Entrepreneurship: LBS runs the LBS Entrepreneurship programmes, including the LBS Launchpad and student-led venture competitions for early-stage founders. Direct peer as a top-tier international business school with comparable global MBA entrepreneurship programming.
• Hult Prize: The Hult Prize is a global social entrepreneurship competition and accelerator partnered with the United Nations, offering a $1M prize and running regional summits worldwide. Directly comparable to the IMD Startup Competition as a globally-scaled, business-school-affiliated startup competition with high-profile sponsorship.
• Babson College Entrepreneurship Programs: Babson College is consistently ranked #1 for entrepreneurship education and runs the Butler Launchpad and other startup competitions and accelerators. Direct peer as a business school deeply specialized in entrepreneurship programming.

Emerging players

• Seedstars: Seedstars runs a global startup competition and emerging-markets-focused accelerator that scouts and supports early-stage companies across 90+ countries. Comparable as a globally-distributed startup competition, though focused on emerging markets rather than executive education.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars Startup Weekend: Techstars Startup Weekend is a large-scale, globally-branded startup competition/accelerator operating in hundreds of cities worldwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the startup competition space, though less business-school-affiliated.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imd-business-school

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments28 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMD Startup Competition