Largest sponsor
LaunchX
MIT-affiliated entrepreneurship program. Contributes $12,000 in grants and free participation in LaunchX bootcamps.
The 2026 results are out
International Youth Business Case Championship
A business case championship for high school students
Students in Grades 8 to 12 solve business cases online and defend their recommendations before a jury. Individually or in teams of up to four, from 8 countries.
Registration for 2026 is closed. Announcements about the next edition are posted on Instagram: @iybcc.official
IYBCC 2026 in numbers
- teams solved the Stage 1 case
- 60
- teams advanced to the final
- 10
- countries represented
- 8
- total prize pool
- $17,000
01About
What IYBCC is
The International Youth Business Case Championship is an online business case competition for high school students. Participants work individually or in teams of up to four on cases in business, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and consulting.
Each team gets a business problem, a deadline and a slide limit. They decide what the real problem is, back their recommendation with numbers and defend it in front of a jury.
The championship is organized by a team of students from Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS), Kazakhstan.
Why take part
A $17,000 prize pool
LaunchX grants and free places in LaunchX bootcamps, plus other grants and partner program discounts.
Founders on the jury
Finalists present to founders and business educators, then answer their questions live.
An international field
Teams from 8 countries compete, fully online.
AI is allowed
Use AI tools openly and show how in an AI Use Statement slide.
02Prize pool
How the prize pool is made up
$17,000
The prize pool is made up of grants and discounts on partner programs.
| LaunchX grants and free participation in LaunchX bootcamps | 70.6% | $12,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Other grants and partner program discounts | 29.4% | $5,000 |
| Total | $17,000 | |
03Format and timeline
Two rounds, one week
12:00
, 12:00
Stage 1CompletedUp nextToday
Case released
Teams receive the Stage 1 business case at 12:00 Almaty time and have three days to solve it.
12:00
, 12:00
Stage 1CompletedUp nextToday
Solutions due
Teams submit a PDF deck of no more than 10 content slides by 12:00 Almaty time. AI tools are allowed, and every deck must include an AI Use Statement slide.
60 teams submitted solutions. 10 advanced to the final.
12:30
, 12:30
FinalCompletedUp nextToday
Final round
Finalists receive a new, separate case. The final is held online and takes about 2 hours. Each team presents for 5 minutes, followed by 2 minutes of questions from the jury.
Final schedule
- -EconMinds
- -Team Ego
- -Gentle Mates
- -Chadlites
- -Code Influence
- -Star Ninjas
- -Kuryltay
- -Team Spirit
- -Q colds
- -Swallow in the Logo
Times are Almaty time (UTC+5).
After the final
After the final
ResultsCompletedUp nextToday
Results published
The winners and all finalists are listed in the Results section below.
04Partners and sponsors
Supported by
Grant provider
Prospect Admissions
Boutique university admissions consulting. Consultants work in pairs, and the team includes a former Stanford admissions staff member.
Grant provider
AI Startify
AI startup incubator that takes a startup from idea to investor materials. Runs hackathons and Demo Day, and issues certificates of participation.
Information partners
They help spread the word about the championship among students and their parents.
QarjyAI
AI mortgage advisor for Kazakhstan: government programs, a payment calculator and an approval chance estimate, in Russian and Kazakh.
qarjy-ai.com (opens in a new tab)
QEcon
Education platform for future economists: AI debates, exam preparation and economics news.
qecon.org (opens in a new tab)
Visibility
Your name and logo on this site, seen by participants from 8 countries.
A company case
Set a real problem from your business as a competition case and see how students approach it.
A jury seat
A representative of your organization joins the jury and asks the finalists questions.
05Jury
Final round jury
On 27 September, the finalists presented their solutions to this panel.
Ukili Omarova
Founder & CEO
Soile AI
Built an AI platform that detects speech impairments linked to 300+ diseases. 1st place at the Astana Hub women founders pitch night; speaker at the Global Summit of Women 2026 Youth Forum.
Said Kairov
Founder
OPENsport
OPENsport is an AI platform that turns football match video into objective data on every player. Longlisted for the Digital Business x Yandex Qazaqstan "20 under 20" ranking.
Kristina Sarachakova
Business Studies teacher
SRIS Bishkek
Economics at AUCA, MBA at Moscow State University, studied at Stanford. Background in banking and investment.
06Results
2026 results
Winners
1st place
Kuryltay
2nd place
Team Spirit
3rd place
Code Influence
Finalists
- 4EconMinds
- 5Star Ninjas
- 6Team Ego
- 7Chadlites
- 8Q colds
- 9Gentle Mates
- 10Swallow in the Logo
07Organizing team
Who runs IYBCC
IYBCC is run by students of Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools.
Bolys Tolegen
Organizer
NIS, Grade 12
Murat Darayev
Organizer
NIS, Grade 12
Ansar Kali
Organizer
NIS, Grade 12
Maksat Tolkyn
Organizer
NIS, Grade 12
08FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who can participate?
High school students in Grades 8 to 12.
How large can a team be?
You can take part on your own or in a team of up to four students.
Is there an entry fee?
Yes, 3,000 KZT per team. The fee is non-refundable.
Can we use AI tools?
Yes. Every submission must include an AI Use Statement slide that explains how AI was used.
What is the format?
The championship is fully online. In Stage 1, teams submit a PDF deck of up to 10 content slides. The 10 best teams advance to the final, where they solve a new case and present it to the jury: 5 minutes of presentation and 2 minutes of questions.
Can I still register for 2026?
No, registration for 2026 is closed. Follow @iybcc.official on Instagram to hear when the next edition opens.
09Contact
Get in touch
Questions from participants, schools and partners go to the organizing team.