Annual Startup Showcase Connects Young Innovators with Leading Business Minds
CAMPBELL, Calif., March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At a time when many schools emphasize college readiness, Spring Education Group goes one step further and prepares students to be entrepreneurs and innovators.
Celebrating its third year, Spring Education Group’s Startups@Spring is an annual startup competition that encourages entrepreneurship while showcasing creativity, teamwork, multi-disciplinary thinking, and communication skills among middle and high school students.
The inspiration for Startups@Spring came from listening to Spring students and parents who shared that they wanted more entrepreneurship-focused learning opportunities. Drawing inspiration from Silicon Valley start-up incubator competitions, Spring Education Group’s BASIS Independent Schools set the plan in motion in 2023.
“We want our students to discover as early as possible that they can build their own things and impact the world,” says Michael Collins, CEO of Spring Education Group. “Our students pour themselves into their startup ideas. This year’s competition was all about AI applications. The winners included an AI model to aid in cardiovascular surgery, an AI life coach for students, and an edge AI first aid assistant. These students could raise real money from venture capitalists, and in the near future, probably will.”
Reflecting Spring’s continuing commitment to excellence and an evolving growth mindset, Startups@Spring blends the fast-paced energy of startup pitch events with the academic rigor of business coursework, guiding students through concept development, market research, and live presentations before a panel of high-profile judges. The high school competition, designed for grades 9-12, focuses on advanced business knowledge, presentation skills, and financial planning. This year, for the first time, middle school students in grades 6-8 participated in their own competition, with a focus on fostering creativity and early-stage business concepts.
Students from 10 high schools and 21 middle schools across the Spring Education Group network came together to present their startup ideas to a panel of respected industry judges. This year’s theme was Artificial Intelligence, and students were encouraged to consider some of the most optimistic aspects of AI and incorporate them into fresh ideas for products or services.
From tackling food waste and trash segregation to proposing solutions in the medical field, students demonstrated remarkable depth in understanding the underlying inefficiencies or problems and in presenting thoughtful AI-driven solutions. This clarity and understanding was evident throughout the competition, with the middle school winner presenting an interesting AI-powered recycling help app, and the high school winners utilizing AI modeling to revolutionize surgical planning.
The prestigious panel of judges this year included Craig Martell, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation; Rebecca Lin, CEO of ToroBio, and Co-President of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs; Amrit Saxena, Founder and CEO SaxeCap and a prolific angel investor in Silicon Valley; Ken Snyder, Executive director of the Shingo Institute in the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University; and J Provine, CEO and co-founder of Aligned Carbon, among other reputed business leaders.
The judges evaluated each team on the feasibility and potential of their ideas, clarity of presentation, originality, and alignment with the year’s theme. They also assessed financial understanding, market strategy, research depth, and the team’s response to impromptu questions. Grand cash prizes were awarded to the winning teams, who donated their winnings to a charity of their choice. The charitable aspect reinforces Startups@Spring’s dedication not only to entrepreneurship but also to meaningful impact in the community.
At its core, the Startups@Spring competition is helping to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs: builders, leaders, and thinkers, equipping them with the mindset and resilience needed to turn ideas into impact. For more information about Spring Education Schools, network initiatives, and a list of schools, please visit https://www.springeducationgroup.com.
About Spring Education Group
Spring Education Group is a national network of independent schools serving students from preschool through 12th grade. We believe that students can achieve more than they imagine. Each Spring school offers a carefully designed academic program led by expert educators who cultivate academic excellence, student independence, and a lasting love of learning. Our tuition-funded model allows our schools to create an open, transparent culture for families and a strong community spirit, without the distractions of fundraising. We are building our network of schools to bring our distinctive approach to inspiring students to more families across America.
SOURCE Spring Education Group
