Nationwide Graduate and PhD Student Case Competition

Sponsored by PNC Bank and hosted by Carnegie Mellon University, Corporate Startup Lab is proud to announce its Fall 2026 Case Competition!

The theme for the Competition is: Bridging Generational Trust: AI for Asset & Family Transitions.

You will attempt to provide a solution through transformative innovation ideas, products, or services.

Registration closes Saturday, October 17th. Registered teams will receive the full prompt Sunday, October 18th, with first round submissions due on Wednesday, October 28th at 11:59PM. Finalists will be announced Wednesday, November 4th, with Final Presentations will be given on CMU's campus on Wednesday, November 18th.

Following a celebratory lunch a brief Ceremony, the top three teams will be publicly recognized and will receive cash prizes totaling $20,000 including $12,000 for the first place team.

The competition is open to all Graduate and PhD students at any U.S. based college or university. You must have a team consisting of 3-4 students to enter.