THE Microsoft Imagine Cup Committee has announced the names of the five shortlisted teams that will compete in the ‘Bahrain Imagine Cup 2013 National Finals’ at the end of this month.
Registration doors were closed in early April with more than 220 registrations received and a total of 22 projects submitted as part of the competition. Again this year, Bahrain led the GCC list with the highest number of submitted projects.


A spokesman for the organisers said: “The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier technology competition targeting students and fresh graduates between 16 and 26 years of age and from all academic backgrounds.
“The competition inspires students around the world to innovate across all of Microsoft’s technology platforms; it also cultivates a spirit of entrepreneurialism throughout the competition’s period and creates opportunities for students to learn the methods of launching their business and bring ideas to market.”
The Microsoft Imagine Cup team, with representatives from Microsoft Bahrain, Tamkeen, eGovernment Authority and Bahrain Development Bank, reviewed all the submitted projects and selected the teams to move-up to the final round and compete over the Bahrain national title.
The national champion team will represent Bahrain in the Imagine Cup 2014 Pan Arab Finals taking place in Doha, Qatar, at the end of May.
The Pan Arab Champion will participate in the competition’s global finals in Seattle, US, in July.
Microsoft aims to foster a student developer community through Imagine Cup, providing tools and resources beyond the competition that allow students to continue growing and developing their set knowledge and skill.
Microsoft Imagine Cup 2014 offered students the opportunity to compete in the following contests:
l World Citizenship. Honours the software application developed on Microsoft platforms with the greatest potential to make a positive impact on humanity.
l Innovation: Honours apps that provide consumers inspiration and innovation at their fingertips with Microsoft tools and technology.
The first place prizes in the Worldwide Finals for World Citizenship, Games and Innovation will each be a staggering $50,000 (BD18,850); the second prize is $10,000 (BD3,770) and the third place prize is $5,000 (BD1,885).