IMPACT - Winner
IncyTech
Voice-first AI infrastructure for enterprise. Winner of London CleanTech & runner-up MIT Climate & Energy Prize. Closing seed round, DSTA pilot deployment, CapVista interest.
Read their story
21 October 2026
CDE Innovation Day 2026
From Spark to Impact.
Countdown to the Finale
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About the day
From Spark to Impact:
Where bold ideas come to life
The College of Design and Engineering, NUS (CDE) warmly invites you to CDE Innovation Day, a showcase of bold ideas, emerging technologies, and student-led solutions with the potential to shape tomorrow. Every breakthrough begins as a spark, and after months of innovation challenges, workshops, and venture-building, our finalist teams take the stage to present their final pitches and prototypes. Beyond the competitions, discover the innovation pathways and programmes across CDE, connect with like-minded peers, and join a growing innovation community. Come experience the energy, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit of CDE and see for yourself how a spark becomes impact.
3
Innovation Tracks
$300K+
Funding Support
20+
Innovation & Technical Workshops
Culture of Innovation
Nurture an innovation and entrepreneurship culture across CDE and the wider NUS community.
Three-Track Challenge
Engage students, researchers, and faculty through IDEATE, EUREKA, and IMPACT - each tuned to a stage of the journey.
Idea → Venture Pipeline
Structured progression from idea generation to validated proof-of-concept, translational research, and venture creation.
Connected Community
Build a sustainable, connected innovation community linking students, researchers, founders, investors and industry.
The Innovation Challenge
Three tracks.
One pipeline
The CDE Innovation Challenge is staged so every student, researcher, and venture meets the right rigour at the right time - from first idea, to feasibility, to translation.
01
IDEATE
TRL < 2Year 1–2 Undergraduates
Focus
Problem discovery, idea generation, maker culture
Students explore meaningful challenges, develop user insights, and propose creative solutions. Emphasis on cultivating curiosity, problem specification, a strong maker mindset, and the foundational technical skills to bring ideas to life.
Stay tuned for updates from the iDP club.
02
EUREKA
TRL 2–3Year 3–4 Undergraduates, NOC Students
Focus
Proof-of-concept & feasibility
Teams advance promising ideas by developing prototypes, testing key assumptions, and demonstrating early feasibility. Emphasis on engineering rigour, iterative design, and evidence-based validation.
03
IMPACT
TRL ≥ 3Undergraduates, Graduate Students & Researchers (with PI support)
Focus
Research translation, IP, venture creation
Participants advance technically grounded research outputs towards real-world deployment - refining prototypes, conducting rigorous lab-based validation, and identifying translatable IP. Emphasis on accessing startup potential.
Registration deadline · 14 August 2026
Prize Pool
Win more than
recognition
Track winners walk away with funded prize pools and i³ Incubation at NUS Enterprise, structured to take your prototype from competition win to working venture.
IDEATE
TRL < 2Problem discovery, idea generation, maker culture.
Prize
$10,000
Build & Launch Grant
- 1st · $10K
- 2nd · $2K
- 3rd · $1K
Plus
i3 Incubation
EUREKA
TRL 2–3Develop and validate working prototypes.
Prize
$10,000
Build & Launch Grant
- Top 3 · $10K each
Plus
i3 Incubation
IMPACT
TRL ≥ 3Translate research into market-ready solutions.
Prize
Up to $150,000
Funding support
- 1st · $150K
- 2nd · $100K
- 3rd · $50K
Plus
i3 Incubation
The road to 21 October
The 2026 timeline
From challenge launch to the pitch and showcase - nine checkpoints across the year. Dates are subject to change; full details will be shared closer to date.
1
End-May
EUREKA / IMPACT Launch
Applications open for the EUREKA and IMPACT tracks.
2
July
IDEATE Launch
Applications open for the IDEATE track for Year 1–2 undergraduates.
3
14 Aug
Registration Deadline
Registration closes across IDEATE, EUREKA and IMPACT.
4
19 Aug
Innovation Mindset Workshop
Compulsory for all participants. Lectures, panels, and founder sharing.
5
2 Sept
Submission Deadline
Final proposals due across all three tracks.
6
15 Sept
Finalists Announced
Shortlisted teams notified across IDEATE / EUREKA / IMPACT.
7
21–25 Sept
Technical Workshop
Optional skill-building sessions to sharpen prototypes and submissions.
8
7 Oct
Pitching Workshop
Pitch coaching ahead of the main event - structure, storytelling, demo prep.
9
21 Oct
Innovation Day Pitch & Showcase
The main event. Live pitches, exhibition floor, and the awards ceremony.
2024 Winners - Now Building
From the stage,
to incorporation
Past Innovation Day winners didn't just walk away with prizes - they walked into pilots with DSTA and LTA, partnerships with EDB and CapVista, and rounds with global investors. Click any card to read the founder's story.
Watch
See what Innovation Day looks like
Two videos - the highlight reel from 2024 to feel the day's energy, and the 2026 briefing to know exactly what's expected of you.
Recap
CDE Innovation Day 2024
584 participants. Three tracks. One unforgettable day at the College of Design and Engineering.
Briefing · Information Session
2026 Challenge Briefing
The full walk-through: tracks, eligibility, judging criteria, prize structure, and how to enter. Watch this before you register.
FAQ
Everything you need to know
Still have questions? Reach the CDE Office of Research and Technology at cdebox55@nus.edu.sg.