TecPrize 2026 opens applications for startups preparing workers for the age of artificial intelligence
In its seventh edition, TecPrize 2026 is seeking the best technology solutions for the future of work
The open innovation program at Tecnológico de Monterrey, now in its seventh edition, is seeking the best technology solutions for the future of work. The 10 finalists receive support, international visibility, and benefits to boost their growth, while three winning solutions will each receive grants of US$10,000. Deadline: 30 September 2026.
The Institute for the Future of Education (IFE) at Tecnológico de Monterrey has opened applications for TecPrize 2026, the seventh edition of its open innovation program, which connects startups and technology solutions with organizations, investors, and ecosystem partners to advance solutions for the future of work. Applications are open from 19 August to 30 September 2026, for more information and to apply, click here.
How can the workforce adapt to changes driven by AI?
Each edition of TecPrize begins with a challenge-design process inspired by MIT Solve’s open innovation methodology, through workshops attended by experts, founders, investors, and university and corporate executives. This edition featured three workshops in Monterrey (Mexico), Medellín (Colombia), and Buenos Aires (Argentina), and the resulting challenge was:
“How can organizations develop a more adaptable, resilient workforce that is ready to thrive in a future of work shaped by artificial intelligence and accelerated change?”
Startup profile sought
In response to this edition’s challenge, TecPrize is seeking startups and technology solutions that can help develop a more adaptable, resilient workforce prepared for the future.
The call is open to solutions in areas such as EdTech, HRTech, WorkTech, Future of Work, employability, skills intelligence, talent marketplaces, AI copilots, talent development, lifelong learning, productivity, well-being and workplace inclusion, the silver economy, human skills assessment, and career mobility and development, among others.
Solutions must have a developed product, evidence of validation, and scalability potential. There is no minimum fundraising requirement.
Additionally, solutions with a distinctive technological component and alignment with Science/Technology-Based Entrepreneurship (STBE) criteria may receive additional consideration during the evaluation process.
Founders must have valid documentation to travel to Mexico, as the program includes an in-person stage in Monterrey.
Benefits for startups selected for TecPrize
TecPrize is not a traditional pitch competition. It is an open innovation program that mobilizes the ecosystem’s collective intelligence. Across its various editions, TecPrize has connected startups with organizations such as BID Lab, the World Bank, IFC, Coca-Cola FEMSA, ManpowerGroup LATAM, Arca Continental, Mercado Libre, and the University of Southern California, among others.
The 10 finalist startups receive the following benefits, all equity-free:
- A grant of US$10,000 for each of the three winning solutions
- Flight and admission to IFE Conference 2027 in Monterrey for one founder or lead representative of each finalist solution
- Participation in the final of TecPrize 2026 on the IFE Conference 2027
- Own booth at IFE EdTech Summit
- Impact Measurement Bootcamp to strengthen how the solution’s impact is measured and communicated
- Support program with access to experts, mentors, and ecosystem connections
- Recommendation to the USC Education Technology Accelerator: the solution with the strongest fit may be recommended to the University of Southern California’s acceleration program, offering an opportunity to connect with the U.S. ecosystem
The 7th edition of TecPrize
TecPrize was founded in 2019 based on MIT Solve’s open innovation model. In six editions, it has received more than 1,100 applications from over 45 countries, selected 60 finalists from over 15 countries, and awarded 24 recognitions to startups from 10 countries.
Startups in the program have raised more than US$7.5 million in investment or grants and have impacted more than 4.5 million people.
Success stories
The program has had two exits:
- 1Mentor, an Ecuadorian-Canadian startup that analyzed skills gaps and was acquired in 2024 by QS, the company behind the global university rankings.
- Lab4U, a Chilean startup that turns a cellphone into a mobile laboratory for schools, acquired in 2026 by Britebound.
Another standout case is Eki, a WhatsApp-based education platform for farming communities that began in the IFE incubation program and won TecPrize two years ago.
Learn more and apply to TecPrize 2026
Apply to TecPrize by 30 September 2026 here.
