Rules and Regulations

GOAL
The Fall Cohort 2026 aims to guide university students from idea to pitch, offering free access to startup courses and mentorship, and culminating in a competitive pitching session. The strongest pitch, submitted between September 14 and October 16, 2026, will earn a place on the Web Summit 2026 stage.

CALL STRUCTURE

Phase 1: Enrollment & Courses - September 14 to October 16, 2026
Students enroll in the Academia and access the Fall Cohort curriculum at their own pace, ahead of the submission deadline.

Phase 2: Pitch Deck Submission - September 14 to October 16, 2026
Teams submit their pitch deck through the platform.

Phase 3: Top 10 Selection - October 26, 2026
Up to 10 submissions are shortlisted as finalists ("Top 10").

Phase 4: Pitching Session with Partners - October 29, 2026
The Top 10 pitch online to a panel of partners. One winning pitch is selected.

Phase 5: Web Summit Stage - November 10-12, 2026
The winning team presents their pitch at Web Summit 2026.

SELECTION PROCESS
Step 1 - Eligibility Screening
Submissions that do not meet basic eligibility requirements (at least one team member enrolled as a university student, registration on the platform, submission window, pitch deck in English) are filtered out.

Step 2 - Top 10 Shortlisting
UFL shortlists submissions for the Top 10 based on:
Innovation & Creativity - originality and differentiation of the idea
Technical Excellence - quality and robustness of execution
Product Market Fit - fit between the solution and the problem/market
Execution & Prototype - level of development and proof of concept shown

Step 3 - Finalist Evaluation
The Top 10 pitch live to the partner panel. Pitches are scored on the same criteria above, plus:
Pitch Quality - clarity, structure, and communication of the proposal

CALENDAR
Milestone & Date
Applications open: September 14, 2026
Applications close: October 16, 2026
Raffle draw (active members ticket): October 26, 2026
Top 10 announced: October 26, 2026
Pitching Session with Partners: October 29, 2026
Web Summit 2026: November 10-12, 2026

APPLICATION CRITERIA
The Academia platform is open to the wider community; the Fall Cohort pitch competition is open exclusively to teams that have at least one member enrolled as a university student. Applicants must be registered on the Academia platform. Pitch decks must be submitted between September 14 and October 16, 2026. Pitch decks must be submitted in English. One submission per team.

REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION
Submit a complete pitch deck, in English, through the platform. Submission must be made within the application window (September 14 - October 16, 2026). Team members must confirm availability for the Pitching Session (Oct 29) and, if selected as winner, for Web Summit (Nov 10-12).

OUTPUTS AND PRIZES
The winning team will present their pitch on the Web Summit 2026 stage. Prizes are not transactional, transferable to third parties, or convertible, in whole or in part, into cash or any equivalent monetary value. UFL reserves the right to replace the prize with one of similar nature and value, should circumstances beyond its control require it.

RAFFLE - WEB SUMMIT TICKET
All members registered on the Academia platform during September 2026 are automatically entered into a raffle for one Web Summit 2026 ticket. The draw takes place on October 16, 2026, at the close of applications. The winner is contacted via the email associated with their platform account. The raffled ticket is not transactional, transferable to third parties, or convertible into cash or any equivalent monetary value.

COSTS AND LIABILITY
Unicorn Factory Lisboa assumes no responsibility for any costs, expenses, or losses incurred by participants in connection with their participation in the Fall Cohort or Web Summit 2026, including but not limited to travel, accommodation, meals, insurance, or any other personal expenses. It is the sole responsibility of each participant to ensure their availability and arrange the logistics necessary to meet the commitments described above.

FINALISTS' REQUIREMENTS
Top 10 finalists are expected to:
Attend the Pitching Session with Partners online (Oct 29).
Attend Web Summit 2026 in person, if selected as the winning pitch (Nov 10-12).
Respond to any reasonable request for information from UFL related to the pitching process.

GENERAL PROVISIONS
Unicorn Factory Lisboa reserves the right to amend, suspend, extend, or cancel this program, or any part of these rules, including dates, criteria, and prizes, at any time and at its sole discretion, without prior notice. Participation in the Fall Cohort implies full acceptance of these rules and regulations. Any matters not covered by these rules will be decided by Unicorn Factory Lisboa.

CONTACT
For questions or support during the application process, contact the Future Innovators Academia team, by Unicorn Factory Lisboa at education@unicornfactorylisboa.com