Tournament Day Guide 2025

// Wi-Fi Access

Stay connected throughout the tournament with these network options:

// Our Sponsors

The sponsors want to meet you! Take the opportunity to connect with these amazing organizations supporting Philadelphia's innovation ecosystem.

Founding Sponsors

Innovation Partners

Media Partners

// What to Get Out of It

// Tournament Schedule

Saturday: Main Event

Sunday: Finals (Invite Only)

// Round 1 Coaches

These experienced professionals will evaluate and invest in Round 1 participants:

// Round 3 Judges

Meet the panel who will determine the final winners on Sunday:

// Round 3 Prizes

Winners of the final round will receive these incredible prizes and opportunities:

// Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this a team or individual event?

A: The tournament has both individual and team components. Round 1 (the morning AI skills assessment) is done individually. After Round 1, teams may form for Round 2 and beyond. You can come solo or with teammates—both approaches work!

Q: I came with a team. What do we do for Round 1?

A: Think of the morning as an "AI Skills assessment" that is meant to be done individually. Each person works on their own AI project to demonstrate their skills. The good news is that only one of you needs to pass Round 1 in order to participate as a team in Round 2.

Q: Does my Round 2 pitch have to be connected to my Round 1 AI work?

A: While you technically CAN pitch something different in Round 2, we strongly recommend using Round 1 to refine and improve whatever idea you plan to pitch. It would be a shame to waste the opportunity by assuming your initial idea is perfect without using AI tools to hone it.

This tournament is about AI building and how fast you can create a startup—not just sales and pitching skills. We recommend using techniques like the Synthetic Customer Feedback approach from our Strategic Directives section to test and improve your ideas during Round 1 (or even in advance). The strongest competitors use AI to rapidly iterate and strengthen their concepts before pitching.

Q: What should I focus on during Round 1?

A: Round 1 is an individual AI skills assessment. Focus on creating impressive AI work products such as websites, videos, images, agents, or codebases. Use Christian's demo as inspiration while drawing from your own skills and interests.

Q: How many people will advance past Round 1?

A: Advancement is based on coach votes, and we identify the top tier of participants who demonstrate strong AI skills. This isn't a fixed number—it's more of a quality-based threshold. In theory, if everyone creates outstanding work, everyone could advance. If only a smaller group stands out with exceptional projects, that top tier might be 10-15 people. Most likely, it will be somewhere in between.

The key is that Round 1 is fundamentally a pass/fail assessment based on whether you've shown you can effectively use AI tools to build impressive work products. Focus on doing your best work, and let the coaches recognize the top tier based on what participants actually create.

Q: What if I don't make it past Round 1?

A: If you don't make it past Round 1, you've still paid a small amount for an education on what can be done with AI in a short period of time. We'll showcase the most impressive things people made in Round 1, so you'll see great examples and learn from the experience. Don't stress—this is a learning opportunity for everyone.

Q: How can I prepare for the tournament?

A: Here are some recommended ways to prepare:

• Arrive on time: Christian Ulstrup will be doing an AI demo as one of the first things on tournament day. He's excellent and will help you get up to speed quickly, so you don't want to miss it.
• Read the Strategic Directives: Check out the Strategic Directives section on the tournament website to understand the goals and approach. Pay special attention to techniques like Synthetic Customer Feedback that you can use to improve your ideas.
• Try AI tools beforehand: Consider subscribing to AI tools like Manus, Lovable.dev, or others before the tournament. These tools have improved significantly and can now create full web apps with backends, generate videos, and more. However, people are welcome to use whatever tools they prefer.
• Review expert recommendations: Read Dr. Ethan Mollick's guide to using AI for valuable insights on AI tool usage.

Q: What AI tools can I use during the tournament?

A: You're welcome to use whatever AI tools you prefer.

Q: How can I work on a robotics project with AI in under an hour?

A: You don't need physical hardware to make impressive progress on a robotics project in a short time! AI tools can help you accomplish a tremendous amount of digital work that advances your project:

• Create a video demo: Generate a compelling video showcasing your robotics concept and its potential applications
• Build a product webpage: Design a professional landing page describing your robot's features, benefits, and use cases
• Generate CAD files: Use AI to create 3D models and technical drawings of your robotics design
• Write code: Develop control algorithms, sensor integration code, or automation scripts for your robotics project
• Conduct sophisticated research: Analyze existing solutions, identify market gaps, and explore technical approaches
• Find suppliers and components: Research and compile lists of motors, sensors, materials, and manufacturers
• Create technical documentation: Write specifications, user manuals, or assembly instructions

The key insight is that there's a ton of valuable work that can be done in the digital realm without needing to touch physical hardware. Focus on what AI does best—research, design, content creation, and code generation—to make rapid progress on your robotics concept.