Terms & Conditions

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. 

Introduction

The HITLAB World Cup Challenge & Hackathon (the “Challenge”) in partnership with Utah Valley University (“UVU” or “Partner”) is a global competition focused on identifying and accelerating high-impact solutions across applied Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital identity, and life sciences. 

The Challenge seeks to bring together students, academic teams, and university-affiliated ventures to develop and showcase innovative, data-driven solutions that address real-world challenges in healthcare, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. 

As technology continues to transform industries, this Challenge aims to identify scalable, ethical, and impactful innovations that improve access, outcomes, efficiency, and user experience across systems. 

Participation in the Challenge constitutes full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and to the decisions of the Administrator and Partner, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Challenge. 

Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth in these Official Rules. Challenge dates, location, and judging criteria are subject to change at the sole discretion of the Administrator and Partner. 

BY ENTERING THIS CHALLENGE, YOU (“PARTICIPANT” OR “CONTESTANT”) AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS.  IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY TERM OR CONDITION, DO NOT ENTER THE CHALLENGE. 

Administrator, Partner & Sponsors

Administrator:

  • Healthcare Innovation and Technology Lab, Inc.(“HITLAB”)
  • Address: 3960 Broadway, New York NY 10032 

Partner 

  • Utah Valley University (“UVU”) operating via its Applied AI Institute
  • Address: 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058 

Sponsor(s) 

  • To be announced 

Overview of Challenge Dates

Timeline:

  • Launch Date: May 12, 2026.
  • Application Deadline: June 3rd, 2026 
  • Judging Period: June 5th- June 9th  
  • Finalist Notification: June 10th 
  • Final Pitch Event: June 17th 

Submission Period: 

  • Submissions will be accepted between: Monday, May 11th– June 3rd at 11:59 PM ET (the “Submission Period”).
  • Complete submissions must be received during the Submission Period.   
  • No late submission or supplemental submissions will be accepted after the Submission Period. 

Event Location: Hybrid via zoom and Utah Valley University at 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058, Smith Engineering & Technology Building (SE)/Teams 

Participant & Team Eligibility

Hackathon Eligibility 

Participant Requirements:  The Hackathon in partnership with UVU’s Applied AI Institute is open only to: 

  • Individuals who are currently enrolled as undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral students at an accredited college or university 
  • Individuals who can provide valid proof of student status (e.g., university email address or ID) 

Team Requirements: 

  • All submissions must be made by a team; individual applications will not be accepted 
  • All participants must apply and participate as part of a team 
  • Teams must consist of 1 member minimum to 3 members minimum 
  • All team members (i.e., Participants) must meet the eligibility requirements listed herein 
  • No prior experience or pre-existing idea is required to participate in the Hackathon. 

Innovation World Cup Challenge Eligibility 

Participant Requirements: The Innovation World Cup Challenge in partnership with UVU’s Applied AI Institutes is open to teams that include one or more of the following: 

  • Undergraduate, graduate, or PhD students with advanced or developed solutions 
  • Startups (pre-seed to Series A) 
  • Academic and research teams 
  • Engineers, developers, and data scientists 
  • Healthcare, public health, and life sciences professionals 
  • Interdisciplinary teams combining technical, clinical, and business expertise Team Requirements: 

All submissions must be made by a team. All team members (i.e., Participants) must meet the eligibility requirements listed herein . Each team must have a developed concept, prototype, or validated solution at the time of submission. 

General Eligibility Requirements (Applies to Both) 

Participants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of registration. 

Participants must be legal residents of countries where such competitions are permitted by law.  The following are excluded: any country, region, or individual subject to comprehensive sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), including without limitation Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and any other jurisdiction designated by OFAC, as well as any individual or entity listed on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, the Entity List maintained by the U.S. Department of Commerce, or any equivalent restricted-party list. Participants are responsible for compliance with all applicable U.S. export control laws, including the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. Parts 730–774) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 C.F.R. Parts 120–130)). 

Participants are responsible for providing, and must have access to, the necessary technology (computer, internet, software, etc.). 

Each team must designate one individual Participant as the official representative who will act on behalf of the team 

Innovation World Cup Challenge – Finalist Participation Requirements: 

  • Finalist teams must be available to participate in the final pitch event.
  • Failure to participate may result in disqualification. 

Format

Hybrid. Location: Hybrid via zoom and Utah Valley University at 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058, Smith Engineering & Technology Building (SE)/Teams

Ineligible Participants

Subject to Section B (below), each of the following are ineligible to participate in the Challenge:

  • Sponsor, Administrator, Partner, and any advertising agency, contractor, or other organization involved with the design, production, promotion, execution, or distribution of the Challenge (collectively “Promotion Entities”); all employees, representatives, and agents of such Promotion Entities; and all members of any such employee, representative, or agent’s immediate family or household.
  • Any individual involved with the design, production, promotion, execution, or distribution of the Challenge and each member of any such individual’s immediate family or household.
  • Any Judge of the Challenge and each member of any such individual’s immediate family or household.
  • Any organization or individual that employs any Judge or that otherwise has a material business relationship or affiliation with any Judge.
  • Any parent company, subsidiary, or other affiliate of any organization described above.

For purposes hereof: (i) the members of an individual’s immediate family include such individual’s spouse, children and step-children, parents and step-parents, and siblings and step-siblings; and (ii) the members of an individual’s household include any other person who shares the same residence as such individual for at least three (3) months out of the year.

UVU Student Exception (Section B)

Enrollment at UVU shall not, by itself, render an individual ineligible under Section A (above) solely because UVU is a Partner of the Challenge or because a UVU-affiliated individual serves as a Judge, so long as no UVU-affiliated Judge participates in the evaluation of any Challenge submission with which the Judge has a personal, supervisory, advisory, or financial relationship.

Registration & Submission

Registration

  • Participants must submit their application through: https://www.hitlab.org/worldcup/
  • Only complete submissions received through official channels will be accepted.

Submission Requirements

Submissions must include:

  • Completed application form
  • Pitch deck (PDF)
  • Optional: demo, video, or prototype

Submissions must:

  • Be submitted during the Submission Period
  • Be original work
  • Not misappropriate or infringe intellectual property rights
  • Be submitted in English
  • Not contain any classified, export-controlled, or otherwise restricted information, and not contain any third-party confidential information that the Participant is not authorized to disclose

Submission Limits

  • One submission per team
  • No team changes after submission

Submission Rights

Each Participant retains ownership of the intellectual property that they develop, subject to any pre-existing agreements or obligations applicable to the Participant.

UVU-related Participant Submissions. With respect to any Submission created in whole or in part by a UVU-affiliated student, faculty member, or employee, the rights and obligations of the Participant and UVU as between themselves shall be governed by UVU’s applicable institutional policies, including without limitation UVU Policy 136 (Intellectual Property) and any related laws and policies concerning student- or employee-created intellectual property. Nothing in these Official Rules shall be construed to alter, supersede, or waive the rights or obligations of UVU or its students, faculty, or employees under such policies.

By submitting, participants grant HITLAB, Partner, and the Sponsor (collectively, the “Challenge Licensees”) a non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide, transferable, sublicensable, fully paid-up, royalty-free, perpetual license to reproduce, adapt, create derivative works, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, make, use, and otherwise exploit the Submission for the purpose of administering, judging, promoting the Challenge, promoting Administrator, Partner, and Sponsor(s), and promoting one or more future Challenges or other events.

Judging Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated based on:

  • Innovation & differentiation
  • Real-world impact
  • Technical feasibility
  • Scalability & growth potential
  • Implementation readiness
  • Team strength
  • Ethics & responsibility

Judge Selection

Judging will be conducted by a panel selected by the Administrator in collaboration with Partner and/or one or more Sponsors (if any). Partner shall be entitled to designate at least one (1) judge for each event of the Challenge.

Finalists & Events

Number of Finalists: 10

Finalists must be present at:

  • Hybrid via zoom and/ or Utah Valley University
  • Finalists must also participate in any required preparation sessions.

Date: June 17, 2026

Location: Hybrid via zoom and Utah Valley University at 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058, Smith Engineering & Technology Building (SE)/Teams

Prizes

Prizes may include:

  • In-kind support (mentorship, partnerships, etc.)
  • Exposure and networking opportunities

All prizes:

  • Are non-transferable
  • May be subject to tax obligations
  • Must be accepted as awarded

Verification of Winners

A) All potential Participants selected as finalists (“Finalists”) or selected as a prize winner (“Prize Winners”) are subject to verification of identity, eligibility, qualifications, and role in the creation of the Submission by Administrator, who may collaborate with Partner and Sponsor(s). Verification decisions are final and binding in all matters related to the Challenge.

B) Potential Finalists and Prize Winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules throughout the Challenge.

C) Potential Finalists will be notified using the email address associated with the Challenge account used to enter the Submission.

D) The potential Prize Winner will be notified in person when practical. For sake of clarity, the notification will only be sent to the Representative of the team.

E) In order to win any prize, the potential Finalists and Prize Winners will be required to sign and return to the Administrator within five (5) business days:

  • Affidavit(s) of eligibility or a similar verification document, and
  • Liability and publicity releases.

F) At the sole discretion of Administrator or Administrator in collaboration with Partner and/or Sponsor(s), potential Finalists and Prize Winners will be deemed ineligible to win if:

  • the potential Finalists and Prize Winners cannot be contacted within five (5) business days, or is contacted and refuses the prize.
  • the potential Finalists and Prize Winners fail(s) to sign and return the affidavit(s) of eligibility or a similar verification document and liability/publicity release(s) within five (5) business days from receipt of such documents.
  • the Submission or the potential Finalists and Prize Winners, or any member of a potential Finalists and Prize Winner’s team, is disqualified for any other reason.

G) In the event of such disqualification, Administrator or Administrator in collaboration with Partner and/or Sponsor(s) at their sole discretion, may award the applicable Prize to an alternate Finalist or Participant.

Entry Conditions & Release

By entering, each Contestant (including all participating members of the team) agree(s) to:

  1. Comply with and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Administrator, Partner, Sponsor(s), and/or the Challenge Judges, which are binding and final in all matters relating to this Challenge.
  2. Release, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Sponsor, Administrator, Partner (including the Utah System of Higher Education and the State of Utah), and their respective trustees, regents, parent, subsidiary, and affiliated companies or institutions, the prize suppliers and any other organizations responsible for funding, fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the Challenge, and all of their respective past and present officers, directors, trustees, regents, faculty, employees, students, agents and representatives (hereafter the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), including but not limited to negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property; defamation; slander; libel; violation of right of publicity; infringement of trademark, copyright, patent, or other intellectual property rights; property damage, or death or personal injury arising out of or relating to a Participant’s entry, creation of Submission, or entry of a Submission, participation in the Challenge, acceptance or use or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto), participation in the Studio Phase, and/or the broadcast, transmission, performance, exploitation or use of Submission as authorized or licensed by these Official Rules.
  3. Notwithstanding any obligations to release, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless, Participant acknowledge and agrees that UVU is a governmental entity under the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah, Utah Code Ann., Section 63G-7-101 et seq., as amended (the “Act”). Nothing in the Agreement shall be construed as a waiver by UVU of any protections, rights, or defenses applicable to UVU under the Act, including without limitation the provisions of Section 63G-7-604 regarding limitation of judgments. It is not the intent of UVU to incur by contract or otherwise any liability for the operations, acts, or omissions of the Participant or any third party and nothing in the Agreement shall be so interpreted or construed. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in the Agreement, the liability of UVU and any obligations of UVU are limited to those allowed by the Act and are limited to the amounts established in Section 63G-7-604 of the Act.
  4. By participating in this Challenge and providing your contact information, you are agreeing to be contacted by HITLAB, by Partner, by one or more Sponsors of the Challenge, or by any affiliated organization regarding this or future events, competitions or promotional offers.

Without limiting the foregoing, the Released Parties shall have no liability in connection with:

  1. Any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by the Sponsor’s or Administrator’s electronic or printing error or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Challenge.
  2. Technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines, internet connectivity, or electronic transmission errors, or network hardware or software or failure of the Challenge Website.
  3. Unauthorized third-party intervention in any part of the entry process or the Challenge.
  4. Technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Challenge or the processing of Submissions; or any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from the Participant’s participation in the Challenge or receipt or use or misuse of any prize.
  5. If for any reason a Participant’s Submission is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted and the Challenge Submission Period is still open, the Contestant’s sole remedy is to request the opportunity to resubmit its Submission, which request will be determined at the sole discretion of the Partner and the Administrator.

Publicity

By participating in the Challenge, Participant grants the Sponsor, Administrator, and Partner use of the Submission for press and media purposes and the Participant grants a license for such use to the Submission and all related documentation or media for publicity purposes.

Participation in the Challenge constitutes Finalists and Prize Winner’s consent to the Sponsor(s), Administrator, Partner, and their agents’ use of the winner’s name and description, including organization name, if applicable, and the likeness, photograph, voice, opinions, comments, and hometown and state of residence of individuals who participated in the Submission, for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.

General Conditions

A) Administrator, Partner, and each Sponsor reserve the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failure, or any other unanticipated factor or factor reasonably beyond Administrator’s, Partner’s, or Sponsor’s/Sponsors’ control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Challenge, as determined by Administrator, Partner, and/or Sponsor(s) at their sole discretion. This includes changing any date or dates, including (but not limited to) the dates for the Submission Period and/or the date of any event associated with the Challenge. Administrator, Partner, and/or each Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize, in whole or in part, of equal or greater monetary value if a prize cannot be awarded, in whole or in part, as described for any reason. Administrator, Partner, and each Sponsor reserve the right at their sole discretion to disqualify any individual or Participant it finds to be tampering with the Challenge, specifically, including but not limited to: tampering with the submission or voting process (for example by using the aid of computer software programs to auto-fill entries), tampering with the operation of the Challenge, acting in violation of these Official Rules, acting in a manner that is inappropriate, acting in a manner not in the best interests of this Challenge, or violating any applicable law or regulation.

B) Any attempt by any person to undermine the proper conduct of the Challenge may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Administrator, Partner, and each Sponsor reserve the right to take proper legal action, including, without limitation, referral to law enforcement, for any illegal or unlawful activities.

C) Administrator’s, Partner’s, or Sponsor’s/Sponsors’ failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Neither Administrator, nor Partner, nor any Sponsor is responsible for incomplete, late, misdirected, damaged, lost, illegible, or incomprehensible submissions or for address or email address changes of the Participant. Proof of sending or submitting will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by the Administrator (or Partner or any Sponsor).

D) In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of the Official Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Challenge materials, including but not limited to the Challenge Submission form, Challenge Website, advertising (including but not limited to television, print, radio or online ads), the terms and conditions of these Official Rules shall prevail.

E) Administrator, Partner, and each Sponsor reserve the right, without liability, to amend the terms and conditions of the Official Rules at any time, including the rights or obligations of the Participant, Administrator, Partner, and Sponsor(s). Terms and conditions of the amended Official Rules will be posted on the Challenge Website. Any amendment will become effective at the time of the posting of the amended Official Rules.

F) Excluding submissions, all intellectual property related to this Challenge, including but not limited to trademarks, trade-names, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, drawings, illustrations, slogans and representations are owned or used under license by Administrator, Partner, and each Sponsor; provided, however, that all UVU names, marks, logos, and other UVU intellectual property shall remain the exclusive property of UVU, and Administrator’s and any Sponsor’s use of any UVU name, mark, or logo shall be governed by a separate written trademark license agreement with UVU. Participant has no right or license to use any UVU intellectual property, including but not limited to any UVU names, marks, logos, and other UVU intellectual property. Nothing in these Official Rules shall be construed as a license, transfer, or assignment of any UVU intellectual property to Administrator, Sponsor, Participant, or any other person. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any copyrighted material or intellectual property without the express written consent of its owners is strictly prohibited.

G) Should any provision of these Official Rules be or become illegal or unenforceable in the jurisdiction of a permitted Participant, such illegality or unenforceability shall leave the remainder of these Official Rules unaffected and valid. The illegal or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a valid and enforceable provision that comes closest and best reflects the original intention in a legal and enforceable manner with respect to the invalid or unenforceable provision.

H) Participant warrants that their Submission and associated documentation are their own original work and, as such, they, or they in conjunction with their team, are the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the Submission and that they have the right to grant all required licenses. Participant agrees not to submit any idea or documentation associated their Submission that: (a) misappropriates or infringes any third-party proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, industrial property rights, personal or moral rights, or any other rights, including without limitation, copyright, trademark, trade names, industrial designs, patent, trade secret, privacy, publicity or confidentiality obligations; or (b) otherwise violates applicable state, federal, or local law.

Limitations of Liability

EACH PARTICIPANT ACCEPTS THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE OFFICIAL RULES, AGREES TO BE BOUND BY THE DECISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATOR, PARTNER, AND SPONSOR(S), WARRANTS THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMPETITION, AND AGREES TO RELEASE, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS RELEASED PARTIES (AS DEFINED ABOVE IN SECTION 11) FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, LOSSES, LIABILITY, AND DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND EXPENSES) ASSERTED AGAINST ANY OF THEM, INCURRED OR SUSTAINED IN CONNECTION WITH OR RISING OUT OF ENTRANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THIS COMPETITION OR ANY TRAVEL OR ACTIVITY RELATED THERETO, USE OF ANY SOCIAL MEDIA OR RIGHTS THEREIN, OR BREACH OF ANY AGREEMENT OR WARRANTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPETITION, INCLUDING THESE OFFICIAL RULES. ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE COMPETITION IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND, SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE RELEASED PARTIES AND EACH OF THEIR LICENSEES RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK ANY AND ALL REMEDIES AVAILABLE FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SUCH ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

BY ENTERING, ALL PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING THE PARTICIPATING MEMBERS OF A TEAM OR ORGANIZATION, AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE OFFICIAL RULES AND HEREBY RELEASE THE RELEASED PARTIES FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRIZES OR PARTICIPANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE CHALLENGE. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT ANY LIABILITY LIMITATION REGARDING GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR INTENTIONAL ACTS, OR EVENTS OF DEATH OR BODILY INJURY SHALL NOT BE APPLICABLE IN JURISDICTIONS WHERE SUCH LIMITATION IS NOT LEGAL.

Disputes

Participant agrees that:

  • Any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Challenge, or any prizes awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action.
  • Any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Challenge, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved exclusively by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (USA) or the appropriate New York State Court (USA); provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any dispute, claim, or cause of action against Partner, the Utah System of Higher Education, the State of Utah, or any of their respective trustees, regents, officers, employees, faculty, students, or agents (in their official capacities) shall be subject to, and brought exclusively in, the courts of the State of Utah, in accordance with the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah, Utah Code Annotated § 63G-7-101 et seq., and applicable Utah law. Partner does not waive, and nothing in these Official Rules shall be construed as a waiver of, sovereign immunity, the protections of the Governmental Immunity Act, or any other defense or limitation available to Partner under Utah or federal law.
  • To the maximum extent allowed by law, Participant is not entitled to, and Participant hereby waives all rights to claim, any punitive, incidental, and consequential damages, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.

All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the Contestants, the Sponsor and the Administrator in connection with the Challenge, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York (USA), without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York; provided, however, that any matter involving Partner shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Utah, without regard to its conflict-of-laws provisions.

Privacy

Any personal information collected from the Contestant(s) when entering the Challenge is subject to the Administrator’s privacy policy located at the main HITLAB website at www.hitlab.org.

Without limiting the foregoing: (a) the Administrator shall implement and maintain commercially reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect personal information of Participants, in accordance with applicable law; (b) for any Participant who is an enrolled UVU student, faculty member, or employee, Administrator shall not request, collect, or use any “education record” as that term is defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, without a separate written agreement with UVU and the affected individual’s prior written consent; (c) for Participants subject to the General Data Protection Regulation, the United Kingdom Data Protection Act 2018, the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Utah Consumer Privacy Act, or other applicable privacy law, Administrator shall comply with such law in its capacity as a controller or processor of personal information; and (d) Administrator shall notify Partner promptly, and in any event within seventy-two (72) hours, of any actual or reasonably suspected security incident affecting personal information of Participants. Records held by Partner may be subject to disclosure under the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act, Utah Code § 63G-2-101 et seq.

Results

Results will be announced on: https://www.hitlab.org/worldcup/

June 17th, 2026

Contact

If you have any questions or wish to send us any notice regarding this Challenge, please email abowen@hitlab.org.