The Startup World Cup Championship 2025, held from July 7–15, 2025, as part of Global Business Week

Startup World Cup Championship 2025: A Global Celebration of Innovation, Youth, and Impact

Hundreds of the world’s brightest minds unite in the Maldives for the 25th Anniversary of the Championship

The Startup World Cup Championship 2025, held from July 7–15, 2025, as part of Global Business Week, marked a defining moment in the history of global entrepreneurship. Hosted on the pristine islands of the Maldives, this 25th-anniversary edition brought together finalists from 35+ countries, ranging in age from 6 to 50, to present their boldest business ideas and innovative solutions on a world stage.

This year’s Championship was more than a competition — it was a festival of global talent, generational collaboration, and visionary leadership.

 

 

  

🌍 A Truly Global Event

 

For over two decades, the Startup World Cup Championship (SWCC) has empowered children, teens, youth, and adults to think like entrepreneurs and act like changemakers. The 2025 edition gathered national champions from local Startup World Cup Leagues across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, making it the most globally inclusive edition to date.

New MINIBOSS branch in Dubai

MINIBOSS BUSINESS SCHOOL, the world’s premier international business education network for children and teens, is proud to announce the opening of its new Dubai branch on September 1, 2025. The branch will be led by Mr. Siddique Hills, an accomplished entrepreneur and visionary leader dedicated to fostering a new generation of innovators.

Leadership with a Purpose

Mr. Hills brings a strong business acumen and a profound sense of social responsibility to his role. His mission extends beyond profit, focusing on empowering the youth of the UAE with the entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, and mindset required to thrive in the global economy and contribute to the nation's continued prosperity.

Trend: Shift from knowledge-based learning to competency-based learning.

International Education Network MINIBOSS BUSINESS SCHOOL is the world’s № 1 brand in business education for kids and teens. For more than two decades, it has pioneered a new educational model that develops entrepreneurial, emotional, creative, and leadership skills in children aged 6–17, preparing them for success in the global economy.

“Education is not only about knowledge; it is about creating strong personalities who can lead, innovate, and transform society.” — Dr. Olga Azarova, Founder of MINIBOSS Business School

Curriculum Design: 

From Knowledge to Competence

Unlike traditional schooling, the MINIBOSS Curriculum is intentionally designed to balance theoretical learning with practical application. A curriculum map outlines a year-long scope and sequence, ensuring both structure and incremental personality development.

Dr. Olga Azarova emphasises:

“Intentional design must always come before systematic documentation. First, we build a model that works for the child’s full potential — only then do we formalise it.”

 

Main Problems of General Education and How MINIBOSS Provides Solutions

1. Outdated Knowledge, Irrelevant to Real Life

• Mass Education Today: Reliance on memorisation and obsolete theory.
• Parent Demand: Future-oriented skills: financial literacy, entrepreneurship, creativity.
• MINIBOSS Solution: Curriculum based on 8Qs; courses in entrepreneurship, finance, leadership, innovation, and AI; real startup creation and market testing.

2. Lack of Soft Skills & Emotional Intelligence

• Mass Education Today: Focus only on IQ.
• Parent Demand: Development of EQ, teamwork, leadership, and communication.
• MINIBOSS Solution: Team projects, startup creation, public speaking at Startup Forums, and emotional intelligence training.

3. Absence of Entrepreneurial Thinking & Financial Education

• Mass Education Today: Students leave school without financial literacy or entrepreneurial mindset.
• Parent Demand: Financial and business literacy from early age.
• MINIBOSS Solution: Financial literacy from age 6; training in money management, investment, and startup acceleration.

4. Passive Learning, No Engagement

• Mass Education Today: Teacher-centred lectures dominate.
• Parent Demand: Active, project-based learning.
• MINIBOSS Solution: Special teacher trainings, faculty development, simulations, role-plays, gamification, and experiential learning through startup building.

5. No Global Networking or Cross-Cultural Competence

• Mass Education Today: Localised, limited exposure to global perspectives.
• Parent Demand: Global readiness.
• MINIBOSS Solution: International networking via Startup World Cup Championship and Global Business Week, fostering cross-cultural communication.

6. Lack of Career Connection

Mass Education Today: Students graduate unprepared for professional life.

Parent Demand: Early career guidance, mentorship, and real experience.
MINIBOSS Solution: Startup Incubator, mentorship, career orientation embedded in every programme, and real-world project portfolios.