Wei Zhang
Tsinghua University
Quantum error correction for photonic chips you can actually fabricate.
Grand prize · 2025
7MT 2026 · Applications open
Seven minutes to change how the world sees your idea.
7MT — Seven Minute Tech — is the global pitch competition where innovators, founders, and researchers turn one technical idea into a seven-minute story anyone can understand. One slide. No props. Real stakes.
The format
Three constraints. One story.
A format proven by the world's best pitch contests, adapted for a generation of builders who want to ship — not just publish.
01
One static slide
No animations, no transitions. Force your strongest visual to do the heavy lifting.
02
No props
No demos, no costumes, no music. Just you, the stage, and the work.
03
Seven minutes flat
Long enough to say something real. Short enough to leave the audience wanting more.
How it works
Read the full rules
From application to grand finale, in five steps.
1
Apply with a 90-second video
One slide, one camera, one take. Submissions open globally between March and June each year.
2
Compete in a regional heat
Selected applicants pitch live across eight host cities. Top three from each heat advance.
3
National semifinals
Heat winners regroup for a country-level showdown judged by founders, scientists, and investors.
4
The grand finale
One stage, twelve finalists, one trophy — broadcast live every November.
5
Win, ship, repeat
Prize pool, investor introductions, and a global speaking tour for the winning idea.
Past winners
All winners
2025 finalists who turned seven minutes into momentum.
Sophia Lee
National University of Singapore
Carbon-negative cement, made by bacteria that eat what we already exhale.
Runner-up · 2025
Arjun Patel
IIT Bombay
Sub-second LLM inference on a phone that fits in your pocket.
People's choice · 2025