Driving innovation with AI? Join FinQuest 2026

Join FinQuest 2026, held as part of our participation in the Panathēnea festival at Zappeion from 27.05 to 29.05. Apply to take part in the competition.

Apply now

Accelerate your growth

Grow through strategic partnerships, greater visibility and access to powerful networks.

Take your solution further

Develop your idea with greater confidence, guided by experienced professionals.

Expand your network

Connect with mentors, meet investors and VCs, and unlock new collaboration opportunities.

Win rewards

Compete for cash prizes, partnership opportunities, and access to tools and services.

3 AI-focused thematic areas

You may participate in FinQuest 2026 with AI-driven products centred on:

AI-first banking and value transformation – Reinventing banking with AI, automation and measurable impact
Fraud zero and digital trust – Securing the digital bank without compromising experience
Next generation customer experience – Seamless, phygital and omnichannel journeys

Which solutions qualify

To stand a chance to have your solution qualify in the competition, make sure it:

Is highly innovative.
Is relevant to the thematic areas of the competition.
Addresses a real need of the financial sector or would appeal to a substantial number of customers.
Can feasibly be applied in practice, in line with the current laws and regulations.

Which are the prizes

If your proposal is among those qualified, you will compete for exclusive prizes, to be announced soon.

Participation in the programme is subject to eligibility criteria and Microsoft’s approval.

Meet us at the Panathēnea festival

Don’t miss out! Join us at the Panathēnea festival at Zappeion from 27 to 29 May, connect with our team of experts and learn everything you need to know about participating in FinQuest 2026.

Find out about the Panathēnea

1. Send the application

Fill in the application form with the details of your proposal and send it on time, to enter the competition.

Once we receive it, we’ll send you a confirmation email.

2. Find out if you've qualified

The evaluation committee will review all submitted applications and select the 6 finalists.

If necessary, we may call you before the finalists are announced, so you can present your proposal. Be on alert.

If your proposal qualifies, we’ll notify you by email or over the phone.

3. Improve your product (accelerator)

If your proposal does qualify, you’ll have time to further develop your solution. This stage is called the accelerator.

You’ll have the opportunity to take part in dedicated workshops, one-to-one mentoring sessions and guided business development meetings. This will help you refine and enhance your product.

4. Make your pitch

The big moment has arrived! You pitch your proposal, i.e. you present your innovative solution to the evaluation committee, to be in the running to win exclusive prizes.

Looking for tips for the perfect pitch?

Find out what you need to look out for when pitching.

Support your claims – Whatever you say needs to be backed by data, such as statistics, costs, etc.
Tell a story – Explain the problem your idea solves, how it solves it and what’s the added value, to get the audience engaged with your line of thought.
Know your audience – Find out what the people you’ll be addressing expect, what they need and what they’re interested in.
Find the mistakes – Make sure you’ve identified any potential shortfalls with your solution and how you’ll be addressing them.

Don’t read off the slides – The visual material is supposed to accompany your speech, not the other way round.
Don’t underestimate the competition – The deeper you know your market, the better for you.
Avoid exaggerations – Don’t oversell your idea and don’t stretch the truth; you’re still at the very start.
Avoid babbling – Say what’s important in a few seconds and don’t waste any time stating the obvious.

Explore last year’s winners

Discover everything that happened at FinQuest 2025, explore the winning entries and get a glimpse of the international innovation competition.

Find out about FinQuest 2025 Find out about FinQuest 2025

Any questions?

Find the answers you need about your participation in FinQuest 2026.

Are there any fees for submitting a proposal?

No. Submitting an application to participate in the competition and having the proposals evaluated are completely free of charge.

Are there any restrictions as to the technology I can use?

Yes, the solution you’ll present must be based on artificial Intelligence (ΑΙ).

Which language is used in the competition?

English, as the competition is international. Your application must also be in English.

I have more than one proposals. Can I present them all?

No. Choose the one you believe is the best and the most suited to Alpha Bank, and enter the competition with that one. Keep the rest for next time.

Will I retain the intellectual property rights of the idea I’ll present?

Yes. You’ll continue to hold all intellectual property rights or any other rights related to your idea. If third parties hold any rights whatsoever, they’ll also retain them.

What criteria must my startup meet to participate in the Microsoft for Startups programme?

Eligibility criteria (all are required)

These are the minimum requirements every startup must meet to be eligible for the Microsoft for Startups programme. Your startup must:

Not have previously received Azure credits through the programme.
Not currently be affiliated with an investor from the Microsoft for Startups investor network (unless applying through an investor referral).
Develop a product or service aligned with the Microsoft cloud ecosystem (typically Azure).
Be legally incorporated and properly registered as a business.

Strategic nomination criteria (at least 5 are required)

Startups applying through the Strategic Startup Nomination Process must meet all the basic eligibility criteria and at least 5 of the following:

Have a founder who has previously completed an exit.
Have a technical co-founder or CTO.
Operate as a B2B SaaS company.
Have a core product that uses artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies.
Be backed by a VC, accelerator, incubator or angel investor.
Be at MVP stage or beyond.
Demonstrate strong cloud adoption.
Have a member of the founding team that belongs to a historically underrepresented group in the technology startup ecosystem.

Join FinQuest 2026

Fill in the form to participate in FinQuest 2026 and be in the running to win exclusive prizes.

Apply now

Driving innovation with AI? Join FinQuest 2026

Powering the future of finance, together