The Recognized Teams
After the various stages of the competition, the finalist teams presented their proposals to a panel of judges, who evaluated the solutions and selected the winning team and one team to receive a special mention.
BOREA, composed of Ema Lorieto and Valentina Falcioni, was named the winning team of the 2026 edition. Meanwhile, RINDE, led by Emiliano Caetano and Santiago Nión, received an honorable mention.
As a prize, the members of BOREA received an 80% scholarship to pursue a college degree at the School of Business and Social Sciences, while the members of RINDE received a 50% scholarship.
Much more than just an idea
Beyond the outcome, the participants particularly highlighted the learning that came from going through the different stages of the challenge. Lorieto noted that the experience helped them understand that behind a business “it’s not just about the idea”—rather, it’s necessary to conduct research, gather information, and talk to others to identify which aspects are truly important when developing a proposal.
Along the same lines, Falcioni appreciated the opportunity to present and defend an idea before a panel of judges, as well as the research process that allowed them to gain insight into the business world and better understand what it takes to launch a startup.
A learning experience
Speaking on behalf of RINDE, Caetano described the experience as intense and highlighted the tools they incorporated during the weeks of work. “We discovered a lot of tools we didn’t know about before,” he said, adding that the challenge also gave them a new idea they can continue to work on.
For Nión, meanwhile, the word that best sums up his participation is “learning.” The student pointed out that mistakes were also part of the process and encouraged other young people to take the plunge and participate in these kinds of initiatives: “They’re the ones that are worth it.”
Getting a Foot in the Door in the Professional World
The Business Challenge aims to expose students to real-world professional challenges, fostering critical thinking, innovation, feasibility analysis, and the effective communication of their proposals.
