The "Smart Youth Challenge" & National AI + Scenario Application Competition Grand Final has concluded! On the stage of WAVES 2026, we are discovering China's next-generation AI unicor
The Challenge for Intelligent Youth and the National AI + Scenario Application Competition Finals were held during the WAVES New Wave Conference. Multiple youth teams gathered to compete around the cutting - edge scenarios of AI and the digital economy, demonstrating the technological exploration and implementation capabilities of young entrepreneurs.
In 2026, AI has fully entered the era of "actors". When large - scale models, agents, and embodied intelligence have moved from technical concepts in the laboratory to industrial implementation scenarios in all industries, the civilianization and popularization of AI tools, relying on the open - source ecosystem, lightweight development tools, and inclusive computing power, have continuously reduced the cost of innovation and entrepreneurship. A large number of young people with dreams have gained the opportunity to enter the AI track.
This has led to new thinking in the venture capital circle: When AI tools significantly lower the threshold for entrepreneurship, how can the new generation of entrepreneurs, who were previously "shut out" by resource barriers, rely on technological dividends to grow into the core new increment of China's AI industry innovation?
On June 17th, the Challenge for Intelligent Youth and the National AI + Scenario Application Competition Finals, hosted by 36Kr and jointly created by the Data and Artificial Intelligence R & D Experimental Center of Renmin University of China, provided an answer at the Big Data Hall of the Science and Technology Park in Guangzhou University Town. As the core youth IP of the WAVES 2026 Summer Conference, the competition breaks away from the traditional logic of "emphasizing rankings and neglecting implementation" in traditional competitions, providing a stage for those shining ideas hidden in laboratories, garages, and millions of lines of code to be seen by the world and accelerated by the industry.
From 300 to 15:
Selection of high - quality science and technology innovation projects through the test of time
Since the recruitment for the competition started, a total of more than 300 science and technology innovation projects signed up throughout the competition. These projects covered cutting - edge tracks such as AI agents, embodied intelligent hardware, and lightweight one - person entrepreneurship. Most of the participants were from more than a dozen top domestic universities and small start - up teams. After multiple rounds of strict selection and elimination, 15 high - quality teams finally made it to the finals.
The organizing committee broke away from hard - line evaluation criteria such as financing amount and enterprise scale in the screening process. Instead, it took whether the project could be implemented and whether it could effectively improve human efficiency with AI as the core yardstick. This set of screening criteria accurately fits the current industrial development trend of AI shifting from concept verification to practical implementation.
When the finals officially began, a grand opening speech ceremony was held on - site. Cai Junbin, the Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangzhou Panyu Information Technology Investment and Development Co., Ltd., talked about the perfect science and technology innovation carriers and industrial ecosystem in Panyu. He especially emphasized the core concept of "AI enhancing humans" in this competition, and encouraged the participating youth to stay true to their original aspirations and move forward bravely, cheering for all dream - chasers with the words "Move forward and don't look back".
Lai Hai, the General Manager of 36Kr's Greater Bay Area company, said that the competition aims to discover the young AI forces in the new era. It is not just a competition, but also a platform for entrepreneurs to connect with the industry and capital. He also expressed his gratitude and best wishes to all cooperation partners, judges, and participating contestants.
Three - track layout
Closely following the current industrial development trend
The setting of the three tracks in the competition accurately targets the industry pain points: The agent track focuses on the "second brain", aiming at the upgrade of personal office and life efficiency, and responding to the implementation requirements of the entire industry for "AI empowering individual productivity"; the intelligent hardware track focuses on the R & D of embodied intelligent products, fitting the industrial trend of 2026 being regarded as the first year of large - scale implementation of embodied intelligence in the industry, and exploring the feasibility of robots and intelligent wearables breaking through the physical action boundaries of humans; the OPC one - person company track focuses on the "super individual", capturing the new entrepreneurial model spawned by AI - relying on large - scale models and agents to complete the full - link operation, enabling a single person to achieve the business closed - loop that previously required a team of more than a dozen people. This is also the underlying logic for the intensive introduction of OPC support policies in many places in China in recent years.
The finals adopted a 10 - minute roadshow system. 15 groups of young entrepreneurs first completed a closed - door roadshow through a 10 - minute project presentation + 2 - 3 judge Q&A sessions, and the top 3 in each track (a total of 9 finalists) were selected. Then, in conjunction with the exclusive exhibition area of the "One - time AI Company" at the WAVES Conference, they completed on - site real - scenario demonstrations and interactive experiences with the judges. Finally, the winner was determined based on a comprehensive score of five dimensions: innovation, user value, technological maturity, business potential, and team ability.
The competition jury consists of academic authorities and front - line investors. Experts and scholars from universities such as Tsinghua University, Beihang University, Renmin University of China, and Peking University point out the optimization directions for the projects from the underlying technical logic, while partners from leading institutions such as Shanxing Capital, Baidu Ventures, and Jinqiu Fund judge the growth space of the projects from the perspective of capital. For the participating contestants, this competition has long gone beyond a competitive contest and has become a free industrial consultation and resource docking meeting.
The formation of the competition ecosystem cannot be achieved without the collaborative construction of multiple institutions such as HORWIN Haowai, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, Shenzhen Artificial Intelligence Industry Association, and Rongyu Youth. Among the many partners, the connection between HORWIN Haowai and the competition is particularly profound, and the two sides share highly compatible value concepts. At the main forum of this year's WAVES 2026, Zhou Wei, the brand founder, gave a theme sharing titled "Symbiotic Evolution", proposing that the iterative upgrade of technology cannot be achieved without the joint participation of innovative forces from the entire industry and all circles. This concept happens to coincide with the core of the competition, which is to "empower youth and incubate original science and technology innovation".
Adhering to the development concept of symbiotic progress, as a technology company established in 2016 and deeply involved in the global high - end electric motorcycle industry, HORWIN Haowai has been deeply involved in all industrial exchange activities of this conference. From the collision of cutting - edge ideas at the main venue, to the technical exchanges at the offline exhibition area, and then to the in - depth discussions at the evening industry salon, the brand has always been deeply involved on - site as a senior technology practitioner. During the exchange process, the team shared industry insights based on its years of industrial development experience, and at the same time listened carefully to the innovative ideas and exploration practices of the new generation of entrepreneurs, allowing mature industrial experience and cutting - edge innovative thinking to blend and inspire each other.
In the cutting - edge science and technology innovation track, the industry pioneers and young entrepreneurs have already reached a consensus in thinking. All parties' forces have converged and integrated here, jointly building a vibrant science and technology innovation ecosystem. This gesture of moving forward together also continuously accumulates momentum for the long - term development of the entire industry.
Since its establishment, HORWIN Haowai has adhered to independent R & D. Relying on the globally - first 400V full - vehicle specification and the fully self - developed IM integrated power platform, it has achieved the breakthrough technological result of "10 - minute charging for 100 - kilometer range", and has established a foothold in the overseas high - end market. The brand's development process from a start - up team to a global technology company is itself a vivid example of science and technology innovation. Also, because it deeply understands the opportunities and challenges on the start - up path, the brand has always been concerned about the young hardware R & D group and is willing to share its practical experience with the participating teams, providing implementation references for various science and technology innovation projects, and ultimately achieving two - way empowerment and symbiotic growth between the industry benchmark and the new generation of entrepreneurs.
On - site, the awards were presented simultaneously, and a group of new - generation entrepreneurs who are deeply involved in scenarios and have commercialization potential stood out.
Outstanding Project Award
Agent
Wu Ye, Co - founder of Shuoyuan Technology
Zhou Xin, General Manager of Pinwu Intelligence
Intelligent Hardware
Zhang Yazhan, CEO of Linggan Robot
Fang Fulai, CEO of Shanghai Yingdun Technology
One - person Company OPC
Li Fagui, Project Initiator of Anxun Intelligent Technology
Agent Track
Champion: Zhuang Ziyang, Co - founder of Shenjing Technology
Runner - up: Feng Cheng, CEO of Quxiang Space - Time
Third Place: Huang Qibai, Founder of Nuojing Technology
Intelligent Hardware Track
Champion: Wang Jiawei, Co - founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Lanling Xingtong
Runner - up: Wang Dong, CEO of Easenory
Third Place: Li Guidong, Founder of Yuntong Technology
One - person Company (OPC) Track
Champion: Cen Rongkang, CEO & Founder of PulsePixel AI
Runner - up: Wang Zijian, Founder of Zhima Finance
Third Place: Shi Hong, Founder of Taichu Zhinuclear Technology
The winners of multiple tracks took the stage to share their R & D motivations and subsequent implementation plans.
