Now part of Grant Thornton Advisors LLC, Stax is a global strategy consulting firm specializing in commercial due diligence, value creation, and exit planning for private equity firms, PE-back companies, hedge funds, and investment banks.

The firm works across a diverse range of industries including software/ technology, healthcare, business services, industrial, consumer/retail, and the events ecosystem. Stax partners with clients to provide data-driven, actionable insights designed to drive growth, enhance profits, increase value, and make better investment decisions.

Connect with Stax

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• Stax on LinkedIn

Application Deadline

• Friday, October 24, 11:59PM PT

Selection Timeline

• Teams Notified: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
• How to Win a Case Competition webinar (live): November 1, 2025

Competition Timeline

• Case Prompt Released: Saturday, January 10, 2026
• Video Submissions Due: Friday, January 16, 2026
• Finalists Notified: Tuesday, January 27, 2026
• Final Round (Live on Zoom): Friday, January 30, 2026

The Case Competition World Cup will consist of 2 rounds. Round 1 will be conducted virtually, with teams submitting their presentation materials online. The top 5 scoring teams will receive invitations to compete in the final round via Zoom.

The case will be distributed via email to each team’s main point of contact. Once the case is distributed, teams can prepare their case analysis and presentation materials. Teams will record their presentation and upload it to Google Drive. Presentations are due no later than 11:59PM (PT) on the dates shown above.

Upon receiving the case submission, each team will receive a confirmation of receipt. It is important to note that once the submission is submitted on or before the submission deadline, no additional changes can be made to the presentation. Each team should be ready to present the original version of their submitted presentation to the judges if they are invited to the final round.

Please come prepared to share the presentation from your device using the original version.

There is no cash prize for the Case Competition World Cup. However, the 50 selected teams from each track will have their resumes shared with the judging firms.

In addition, the 5 finalist teams from each track will present live to celebrity judges from these employers.

Schools can enter with teams consisting of a minimum of four and a maximum of five members. Each team member must be currently enrolled as a student in accordance with the appropriate competition track. Please see below for specific eligibility criteria.

Eligibility Criteria

Students in an undergraduate or Specialty Masters (MS) program should apply for the Early Degree Track. Specialty Masters includes degrees like MSBA, MSF, MSEL, MSCM, MiM, and more.

Note: Team composition must not change after the case prompt is released.

Teams from across the globe are invited to apply! Please note that all team members must attend the same college or university, but cross-department applications are welcomed and encouraged.

The case will be a growth case for a major consumer-facing public company.

Each presentation must strictly adhere to a 5 minute time limit and each team member must present.

If your team is selected as a finalist, the same 5 minute time limit will apply in the final round. There will also be 5 minutes of Q&A per presentation during the final round.

For the first round, your team leader will upload your 5 minute presentation to a Google Drive folder. If your team is selected for the final round, you’ll present live on Zoom to a panel of judges.

All presentations must not mention the name of your team’s university. All teams and participants will be on an even playing field.

A case competition is an event where teams of students tackle a real-world business challenge within a set timeframe. Participants analyze a specific case – typically a business problem or opportunity – and develop strategic recommendations. These competitions are designed to test critical thinking, problem-solving, and presentation skills in a high-pressure environment.

In a typical case competition, teams receive a detailed case prompt and are given several hours or days to research, brainstorm, and craft a solution. They then present their findings and recommendations to a panel of judges, often comprising industry professionals and executives. Judges evaluate the teams based on the quality of their analysis, creativity of their solution, and effectiveness of their presentation.

Case competitions offer participants a chance to build key analytical, collaboration, and communication skills, in addition to providing networking opportunities as participants interact with peers, mentors, and potential employers.

Participating in a case competition also looks great on a resume – especially if you are a winner!

Watch the final presentations from the 2025 World Cup.