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Posted: Fri 4th Sep 2026
CoCreate is Alibaba.com's global flagship summit.
It's the world's leading sourcing and commerce innovation event, bringing together e-commerce sellers, retailers, wholesalers and top manufacturers to drive face-to-face supply chain collaboration and industry connection.
CoCreate Pitch is the competition at the heart of CoCreate, and the world's largest product-based start-up pitch competition.
Now in its third year, the 2026 edition marks a significant upgrade in scale, theme, and competition structure.
From B2B to A2A, powered by Accio Work: This year, AI sits at the centre of the competition. Accio Work, Alibaba.com's enterprise AI agent, is now the required platform for all applications, with its built-in CoCreate Pitch Agent guiding founders from raw idea to structured pitch. Effective use of Accio Work is a formal evaluation criterion this year.
Three competition tracks: General SMEs Track, 0-to-1 Start-up Track and Students Track replace the previous open format, expanding eligibility to founders at every stage (more information below).
Restructured prize model: Higher rewards concentrated at the top, with every finalist guaranteed a prize.
Asia-Pacific regional competition: A new regional round launches this year alongside the established U.S. and Europe finals; prize pool to be announced separately.
Like everyone, you've probably had that moment – an idea worth pursuing, a product gap you spotted, a business you could picture clearly.
But between the idea and the first real step, doubt takes over. Fear of failure, not knowing where to start, waiting for the right time that never arrives.
The idea fades. And then someone else builds exactly what you imagined, and the only question left is – what if I had tried?
Not trying doesn't protect you from failure. It just guarantees you never find out.
CoCreate Pitch exists for the moment before that regret sets in – giving founders the resources, the stage and the push to stop waiting and start building.
A $1,000,000+ prize pool, Alibaba.com's global supply chain, and Accio Work, the AI agent that takes you from raw idea to structured business proposal.
The barriers that used to make starting feel impossible are no longer an excuse.
You have the idea. The platform is here. Make It Real.
CoCreate Pitch 2026 introduces three distinct competition tracks, opening the competition to a wider range of entrepreneurs than any previous edition:
General SMEs Track: For established small and medium-sized businesses with existing products, looking to scale globally.
0-to-1 Start-up Track: For founders starting from scratch, using Accio Work to bring a raw idea to life.
Students Track: For currently enrolled students building next-generation products.
Any legally registered company from anywhere in the world is eligible to apply. The Students Track does not require company registration.
CoCreate Pitch 2026 features two main regional finals – the US Finals in Los Angeles (9–10 September 2026) and the Europe Finals in London (19–20 November 2026).
Plus, there's a newly introduced Asia-Pacific regional competition, with its prize pool to be announced separately.
Each of the US and Europe finals will feature 20 finalists competing live. The prize structure for each regional final is as follows:
1st place – $200,000
2nd place – $100,000
3rd place – $50,000
4th to 20th place (17 finalists) – $10,000 each
The combined prize pool across both regional finals exceeds $1,000,000. Every finalist who makes it to the live competition walks away with a prize – no one leaves empty-handed.
Competing in CoCreate Pitch 2026 offers value well beyond the prize money. Participants gain access to three layers of support:
Every applicant gets access to Accio Work, Alibaba.com's plug-and-play enterprise AI agent.
Through the built-in CoCreate Pitch Agent, participants receive guided support in shaping their product idea into a structured, competition-ready pitch proposal – essentially a free AI-powered business development tool available from day one of the application process.
All candidates who have successfully submitted their applications via Accio Work will receive the extra bonus credits in their Accio Work, valid for 180 days from the date of issuance.
All participants gain access to:
Alibaba.com's global supplier and sourcing infrastructure, including a network of over 200,000 verified suppliers spanning more than 200 countries and regions
AI-powered sourcing tools designed to support rapid prototyping and cost-efficient production
For product founders, this is the same supply chain infrastructure that backs some of the world's largest retail brands – now directly accessible to early-stage entrepreneurs.
Finalists pitch live on stage at CoCreate – one of the world's leading commerce summits – in front of a panel of industry leaders and investors.
The competition provides visibility across Alibaba.com's global network, with reach extending to buyers, suppliers, and the broader entrepreneurial community worldwide.
All applications must be submitted through Accio Work, Alibaba.com's enterprise AI agent. Download Accio Work at accio.com/work or access it directly via the CoCreate Pitch event page at alibabacocreate.com/pitch.
Once inside Accio Work, open the built-in CoCreate Pitch Agent. The agent will guide you through the process of transforming your product idea into a structured pitch proposal – covering your concept, business model and execution plan.
Complete and submit your pitch proposal through Accio Work. All submissions are reviewed by a selection committee and evaluated on four criteria – innovation, feasibility, market potential, and how effectively you have used Accio Work to develop and sharpen your proposal.
Successful applicants will be notified and invited to compete at the live regional finals.
The US Finals take place in Los Angeles on 9–10 September 2026. The Europe Finals take place in London on 19–20 November 2026.
Each regional final features 20 finalists competing live in front of a panel of industry leaders and investors.
Any legally registered company from anywhere in the world may apply.
The Students Track is open to currently enrolled students and does not require company registration.
Employees of Alibaba.com, its affiliates, subsidiaries, and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate.
