EIHUB Challenge 2026 Continues to Spark Ideas for Tomorrow
Group photo of EIHUB finalists, judges & supportive members.
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub (EIHUB) at Monash University Malaysia recently brought together students from across disciplines for the EIHUB Challenge: Ideas for Tomorrow, an ideation competition designed to ignite entrepreneurial thinking, creativity and innovation within the university community.
Held under the theme “Innovate the Future”, this year’s challenge invited students to develop bold ideas that could address emerging global and local challenges. Participants had two tracks to pick from: Food Innovation Sustainability – Feed the Future, which focused on solutions across food production, distribution, consumption and waste management; and General Entrepreneurship – Vision to Venture, which challenged students to develop viable and scalable ventures across any industry.
Finalists showcase their innovative solutions as judges and fellow participants observe.
The challenge began with a launch and innovation workshop on 8 August, where participants were introduced to the challenge and expectations before taking part in an ideation workshop to develop their initial concepts. Following the first round of submissions, 51 entries were received, marking the largest number of submissions for the EIHUB Challenge to date. 15 finalists were selected, comprising seven finalists in the General Entrepreneurship track and eight in the Food Innovation & Sustainability track.
Finalists then had the opportunity to further develop and refine their ideas through one-on-one consultations with mentors, followed by pitching practice ahead of the final challenge on 27 August. The selection process looked for well-rounded ideas that demonstrated desirability, feasibility, viability and innovativeness, while also considering how effectively the ideas were presented.
The final pitch brought together an esteemed panel of judges, including Chiam Boon Lee, CEO of Sustainable Food Asia and a Monash alumnus; Lenny Yong, Founder and CEO of Gutlinx Sdn Bhd; and Sade Dayangku, External Engagement Manager at the School of Business and a Monash alumnus. Dr. Daniel Loy, Director of EIHUB, was also closely involved throughout the challenge, mentoring finalists as they prepared for their final pitches.
Judges evaluate finalists' presentations during the event, offering valuable insights and feedback.
The event was further supported by members of the School of Business and School of Science, representatives from the Monash Food Science and Technology Club, as well as the finalists’ families and friends. Professor Yeong Ken Yoon from the School of Science presented the prize cheque, while the judges and university representatives shared feedback and words of encouragement with the finalists. The Head of School of Business, Professor Nafis Alam also addressed the students during the event, highlighting the importance of turning ideas into opportunities.
This year’s challenge once again demonstrated the breadth of entrepreneurial talent across the campus, with participation continuing to span different Schools and disciplines. Notably, the first winners of the challenge included both a PhD student and a first-year, first-semester student, showing that entrepreneurial thinking can emerge at every stage of the student journey.
EIHUB Challenge Winners
General Entrepreneurship track
Winner Fiona Lee
Merit 1 Loo Gene Wey
Merit 2 Chew Cheng Fu
General Entrepreneurship Track winner Fiona Lee celebrates her achievement with the EIHUB Challenge trophy cheque.
Feed the Future
Winner Ayesha Ashraf Khan
Merit 1 Celline Ainda Setiawan
Merit 2 Remi Rong
Dr. Yeong Keng Yoon (L) from School of Science and Sustainable Food Asia CEO Chiam Boon Lee (R) present the trophy cheque to Feed the Future Track winner Ayesha Ashraf Khan.
The EIHUB Challenge: Ideas for Tomorrow reflects EIHUB’s commitment to nurturing a student body that is entrepreneurial in mindset. One that sees problems as opportunities and is equipped to develop creative and innovative solutions. The increasingly strong submissions received each year are an encouraging indication of the value of the initiative and the growing entrepreneurial spirit within the institution.
A special appreciation goes to the judges, mentors, finalists, participating students, industry partners and everyone involved in bringing this year’s challenge to life. Their contributions helped create a valuable platform for students to test their ideas, receive industry perspectives and build confidence in taking their concepts from idea to potential venture.
Finalists present their creativity and sustainability-driven innovations.
For students looking to take their ideas further, the journey does not have to end with the EIHUB Challenge. Participants can continue developing and exploring their ideas through the Monash Startup Bootcamp, taking place in November and providing further opportunities to build entrepreneurial skills and turn promising ideas into action.
Find out more about the upcoming bootcamp and how to get involved.