Expop Startup Challenge Rules  (“Official Rules”)

The Expop Startup Challenge (the “Challenge”) is operated and sponsored by Ascendance US Inc., a Delaware corporation, doing business as Expop (“Sponsor”).

1. Challenge Period

The Challenge begins at 12.00am ET on October 1st, 2025 and ends at 11.59pm on March 31st, 2026 (the “Challenge Period”) after which time the Challenge will be closed and no further entries will be accepted.

2. Eligibility

The Challenge is open to legal residents of Canada, excluding Québec, who are at least 13 years of age at the time of entry. In the case of individuals between the age of 13 and the age of majority in their province or territory of residence, such individual's parent or legal guardian must consent to these rules and their child's entry in the Challenge. Employees of the Sponsor, its parent, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, departments or agencies, franchisees, suppliers, advertising and promotional agencies, Challenge administrators, and any other parties engaged in the development, production, or distribution of materials, and those living in the same household are not eligible to enter. By participating in this Challenge, entrants, or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable, acknowledge compliance with, and agree to be bound by, these Official Rules. Entrants, or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable, who do not comply with any of the Official Rules are subject to disqualification by the Sponsor, in Sponsor’s sole discretion.

3. How to Enter

Entrants, or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable, can enter by completing the following steps:

1. Completing the Registration Form on expop.io/registration;

2. Paying the registration fee;

3. Entrant participating in the 6-Month Challenge program

4. Completing the 6 monthly challenges (also known as the platform as “Monthly Quests”) which require students to submit either a pdf document or link that details their startup’s progress and lessons learn from the content and workshops released during the respective month (each a “Challenge Submission”)

Any attempt or suspected attempt to use artificial intelligence, robotic, automatic, programmed or otherwise illicit means to enter the Challenge, or any other methods not authorized by these Official Rules, for example, but not limited to, creating multiple accounts, identities, or registrations, all in the Sponsor’s sole discretion, shall be deemed as tampering and may disqualify you from entering, participating, and/or winning a prize. Entries that contain false or incomplete information are void. Entries that are late, lost, stolen, illegible, contain false information, are damaged, misdirected, mutilated, garbled or incomplete, altered or otherwise irregular, or that do not conform with or satisfy any or all of the conditions of the Official Rules are void.

4. Prize Details

There are a total of one hundred and ninety (190) prizes available to be won as follows: 

1. Five (5) cash prizes with a total prize pool of USD$7500. 

2. Ten (10) Exclusive Summer Internship Opportunities with Startups Led by Ivy League Students (each with a total approximate retail value of USD$20,000).

3. Twenty-five (25) Startup Accelerator Virtual Expert Office Hours consisting of 1-On-1 office hour slots with experts to bring your venture to the next level (3 months of business incubation)  (each with a total approximate retail value of USD$37,500).

4. Fifty (50) enrollments in Sponsor’s Founders & Funders Trek Cohort (Virtual) where you will 

get access to & meet top venture capitalists & entrepreneurs in across various industries (each with a total approximate retail value of USD$50,000).

5. One hundred Expop swag and merch packages (each with a total approximate retail value of USD$10,000).

Prizes must be accepted as awarded and may not be substituted or transferred, except at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize of greater or equivalent monetary value if the Prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason. Any other costs or expenses associated with the Prize not specified herein will be the responsibility of selected winners.

All winners, or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable, assume any and all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by entering, participating in this Challenge or the use or redemption of a prize. 

5. Winner Selection

Between April 1st and April 30th, a diverse group of qualified evaluators will review all eligible Challenge Submissions received during the Challenge Period. All eligible Challenge Submissions will be evaluated and assigned points based on the publish criteria of each challenge on the submission page. Entrants are then ranked based on the points students receive during the entire 6 months challenge period. Students receive points through the following ways:

(a) Live Attendance: Attending live webinars or workshops hosted on the platform and completing the “check-in” steps accordingly [25 points].

(b) Content Engagement: Viewing, commenting and interacting with educational articles, videos, podcasts or resources on the Platform within each module; points are awarded based on engagement metrics [1 to 10 points]

(c) Monthly Challenges and Quests Submissions: Completing and submitting written materials (e.g., quests, quizzes, descriptions, outlines) as assigned; submissions are evaluated for effort and quality, and points are awarded accordingly [50 points].

(d) Mini Quests and Challenges: Completing and submitting written materials (e.g., quests, quizzes, descriptions, outlines) as assigned; submissions are evaluated for effort and quality, and points are awarded accordingly [10 - 25 points].

The potential winners will be notified by support@expop.io no later than April 30th. The odds of being selected will depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Challenge Period and the skill in meeting the criteria. 

6. Selected Entrant Verification and Prize Claim Conditions

Potential winners or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable, will be notified at the email address or telephone number indicated on their entry form. In order to be declared an official winner, each selected entrant(s) or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable, must: (i) respond to notification of selection within 3 of days business days of first attempt by Sponsor; (ii) sign and return to Sponsor, within 3 of days business days of it being sent by Sponsor, a written declaration and release form, releasing the Sponsor from any liability in connection with this Challenge or the use, misuse, awarding or possession of any Prize (the “Winner Release”); and, (ii) otherwise comply with these Official Rules.  

Return of any winner notification as undeliverable, inability to reach selected entrant or failure of selected entrant to respond to notification within 3 of days of first attempt by Sponsor or Sponsor’s agent, failure to provide proof of eligibility (if requested), release documents, or other required documentation in a timely manner or other non-compliance with these Official Rules may result in disqualification, forfeiture of the Prize and, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, selection of an alternate eligible entrant for the forfeited Prize in accordance with these Official Rules, who will be subject to disqualification in the same manner.

7. Right to Void / Terminate / Suspend / Modify

Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, suspend or modify this Challenge, in whole or in part, at any time and without notice or obligation if, in Sponsor's sole discretion, any factor interferes with its proper conduct as contemplated by these Official Rules. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Challenge, or any part thereof, is not capable of running as planned for any reason, including but not limited to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, timing errors, or technical failures, which, in the sole discretion of Sponsor, corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Challenge, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, void any suspect entries and: (a) terminate the Challenge, or any portion thereof; (b) modify or suspend the Challenge, or any portion thereof, to address the impairment and then resume the Challenge, or relevant portion, in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules; and/or (c) award the Prize from among the eligible, non-suspect entries received up to the time of the impairment in accordance with the winner selection criteria discussed above. 

Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process, the operation of the Challenge, violates the Official Rules, or acts with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.

8. Release and Indemnification

All winners, or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable, must sign the Sponsor’s Winner Release to: (i) confirm compliance with all Official Rules; (ii) agree to accept prizes as awarded; (iii) release, discharge and hold harmless the Sponsor, its departments and agencies, parent, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, franchisees, advertising and promotional agencies, counsel, marketing partners, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, shareholders, successors, sponsors, partners, licensees, subsidiaries, agents, artists, advisors, assignees, and all others associated with the administration, development, and execution of the Challenge ("Released Parties") from any and all manner of action, cause of action, claim or demand, loss or injury, or any suit, debt, covenant, contract, including legal fees and expenses, whatsoever, including but not limited to, claims based on negligence, breach of contract and fundamental breach, failure of any third-party contractor or supplier used in connection with any aspect of the Challenge to perform or deliver any goods or services, or any act of God or any other event beyond the Released Parties’ control, any dissatisfaction of any kind by a winner, or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable, with any aspect of the Challenge or any prize, liability for physical injury, death, or property damage which the entrants, or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable, guests or other third parties, their heirs, successors or assigns have, might have or could have suffered, by reason of or arising out of the entrant’s (or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable) participation in the Challenge and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by the entrant (or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable) of prizes as awarded; and (iv) indemnify the Released Parties against any loss, damage or expense, including legal fees, that any of the Released Parties may suffer or incur as a result of any non-compliance by entrants (or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable) with any of the Official Rules or participation in the Challenge and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by an entrant (or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable), use or misuse of a prize, or any travel related thereto.

The Sponsor is not responsible for: (i) incorrect or inaccurate entry information that may affect a person’s ability to participate in the Challenge or be awarded a prize, including but not limited to human error, technical malfunctions, lost or delayed entries for any reason, mail failures, omission, or any combination thereof, and entries that fail to fully comply with these Offical Rules; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (iii) lost, incomplete, delayed, mutilated or misdirected entries or Winner Releases; (iv) injury or damage to entrants’ (or their parent(s)' or legal guardian(s)' (as applicable) computers or to any other individual’s computer related to or resulting from participating in, or downloading any material regarding the Challenge or accepting a prize; (v) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s (or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable) participation in the Challenge or receipt or use or misuse of any prize, including any related travel and the use of entries by Sponsor; (vi) the security or privacy of information transmitted via computer networks or for breaches of privacy due to interference by third-party computer hackers or otherwise; or (vii) late, lost, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts to notify a potential winner.

9. Publicity Release

By accepting a Prize, winners, or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable, consent to the use of the entrant's name, social media handle(s), comments, and image or other likeness, whether on videotape or via photograph, for the administration of the Challenge or any publicity carried out by the Sponsor, (and any co-sponsors) and their respective parent and affiliate companies, and each of their agents and representatives, and marketing partners, without further notice or compensation.

10. Law

The Challenge is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable Canadian federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and local laws. This Contest shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Province of Ontario, including all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Contest rules, rights, and obligations between entrants (or their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), as applicable) and the Sponsor, and procedural provisions, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Any dispute shall be adjudicated by the courts sitting in Toronto, Ontario.

11.  Intellectual Property

All intellectual property, including but not limited to trademarks, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, images, drawings, illustrations, slogans, and representations, are owned by the Sponsor. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any of the Sponsor’s intellectual property without the express written consent of the Sponsor is strictly prohibited.

12. Use of Personal Information

By participating in the Challenge, each entrant, or their parent or legal guardian, as applicable, consents to the Sponsor's collection, use, and disclosure of their name, email, or other electronic address, telephone number(s), town or city, province or territory of residence postal code, or mailing address (Personal Information) solely for the purpose of administering the Challenge, including for prize fullfilment purposes, where applicable. Personal Information will only be used for Challenge sponsor(s) marketing purposes with the entrant's consent. To review Sponsor's privacy policy, see https://expop.io/privacypolicy