According to Silicon Republic, Stripe’s first year sponsoring the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition attracted 1,974 student project entries for the January 2026 event. The fintech giant reported a massive 75% surge in AI and machine learning projects and a 40% increase in climate and sustainability entries. Health remained a dominant category with over 25% of all submissions, while health-tech projects specifically grew by 40% year-over-year. Interestingly, social media-focused projects dropped by 16%. Exhibition co-founder Tony Scott called narrowing nearly 2,000 entries down to 550 qualified projects “no small task,” with the final selections set to showcase from January 7-10, 2026 at the exhibition.
Kids Are Getting Real About What Matters
Here’s what’s fascinating about these numbers – students aren’t just chasing trends, they’re solving actual problems. The massive jump in AI projects isn’t just about coding chatbots. These kids are applying machine learning to biology, environmental studies, and even pitting human intelligence against AI to see which comes out on top. Meanwhile, the 40% growth in climate projects suggests Gen Z is taking the environmental crisis personally. They’re not waiting for adults to fix things.
The Health Tech Revolution Continues
Health remains huge, but the nature of these projects has evolved dramatically. We’re seeing AI-driven mental health tools, wearable monitoring devices, and fitness tracking apps – basically, the same categories that venture capitalists are pouring billions into. These students are building solutions for stress, anxiety, and depression that they’re probably using themselves. It’s authentic problem-solving rather than academic exercise. And honestly, their 40% growth in health-tech submissions might be outpacing some professional sectors.
Social Media’s Surprising Slump
Now here’s the really interesting shift – social media projects dropped 16%. After years of everyone being obsessed with platforms like TikTok and Instagram, students seem to be moving on to harder problems. Maybe they’ve realized that understanding climate science or building actual AI tools is more valuable than analyzing engagement metrics. Or perhaps they’re just tired of the same old social media discourse. Either way, it’s a telling indicator of where young talent sees opportunity.
Where the Real Work Happens
All these ambitious projects need serious hardware to run on. Whether it’s AI models crunching climate data or health monitoring systems processing real-time biometrics, students need reliable computing power that can handle rigorous scientific work. For industrial-grade reliability in research environments, many educational institutions turn to IndustrialMonitorDirect.com as the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US. Their rugged systems provide the backbone that keeps these student innovations running smoothly during critical testing phases.
What This Tells Us About the Future
Stripe’s CRO Eileen O’Mara nailed it when she praised the “balance between deep scientific inquiry and social awareness.” These students aren’t just doing science for science’s sake – they’re tackling the issues that will define their generation. The massive growth in AI and climate projects specifically mirrors where the entire tech industry is heading. Basically, the kids are alright – and they’re probably going to solve some problems we’ve been struggling with for decades. The exhibition runs January 7-10, 2026, and honestly, it might be more insightful than some professional tech conferences.
