Startup Networks

HACKMESA 2026 unites 16 community colleges across Southern California for a 24-hour hackathon in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. Our mission is simple: prove that groundbreaking tech isn't just built at four-year universities. With workshops, mentorship, and thousands in prizes, HACKMESA empowers community college students to build real projects, gain industry experience, and launch their tech careers. Requirements 🔥 HACKMESA Project Submission Outline 1. Project Name A short, catchy title that reflects your project. 2. Reason for Making the Project (Inspiration/Problem Statement) What inspired your team to build this? What problem are you trying to solve? Who does it help and how? 3. Project Description What does your project do? How do users interact with it? Any special features, unique innovations, or standout aspects? 4. Tech Stack List of tools, languages, and frameworks used. Examples: Frontend: React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS Backend: Node.js, Express, Supabase, Firebase Database: PostgreSQL, MongoDB Other Tools: Docker, OpenAI API, Figma 5. Source Code / Devpost Link GitHub or GitLab repository (include frontend/backend links if separate) Any deployment/hosted links (demo video, live site, etc.) 6. (Optional) Challenges & Future Plans What were the biggest challenges your team faced? What do you plan to improve if given more time? Hackathon Sponsors Prizes $4,700+ in prizes + other prizes 1st Place $2,000 in cash 1 winner 2nd Place $1,500 in cash 1 winner 3rd Place $1,000 in cash 1 winner Best Beginner Hack 1 winner Awarded to the best project created entirely by first-time hackers (all team members must be first-time participants). Best Technical Implementation 1 winner Recognizes the project with the most impressive technical execution. Best UI/UX 1 winner Awarded for excellence in user interface design and overall user experience. Most Innovative 1 winner Given to the project that demonstrates the highest level of creativity and originality. Best Game Development 1 winner Must be in the Gaming / Entertainment Track and must be related to games. 4 Tickets to LA Dodgers Game Best Use of Eleven Labs 1 winner Prize: Wireless Earbuds Deploy natural, human-sounding audio with ElevenLabs. Create realistic, dynamic, and emotionally expressive voices for any project, from interactive AI companions to narrated stories and voice-enabled apps. ElevenLabs will empower you to build rich, immersive experiences without the need for actors or complex audio production, using simply the power of AI. Integrate fully autonomous audio experiences into your hack with ElevenLabs and give your project a voice, along with giving your team the chance to win some wireless earbuds! Best Use of Gemini API 1 winner It’s time to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI using Google Gemini. Check out the Gemini API to build AI-powered apps that make your friends say WHOA. So, what can Gemini do for your hackathon project? Understand language like a human and build a chatbot that gives personalized advice Analyze info like a supercomputer and create an app that summarizes complex research papers Generate creative content like code, scripts, music, and more Think of the possibilities… what will you build with the Google Gemini API this weekend? Best Use of Snowflake API 1 winner Prize: Raspberry Pi 4 Play with industry-leading LLMs on a single account using the Snowflake APIs. Adding AI capabilities into your application can be as simple as a single CURL command to Snowflake’s REST API. Build customized applications, RAG powered chat bots, or embed AI-powered features into your app in half the time with half the hassle. Get started for free with a special, student 120-day Snowflake trial and check out this repository for an example of the Snowflake REST API in action. Best Use of Solana 1 winner Prize: Ledger Nano S Plus The world of development is evolving fast and Solana is leading the charge with a network built to handle all of your infrastructure needs. Forget high fees and slow confirmations, it’s time to build applications that are fast, efficient, and scalable. Harness Solana's core advantages like blazing fast execution and near-zero transaction costs to make your hackathon ideas become real world projects. With Solana, the possibilities are endless. Create a game, social app, or consumer product that relies on instant, high-frequency transactions. Design a sophisticated trading, lending, or decentralized exchange (DEX). Build a prototype for supply chain, identity, or payments that can handle massive, real-world volume. Show us how you can innovate with Solana for a chance to win some cool prizes for you and each member of your team! Best Use of Vultr 1 winner Prize: Portable Screens Vultr empowers hackers to bring their high-performance projects to life instantly; providing everything from the speed of one-click deployment and scalable cloud compute, to specialized Vultr Cloud GPUs that can power AI-driven applications. We want you to push the limits of what can be built when infrastructure is no longer the bottleneck! Sign up for a Vultr account today and claim your free cloud credits! Take your next hack to the cloud with Vultr for a chance to win some awesome portable screens for you and your team! Hologram Lab - AI UGC Ad Research Agent $200 in cash 1 winner Build an AI agent that generates high-performing ad ideas by analyzing top UGC content in your industry. Given a brand description and style preferences, the agent researches winning ads, extracts patterns, and outputs tailored creative directions. Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges Stephen Cropper Judging Criteria Presentation

Submit your personal project here! Hackathon Sponsors Prizes $0 in cash TBD $0 in cash 3 winners TBD very cool 10 chars needed Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges neeharika Judging Criteria good

CU Design-a-thon is a three-day, virtual event that brings student designers together to build innovative, user-centered solutions. Students will create a prototype of an app or website (no coding required!) that addresses a specific problem. During the design-a-thon, students will have the opportunity to attend beginner-friendly workshops from industry professionals and meet student designers from all across the country. We hope to help designers grow both soft and hard skills in empathizing with users, defining a set of goals and needs, developing products, and improving confidence and creativity as a designer. Requirements What to Build Students will create a prototype of an app or website that addresses the prompt. What to Submit Please include the following in your submission: A 2-minute video demo Showcase your final prototype and walk us through the user experience and key features. This should be a playable walkthrough, not just a slideshow or static design. Link to your playable prototype Share a link to your interactive prototype. Make sure it’s publicly accessible and not just a Figma file unless it has interaction flows built in. Project overview (max 150 words) Briefly explain what your project is, who it's for, and the problem it solves. Research process & findings (max 300 words) Describe how you approached your research. If you ran surveys or interviews, include links to the forms/questions. If you used secondary sources, link those too. Key design decisions (max 300 words) What were the most impactful decisions you made and why? Explain how your research or testing led to these choices. Hackathon Sponsors Prizes 5 non-cash prizes 1st Place 1 winner Victrola Vinyl Player + 1 Year Framer Pro 2nd Place 1 winner Nami Matcha + Hojicha Set + 1 Year Framer Pro 3nd Place 1 winner Kodak Charmera Keychain Blind Box + 1 Year Framer Pro Newbie Track 1 winner Framer Merchandise + 1 Year Framer Pro Accessibility Track 1 winner Framer Merchandise + 1 Year Framer Pro Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges Adeola Kukoyi UX Designer @ IBM Cristie Huang Product Design @ LinkedIn Samir Patki UX Designer @ IBM Dennis Quizhpi Product Design @ Nowadays YC S23 (Prev. Lawnstack) Lydia Shan Product Design @ Shopify Diana Diakité Product Design @ Github Sara Clayton Product Design @ Dropbox Bhroovi Gupta Product Design @ Roku Judging Criteria Problem-Solving & Impact Does the design effectively address the challenge and provide real value? Innovation Does the design introduce a unique or creative solution? Visual Design Is the interface aesthetically pleasing and well-structured? User Research Did the team conduct research to understand user needs and validate their solution? Prototype/Execution Is there a working prototype or mockup that demonstrates the idea?

About the Challenge — HACKED GAMES Your mission is to create a pixel‑style game that can only be completed by intentionally exploiting glitches. Players must break the rules, bend the physics, and manipulate the game’s flaws to reach the end. Creativity and clever design are essential. Game Style and Theme Retro pixel art (8‑bit or 16‑bit). Simple, readable visuals with glitch effects, distortion, flicker, and broken animations. Controls should remain accessible and intuitive. Playtime Requirement A normal first‑time playthrough must take at least 15 minutes. You may design multiple short levels or one continuous world with checkpoints. Required Glitch Mechanics Your game must require glitches to beat it. Examples include: Wall‑clipping to reach hidden areas. Inventory overflow unlocking secret items. Timing exploits that allow players to bypass obstacles. Visual corruption revealing hidden paths or platforms. Physics breaks that allow unexpected movement or jumps. Glitches should be intentional, discoverable, and fun rather than random crashes. Challenge Design Expectations Each level or section should introduce a new glitch concept. Players must experiment and learn how to exploit the system. Provide subtle hints through visuals, dialogue, sound distortion, or environmental clues. The game should reward curiosity and breaking the game’s logic. Technical Requirements Recommended engines: Godot, Unity 2D, Construct 3, or any engine that supports pixel art. Suggested resolution: 320×180 px or 640×360 px for an authentic pixel feel. Keep the total game size under 50 MB. Cross‑Platform Play (Required) Your game must be playable using: Keyboard controls (WASD or arrow keys plus action buttons) iPad or touchscreen controls (virtual D‑pad and on‑screen buttons) Glitch mechanics must work on both input types. Fair Play Participants may discuss ideas with others, but may not share code, assets, or work. All participants must follow the event’s code of conduct. Requirements What to Build A pixel‑style game that: Requires glitch exploitation to complete. Takes at least 15 minutes for a first‑time player. Runs entirely in a web browser. Supports both keyboard and touchscreen/iPad controls. Demonstrates intentional, discoverable glitch mechanics. Includes at least one section where progression is impossible without using a glitch. What to Submit Participants must submit: A web‑playable version of the game (public link or HTML5/WebGL export). A README explaining: The glitch mechanics How they are triggered Any known limitations Optional: a short video demonstrating one glitch. All required materials must be submitted before the deadline. Hackathon Sponsors Prizes 1 non-cash prize GIF or picture 1 winner You will get 5 gifs and or pictures of your choice for free Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges Eugene Bonney GB3-Productions Judging Criteria rules the judge will finish the game unless impossible and or game breaks or doesent start

You're about to be part of something big: a 2-day hackathon where you'll build AI solutions on Databricks, collaborate with brilliant minds, and compete for prizes. Requirements A public GitHub repo with an architecture diagram showing how Databricks components connect. Must remain public for at least 30 days. README must include: what it does (1-2 sentences), architecture diagram, how to run (exact commands), and demo steps (what to click / what prompt to run). A project write-up: up to 500 characters describing what you built and why. Which Databricks technologies and open-source models you have used. A demo video: up to 2 minutes showing the solution in action. A link to a deployed prototype. Judges will attempt to reproduce your demo from the GitHub repo. If it doesn't run, it doesn't score. Optional / Bonus BhashaBench evaluation scores MLflow experiment logs Quantitative accuracy metrics Hackathon Sponsors Prizes ₹ 250,000 in prizes 1st Place ₹ 125,000 in cash 1 winner + special Databricks swag 2nd Place ₹ 75,000 in cash 1 winner + special Databricks swag 3rd Place ₹ 50,000 in cash 1 winner + special Databricks swag Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges Databricks Team Judging Criteria Databricks Usage Accuracy & Effectiveness Innovation Presentation & Demo

About the challenge This is where UW's most ambitious students stop thinking about a startup and start building it. Requirements What to Build Build your startup before the event and then come ready to exhibit, pitch, and compete. Hackathon Sponsors Prizes $5,750+ in prizes + other prizes First Plaze Prize $2,750 in cash 1 winner $1,000 Cash (Lavin Prize) $750 Credit (Anthropic Prize) $1000 InWorld Credit (InWorld Prize) AI2 Incubator Interview (AI2 Prize) 1 Year Free Formations (Formations Prize) Second Place Prize $1,800 in cash 1 winner $800 Cash (Propper x AI2 Prize) $500 Credit (Anthropic Prize) $500 InWorld Credit (InWorld Prize) 1 Year Free Formations (Formations Prize) Third Place Prize $1,200 in cash 1 winner $700 Cash (Propper x AI2 Prize) $250 Credit (Anthropic Prize) $250 InWorld Credit (InWorld Prize) 1 Year Free Formations (Formations Prize) Best in Business Viability Track 1 winner Best potential to become a real company. Strong idea, clear customer, high ceiling. Best Use of AI 1 winner AI is the product, not a feature. It couldn't exist without it. Best in Physical World 1 winner Touches something real. Health, food, energy, hardware, accessibility, the environment. Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges ... Judging Criteria Problem & Market Fit Business Model Viability Technical Execution Pitch & Presentation

Stellaris 2026 Stellaris 2026 is a 12-hour flagship offline hackathon hosted at ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad. It brings together ambitious developers, designers, and innovators to transform forward-thinking ideas into scalable, real-world solutions. Built across focused tracks including AI/ML, FinTech, Web3, and Open Innovation, Stellaris challenges participants to demonstrate technical depth, structured execution, and practical impact within a professionally organized environment. The hackathon is designed to encourage rapid innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving in a high-energy environment where ideas evolve into working prototypes within a single day. Venue ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad Participants will compete in a fully offline environment inside the campus, interacting with mentors, organizers, and fellow hackers throughout the event. Event Highlights 12-hour offline competitive hackathon Multiple innovation tracks including Web3, AI/ML, FinTech, and Open Innovation Mentorship from experienced developers and industry professionals Networking with talented builders and innovators Exciting offline swags and goodies for participants Certificates for all the participants. Requirements Hackathon Phases Phase 1: Online Screening Teams must submit a structured presentation outlining their project idea. Submissions will be evaluated based on: Innovation Feasibility Clarity of problem and solution PPT Template: Stellaris PPT Submission Link: Click here Join Discord for updates: Discord Server Link Phase 2: The 12-Hour Offline Hackathon Date: March 28, 2026 Venue: ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad Shortlisted teams will compete in a 12-hour intensive build session, where they will develop and present functional prototypes based on their proposed ideas. Participants will work alongside mentors, collaborate with fellow hackers, and present their solutions to an expert jury panel. Hackathon Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Other Sponsors Prizes $535 in prizes Cyrene AI $300 in cash 1 winner Explore the future of decentralized technology in the Cyrene Web3 Track. Build innovative solutions using blockchain, smart contracts, DeFi, DAOs, and decentralized applications (dApps). Participants can experiment with technologies like Ethereum, Polygon, and other Web3 ecosystems to create secure, transparent, and trustless systems. This track encourages projects that redefine digital ownership, decentralized finance, identity, and next-generation internet infrastructure. CertifyX $85 in cash 1 winner Build intelligent solutions that leverage Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to solve real-world problems. Projects can include applications such as predictive analytics, computer vision, natural language processing, recommendation systems, automation tools, or any innovative AI-driven product that demonstrates meaningful impact and technical depth. Winner $100 in cash 1 winner Runner up $50 in cash 1 winner Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges Nishant Mishra Saket Bhatnagar Jigyasu Rajput Ankit Singh Judging Criteria Innovation and originality Technical depth and implementation Practical relevance and scalability Problem-solving approach Presentation and clarity

Day Zero is an open-ended hackathon for people who actually want to ship. No forced themes, no arbitrary categories, and no sponsors forcing you to use their APIs. If you have an idea and the conviction to build it, we are giving you the space to make it happen. Whether it’s a consumer app, an AI tool, a developer platform, or something that doesn't have a label yet it belongs here. You are completely free to use AI tools, existing frameworks, and any language you prefer. Experience doesn't matter; execution does. We want to see how fast you can turn a raw concept into a working prototype. Our objective isn't to hand out a prize and send you home. We are looking for ambitious builders. We want to identify strong projects and help them take the next step beyond the hackathon. We are here to support the ideas that have the potential to grow into real startups. Cut the noise. Ignore the trends. Sit down and ship. Requirements Submission Requirements 1. A Working Prototype (No Vaporware) We want to see real execution. You cannot submit just a Figma mockup, a slide deck, or a business plan. Whether it’s deployed live on the web, available via TestFlight, or running locally on localhost, the code must run, and the core feature must work. 2. A 2-Minute Demo Video (Show, Don't Tell) Pitching is a distraction; demonstrating is proof. Submit a video (strictly under 2-3 minutes) showing your product in action. Don't spend a minute talking about the market size—spend the time showing us exactly how your software works and what problem it solves. 3. Code Repository Provide a link to your public or private repo (GitHub, GitLab, etc.). We don't care if your code is messy or if you leaned heavily on AI to write it—we just want proof that you actually built what you are demonstrating. Include a clear README.md with instructions on how to run it. 4. The "Day 1" Roadmap Since our goal is to help projects grow into startups, we need to know where you are going. Include a short, bulleted outline (max 150 words) of what you would build in the next 30 days if you kept working on this. 5. Tech Stack & Tooling A simple list of the languages, frameworks, APIs, and AI tools you used to ship the project. Transparency is key. The Golden Rule: If you used AI to generate the bulk of your code, that is perfectly fine—but you are responsible for the output. Broken, unedited, or non-functional AI-generated features will be scored as non-functional. Ship something that actually works. Hackathon Sponsors Prizes 4 non-cash prizes The Day Zero Award (Overall Winner) 1 winner The ultimate proving ground winner. You don't get a giant novelty check; you get a launch team. We will sit down with you to strategize your official Product Hunt launch, help draft your copy, and leverage our community network to amplify your product. Plus, we will do bi-weekly accountability syncs with your team for the next month to ensure you keep shipping. The Execution Award (Best Engineering) 1 winner Awarded to the team that built the most stable, functional, and impressive tech stack without relying on broken AI slop. You win a 1-on-1 architecture teardown with our core engineers. We will review your codebase, help you optimize your stack for scale, and roadmap the next 30 days of your MVP. The Outlier Award (Most Ambitious/Unconventional) 1 winner Awarded to the project that took the biggest swing. Maybe it's a weird AI agent, maybe it's hardware. You get a permanent spotlight in our "Hall of Fame" across all our social channels, stamping you as a top-tier builder in our community. You also get priority placement in any future events or incubators we run. The "Keep Shipping" Commitment (Honorable Mentions) 1 winner For projects that didn't win but showed massive potential. We will grant you exclusive access to our private builder group. No lurkers allowed—just a tight-knit community of developers holding each other accountable to launch their next iterations. Devpost Achievements Submitting to this hackathon could earn you: <%= name %> <% if (has_levels) { %> level <%= next_level %> <% } %> Judges Haresh full stack developer - curriculo Judging Criteria Execution & Functionality (40%) The most critical aspect is whether it actually works. We do not want slide decks or mockups. Judges will test your live deployment. A single working feature always scores much higher than ten broken ones. Prove you can ship real code. Real-World Potential We want to back projects that outlive this hackathon. Does this solve a real, painful problem for actual users? Show us that your product has actual utility and could serve as the genuine foundation for a real, legitimate startup. Technical Polish & Craft Use AI to move fast, but quality matters. Submitting unedited, broken AI slop will tank your score. You must understand your code. Judges will evaluate how well you integrated tools and polished the final build. Build with intention. Usability & User Experience (UX) Your project doesn't need award-winning design, but it must make sense. Judges should intuitively understand your core feature without needing a manual. Clean design, simple navigation, and a frictionless user journey are essential here.