AI at the edge of innovation. 

PHASE 1:  Registration  

Registration Deadline: January 22, 2026 

Create or join a team of 2-4 post-secondary students and get ready for a weekend of hacking! 

  

PHASE 2: The Hackathon 

Date: Saturday, Saturday, January 24 at 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT) - Sunday, January 25 at 9:00 PM ET (6:00 PM PT)

At 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT) on January 24, we will be releasing the categories, themes and judging criteria for the hackathon. Teams will have 24 hours to create a solution to one of the three categories that will be announced. Now available below!

Teams will build their solution/prototype and prepare a 5-minute video presentation, including an optional prototype demonstration, to submit by 12:00 PM ET (9:00 AM PT) on Sunday, January 25. A virtual jury will be judging the submissions between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM ET (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT), then we will announce the top 5 finalists for the live pitch. 

The weekend will have optional mentor sessions, as well as a workshop! Stay tuned for more information. 

 

PHASE 3: The Finale 

After the virtual jury has judged all submissions, between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM ET (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT), the top 5 finalists will be announced. 

The finalist teams will have 2 hours to further refine their pitch before presenting their solutions to the jury at a live virtual event at 6:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT) on Sunday. All participants are welcome to attend the virtual finale to watch the final pitches.

Theme: AI at the Edge of Innovation

 

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into our physical world, the opportunities to solve critical challenges have never been greater. This hackathon challenges you to harness the power of AI to create practical, impactful solutions that can be prototyped within 24 hours.

Review the slides from the opening ceremony here.

 

Three Challenge Tracks

 

Track 1: AI + IoT – The Connected Intelligence Revolution

"Bringing intelligence to the physical world"

The convergence of AI and IoT is transforming industries. Build solutions that leverage sensor data, edge computing, and AI to create smarter systems.

Examples:

• Industrial IoT: Predictive maintenance, quality control, supply chain optimization
• Agriculture: Smart farming, crop monitoring, precision agriculture, soil health analysis
• Climate & Environment: Air quality monitoring, energy optimization, carbon tracking, disaster prediction
• Healthcare IoT: Remote patient monitoring, smart medical devices, hospital asset tracking

Track 2: AI + Automation - Fully Autonomous Solutions

“Removing the Human from the Loop”

Design and prototype fully autonomous self governing systems. The goal is to create AI agents that can operate independently in a dynamic, real-world environment without human intervention for decision making. Solutions must not only address technical functionality, but safety, ethics, and self-correction as well.

Examples:

• Autonomous Environmental Monitoring: Monitors an ecological area, detects anomalies, and autonomously deploys counter-measures (e.g., alerting local authorities, adjusting irrigation) without waiting for human confirmation.
• Autonomous Data Center Optimization: Monitors energy consumption, predicts hardware failures, and re-routes workloads to maximize efficiency and minimize downtime in real time.

 

Track 3: AI + Healthcare & Wellness – Human-Centered Care

"Technology that heals and helps"

Develop AI solutions that improve healthcare delivery, support mental wellness, or predict health outcomes. Focus on accessibility, privacy, and real impact.

Examples:

• Mental Health & Wellness: AI companions, mood tracking, stress management, therapy support
• Predictive Diagnostics: Early disease detection, medical imaging analysis, risk assessment
• Epidemiology: Disease outbreak prediction, contact tracing, public health monitoring