Everything about the 2026 edition: who can apply, how teams work, what you can prepare beforehand, and what to expect during the hackathon.
You should be comfortable building with technology and have some experience creating projects. Developers, designers, product people, and domain experts are all welcome. Teams should include at least one person who can build the technical side.
No. You must apply as a team of 2 or 3 people. Participants are responsible for forming their own teams before applying.
Applications open Friday, September 18 and close Sunday, October 18 at 11:59 PM. Applications will be reviewed after the deadline, and selected teams will be notified by email. Selection will consider factors such as the quality of the idea, team profile, technical ability, and motivation.
No. The project itself must be built during the 48-hour hackathon. You can prepare your idea, research, mockups, architecture, datasets, and development plan beforehand.
You can use open or commercial AI models, whether they run in the cloud or on a device, as long as you follow their terms. Datasets, models, and other external resources must be properly licensed, and teams should disclose the main tools and resources they use.
Yes, training is part of the preparation for selected teams. Sessions will take place online from October 31 to November 21 and will be recorded. Teams are expected to participate and use the sessions to prepare for the hackathon.
Everything should be ready by 4:00 PM on Sunday. Teams will submit their code repository, deployed project, README, and list of tools used. All submission instructions and requirements will be shared with teams ahead of the deadline.
Bring everything you need to build and make your project work, including your laptop, chargers, hardware, or any other materials your project requires. We won't provide project-specific materials. We'll take care of the essentials at the venue, including food, power, and internet.
Yes. Training will take place online, but the 48-hour hackathon will be held in person. Participants are responsible for making their own way to the venue and arranging any accommodation they may need.
Yes. Organizers, volunteers, and mentors will be available during the event to help teams when needed. More details about the support structure will be shared closer to the hackathon.
Projects will be evaluated across five equally weighted criteria: Problem, is the problem clear and worth solving? Solution, does the project address it effectively? Execution, does the project work and demonstrate the idea clearly? Context, does it account for the realities of its intended users and environment? Potential, could the idea be useful beyond the initial use case?
We'll communicate with teams after the hackathon about any follow-up opportunities, next steps, or other ways to stay connected. Questions: alo@ayiti.ai, or find us on Discord.