April 24–26, 2026 · California Institute of Technology
🌐 Important Links (Start Here)👉 Live Site (schedule, countdown, logistics):
https://hack.caltech.edu/live
👉 Discord (REQUIRED FOR ALL HACKERS):
https://discord.gg/J9k65XQm3f
⚠️ All participants must be verified in Discord to participate. DO NOT Register on Devpost unless you are VERIFIED in Discord.
We use Discord for everything — announcements, updates, logistics.
If you were not accepted, you will not be able to verify.
Every member of your team must complete this step.
Hacktech is Caltech’s annual 36-hour hackathon. For one weekend, you get a room full of people who like building things and the time to actually do it.
We have a $50,000+ prize pool, great sponsors, and a mix of talks, workshops, and random late-night energy that makes everything feel a bit chaotic (in a good way).
You can build whatever you want, from serious AI systems, weird creative tools, security projects, or the kind of infrastructure that isn’t flashy but actually matters.
Build something real. Even if it’s not flashy.
🏆 Tracks- Best Use of AI
- Cybersecurity / Safety
- Creativity
- “Not So Sexy” (infrastructure, logistics, systems)
- YC x Hacktech — Reimagine a pre-2022 YC company with AI
- Ironsite — Solve spatial reasoning problems
- IFM (K2 Think V2) — Build with a reasoning-focused model
- Sideshift — Build a strong consumer product
- Palohouse — Projects closest to becoming a startup
- Listen Labs — Simulate humans or societies
More details are in the Hacker Packet which can be found in the FAQ section of the Live Site, or in Discord #announcements channel.
⚖️ JudgingWe look at:
- Technical difficulty
- Creativity
- Impact
- Execution
How it works:
Round 1 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Science fair style. You’ll demo your project (~5 minutes) to assigned judges.
Round 2 (1:00 PM – 1:30 PM)
Top teams present to all judges (~3 minutes). Winners are decided after.
Winners are announced at the closing ceremony.
📅 ScheduleFull schedule and venue map:
📣 Final Notes- You must be in Discord to participate
- Check the live site for updates
- Bring your Photo ID (Drivers License or Passport) + Valid Student ID to check in
Requirements
- Submit your project on Devpost by 9:00 AM PDT Sunday
- Include a description, VIDEO demo (UNLISTED or PUBLIC youtube URL), and code repository
- Clearly explain what you built during the hackathon
- Add all team members to your submission via Devpost and include their names in your README
Late submissions will not be accepted, and this year we can not make ANY exceptions for ANY reason.
Prizes
Best Use of AI - Mac Mini with Apple M4 chip
1x Apple M4 chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB Memory, 256GB SSD Storage for each member of the winning team
Cybersecurity/Safety - NuPhy Air 75 v3 Keyboard
1x NuPhy Air 75 v3 Keyboard for each member of the winning team
Best Creativity - Logitech MX MASTER 4 Mice
1x Logitech MX MASTER 4 for each member of the winning team
Best "Not so sexy" - WHOOP 5.0 One Health and Fitness Tracker
1x WHOOP 5.0 One Health and Fitness Tracker for each member of the winning team
YC x HackTech - YC Interview
YC x HackTech - Prize: YC Interview (1st), Partner Office Hours (2nd, 3rd)
Ironsite x HackTech - Cash Prize
Pinpoint a key spatial task where current models fail. Create an innovative solution to solve the problem. Demo your technique. API Credits provided.
IFM x Hacktech - Best Use of K2 Think V2
1x reMarkable 2 Paper Tablet for each member of the winning team
https://chat.whatsapp.com/KcLSzGS8M3kCXC6NM2bTT4?mode=gi_t
Sideshift x HackTech - Cash Prize + Interview
Sideshift x HackTech - Prize: $2k + work trial (1st), $1.25k + onsite (2nd), $750 + interview (3rd), interview (4th, 5th)
Palohouse x HackTech - 10-day stay @ Palo Alto Hackerhouse + $20k SAFE investment
Palohouse x HackTech - Prize: 10-day stay @ Palo Alto Hackerhouse + $20k SAFE investment
We want to find the project/team that’s closest to founding a company.
Listen Labs x HackTech: Simulate Humanity
Listen Labs x HackTech: Simulate Humanity - Prize: $3k + interview (internship or full time)
Build a simulation of humans or societies. Model how people think, argue, change their minds, and influence each other. More information at hacktech.listenlabs.ai.
Loveable x HackTech - Best use of Lovable
Merch, Swag, Credits, and a feature on Lovable for each winning team.
[MLH] Best Use of Gemma 4 - Google Swag Kits
Leverage Gemma 4 through the Google Gemini APIs with your choice of Google's latest open weight models. Choose from four different models, including "Effective" and "Mixture-of-Experts (MoE)" models.
Gemma 4 is released under the Apache 2.0 license, which is a big deal for developers. It means you can use it for commercial projects, modify the code, and distribute it without having to pay royalties to Google or share your own proprietary data.
Gemma 4 is the ultimate open-source toolkit for building advanced AI features that run fast and privately!
[MLH] Best Use of ElevenLabs - 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!
[MLH] Best Use of Solana - 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.
[MLH] Best Use of Backboard - Tile Essentials Pack
Use Backboard to build a seamless, persistent user experience without the usual infrastructure headache! Each winning team member will receive a Tiles Essentials Pack because, just like AI, we all need an occasional reminder of where things are!
[MLH] Best Use of Vultr - Portable Screens
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!
[MLH] Best .Tech Domain Name - Desktop Microphone
Desktop Microphone & a Free .Tech Domain Name for up to 10 years!
Make your Team's Achievements timeless: Win a .Tech Domain Name for up to 10 years to Showcase and Expand Your Project, Plus Desktop Mics for Effortless Collaboration on Zoom, empowering you to build even more cool things together!
YC x HackTech - YC Office Hours
YC x HackTech - Prize: YC Interview (1st), Partner Office Hours (2nd, 3rd, 4th)https://events.ycombinator.com/yc-hacktech-2026
Listen Labs x HackTech: Interview Winners
Listen Labs x HackTech: Simulate Humanity - Prize: Interview (internship or full time) Build a simulation of humans or societies. Model how people think, argue, change their minds, and influence each other. More information at hacktech.listenlabs.ai.
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Hacktech 2026 Judges
Judging Criteria
-
Criteria
See Hacker Packet!
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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