Dates
November 7-8, 2026. Submissions open Saturday, November 7 at 11:00 AM ET and close Sunday, November 8 at 11:00 AM ET. Late submissions are not judged.
Eligibility
Must have been accepted by Hack1984 organizing team
Project and Submission Requirements
1. Title and Contributors: What your project is called, and who built it.
2. Project Description: Explain your problem and how you approached your solution.
3. Demo Video: Showcase your project in action through a 3-5 minute video (upload on YouTube and link to your Devpost).
4. GitHub Repository: The source code of your project, as well as a README giving a quick rundown on how to set up and run your project.
5. Live Demo Link (optional): If you have deployed your project, feel free to attach the link to the live version as well!
6. Screenshots/Visuals: Any other screenshots or visual showcases of your project that can complement the demo video.
Prizes
$14,200 in cash plus sponsor perks. Full details are on the Prizes section.
- Privacy-First: $2,500 / $1,500 / $1,000
- Most Startup-able: $1,750 / $1,050 / $700
- Surge: $1,300 / $700
- Signal-to-Dose: $2,150 / $1,150
- Big Brother Award: $400 for the team that attends the most events
- Best Use of Gradium (opt-in): Gradium credits and features
Judging Criteria and Winner Selection
Each track is judged on the criteria that apply to it:
- Privacy (Privacy-First track)
- Real user, real problem
- Startup potential (Most Startup-able)
- Search done right (Surge)
- Signal-to-Dose accuracy
- Execution and demo
Judges review submissions and demo videos, then visit teams at the Sunday expo. Projects without a demo video are not judged.