Welcome to GatewayHacks 2026, the flagship virtual hackathon presented by the Gateway nonprofit organization. This fully virtual, 4-week event challenges participants to build software, hardware, or AI solutions that create tangible social good. Whether you are a seasoned machine learning engineer or a high school student writing your first lines of HTML, there is a place for you here. The mission is to open doors and break down barriers, empowering the next generation of developers, designers, and innovators to solve humanity's biggest challenges.
Participation and Format Participants can hack solo or form teams of up to 4 members. After registering on Devpost, joining the official Gateway Discord Server is mandatory to find teammates, chat with mentors, and receive real-time updates. Teams have four weeks to build their prototype and must submit their project on Devpost, including a link to a public code repository (GitHub) and a video demo explaining how it works.
Tracks and Themes Submissions must align with one of the core Social Good Cause Tracks: * Best No-Code AI App built with Momen: Use https://momen.app/ to build apps and agents without code. Entering this track qualifies you for the Momen-specific award as well as other track awards. * Track 1: Accessibility & Health: Empower individuals with disabilities, improve mental health access, or democratize healthcare information. * Track 2: Equity in Education: Create tools that bridge the digital divide, personalize learning, or connect students with mentors and resources. * Track 3: Environmental Sustainability: Build solutions focused on climate action, conservation, green technology, and building a circular economy. * Track 4: Open Impact & Community: A wildcard track for solutions focused on community building, civic engagement, financial empowerment, or any broad social impact.
While participants have the freedom to use any technology, leveraging specific tools offered in Partner-Driven Dynamic Tracks is encouraged to qualify for additional awards.
Judging Criteria Projects are evaluated based on: * Social Impact (40%): Does the project solve a real-world problem effectively? * Technical Execution (30%): Does the prototype function as intended and clearly demonstrate the idea? * Innovation (20%): Is this a creative, unique, or highly original approach? * Design & UX (10%): Is the tool intuitive, visually appealing, and accessible?
Prizes Top prizes include $2,000 Momen Credits, $1,000 Adaption Credits, cash awards, AOPS coupons, and 100 free .xyz domains. Additional credits are available for joining the Discord and for the first 100 teams.