About the Opportunity: Hackyard Build 2026 is a hybrid hackathon organized by Hackyard for developers, designers, innovators, and student builders to turn ideas into working technology solutions. The hackathon follows a two-round format:
Idea Submission: Participants will submit their idea and proposed solution online. Submissions will be evaluated based on problem relevance, innovation, feasibility, potential impact, and execution potential. Selected teams will be invited to the final round.
Grand Finale: Shortlisted teams will participate in the in-person final hackathon at IIT Guwahati. Teams will build a functional prototype, work collaboratively, and present their solution to a panel of judges. Projects will be evaluated by the jury on:
Build: 40%
Problem: 20%
Ingenuity: 20%
Potential: 20%
Team Participation: Participate solo or form a team of 2–4 members (maximum 4). Teams may include developers, designers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and students from different backgrounds.
Eligibility: The hackathon is open to students, developers, designers, innovators, and technology enthusiasts interested in building software-based solutions.
Round 1: Online | Idea Submission
Round 2: Offline | IIT Guwahati | Final Hackathon Come with an idea, build with your team, and take it from concept to a working solution at Hackyard Build 2026.
Participation: What Is Hackyard Build 2026? A builder experience where ideas, problems, skills, and ambitious people come together to make something real. Are Applications Free? Yes. Applications are free, open to everyone, and run online from 14 September to 10 October 2026. Do I Need a Finished Product? No. Submit an idea, problem, or skill you would bring to a build. No finished product or polished pitch deck is required. If you already have a prototype, you can include a public link in the optional work-link field. What Happens After I Apply? Applications close on 10 October. The review window and selection-result date are still to be confirmed. Hackyard will contact selected builders with attendance details before travel. If you applied with a team, connect your team with a private team code after submitting. The physical build is at IIT Guwahati on 24–25 October 2026. Can I Participate Alone? Yes. Apply solo, with a team, or as someone looking for teammates. Every person submits their own application. Teams are connected with a private team code. How Do Team Codes Work? If you choose With a team, your team must have 2–4 people, with a maximum of 4. Submit your own application first. After submission, create a team to get a private code like HYB-7K4P2, or join an existing team with a code from a teammate. Everyone on the team must apply individually. Can I Connect My Team Later? Yes. If you do not have your team code yet, submit your application and connect the team later from your application status page. Your application remains valid without a connected team. Do I Need to Be a Developer? No. Building is not limited to code. Designers, researchers, operators, founders, and people with strong problem-solving skills are welcome.
Venue
IIT Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam
Guwahati, India
Building: Who Gets the $100 Hackyard LLM Credits? Every selected project gets one $100 LLM credit allocation from Hackyard. A solo builder receives the allocation directly; a 2–4-person team shares one allocation for its project. What Does Participant Mean? A participant is one individual applicant. You count as one participant whether you apply solo, apply as part of a 2–4-person team, or apply while looking for teammates. How Do Project Rewards Work for Solo Builders and Teams? A project means one competing build. A solo participant's build counts as one project, and a registered team of 2–4 participants shares one project. Project rewards are issued once per project, not once per person. Someone looking for teammates becomes part of the project they ultimately build; if they continue solo, their build counts as one project. What Can I Build? Anything worth building. Follow one of our suggested directions or build something completely your own. AI is a powerful building layer, not a requirement.
Physical Build: Where and When Is the Physical Build? The physical build is a 24-hour hackathon at IIT Guwahati on 24–25 October 2026. Event entry is free. Travel to and from IIT Guwahati is not covered. Food and accommodation will be available at a participant fee; exact amounts will be shared with selected builders before travel. When Will Prizes Be Announced? Cash prize funding is not confirmed. Final prize details will be published only when confirmed.