About the Hackathon: StartupX Hackathon 2026, organized by Gamnexis, is a free online innovation and startup-focused hackathon for students with an innovative idea who want to transform it into a working solution. Unlike traditional hackathons, StartupX does not have a fixed theme or domain. Participants are free to choose any problem they want to solve and build a solution using any suitable technology. Participants can work on ideas related to: Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Web Development & SaaS Mobile Applications FinTech HealthTech EdTech AgriTech ClimateTech & GreenTech Cybersecurity Gaming Blockchain & Web3 IoT Mobility E-commerce Social Impact BioTech Developer Tools Any other innovative domain The hackathon follows the journey: Idea → PPT → Idea Explanation → Shortlisting → MVP/Prototype → Final Pitch
Hackathon Objectives: Encourage students to identify and solve real-world problems. Provide a platform to present startup and product ideas. Encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Help students transform ideas into prototypes or MVPs. Promote technology-driven solutions. Provide experience in pitching and presenting ideas. Identify promising student-led innovations.
Eligibility: Open to college and university students. Students from any stream, branch, specialization, or year can participate. Individual and team participation are allowed. Participants can be from any college or university. No previous startup experience is required. No specific technical skill is mandatory. Participants can choose any technology and domain.
Team Size: 1–6 members per team.
Free Hackathon Structure: Round 1 – Startup Idea &
PPT Submission: Participants must submit their startup or project idea through a manually prepared PPT presentation. The submission should clearly explain: Problem Proposed Solution Target Users Innovation Market Potential Product Concept Business Potential
PPT Limit: Maximum 10 slides.
Slide 1: Project/Startup Name & Team Details
Target Users Slide 5: Unique Value Proposition
Business Model/Sustainability Slide 10: Future Roadmap Participants do not have to follow this exact structure, but the presentation should clearly explain the idea.
PPT AI Policy: AI-generated PPTs are strictly prohibited. Participants must create their Round 1 PPT themselves. The following are not allowed: AI presentation generators AI-generated slide decks One-click AI PPT generators AI-generated complete presentations Directly submitting a presentation generated by an AI tool Participants may use standard tools such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, and other presentation or design software. If the organizing team determines that a participant has submitted an AI-generated PPT, the participant or team may be directly disqualified. The organizers may ask participants to explain how their presentation was created or request clarification if AI-generated content is suspected. Mandatory Round 1
Idea Meeting: After Round 1 submissions, every eligible team that successfully submits the PPT will receive a 5-minute online meeting slot. The meeting will help organizers and judges understand: Whether the team understands its own idea. The problem being solved. How the proposed solution works. Why the idea is useful. What makes the idea different. How the team plans to build it.
First 3 minutes: Team explains the idea.
Next 2 minutes: Organizers/judges ask questions. All team members are encouraged to attend the meeting. The team should be able to explain its PPT and answer questions related to the submitted idea. Failure to attend the mandatory meeting without a valid reason may result in disqualification or removal from Round 2 consideration. Round 2 – Build Your
MVP: Teams shortlisted after Round 1 and the mandatory idea meeting will proceed to Round 2. Participants will develop their idea into a functional: MVP Prototype Web application Mobile application AI/ML solution SaaS product Game IoT solution Hardware prototype Software product Other suitable working solution The Round 2 project should be based on the idea submitted during Round 1. Round 2 – Final
Mandatory: Working Demo/Prototype 2–3 minute Demo Video Final Pitch Deck Project Description Source Code/GitHub Repository, wherever applicable
Recommended: Product screenshots Architecture diagram Technical implementation Tech stack Target users Business model Market opportunity Future roadmap For hardware-based projects where an online live demo is difficult, a working demonstration video may be submitted. AI & Technology
Usage Rules: AI tools can be used during development, subject to the following rules.
Allowed: AI coding assistants Generative AI for coding assistance AI APIs Open-source AI models AI l