The Atomiq Hackathon is part of Qiskit Fall Fest 2026 at IEM, celebrating IBM Quantum's ten transformative years of cloud-accessible quantum computing. Organized by the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computing (QuantCom) at the Institute of Engineering and Management (IEM), Kolkata, in collaboration with IBM Quantum, this event invites participants to explore the theme "Chi(r)ps: A Decade of Harmony on the Cloud." Drawing inspiration from the names of IBM's quantum chips and the lively exchange of ideas among developers, the hackathon spotlights qreativity: transforming quantum mechanics, superposition, interference, and real-world device noise into innovative algorithms, artistic computation, and shared discovery.
Event Details: - Duration: 24-hour virtual sprint (Nov 10, 10:00 PM IST – Nov 11, 10:00 PM IST). - Eligibility: Open to all! Undergraduate & postgraduate students, academic researchers, and industry professionals worldwide. - Team Size: Solo or teams of up to 3 members. - Cost & Mode: 100% Free and 100% Virtual.
Focus Areas: Participants are encouraged to build projects across four tracks: - Quantum Machine Learning (QML): Variational algorithms, quantum kernels, data classification, and hybrid classical-quantum models. - Qreative Quantum & Generative Algorithms: Quantum sound design, generative art, procedural simulations, interactive visualizations, and creative exploits of hardware noise. - Algorithms & Optimization: QAOA, VQE, quantum combinatorial routing, graph algorithms, and utility-scale quantum exploration. - Open Quantum Innovation: Open-source developer tools, educational simulators, quantum game design, and circuit optimization compilers.
Problem Statement: The core challenge involves building an end-to-end hybrid quantum-classical campaign pipeline for a Fintech & Targeted Marketing use case: 1. Stage 1: Predict subscription probabilities using quantum/hybrid classifiers. 2. Stage 2: Select an optimal subset of 6 customers under budget and capacity constraints using a binary quantum optimizer like QAOA or SamplingVQE. 3. Stage 3: Simulate the conversion target probability using multi-qubit circuit states.
Prizes & Recognition: Winners receive cash prizes (₹5,000 for 1st, ₹3,000 for 2nd, ₹2,000 for 3rd), official IBM Quantum certificates, verifiable digital badges via Credly/Certifier, and customized sticker bundles. Top 10 global finalists also receive certificates and spotlight features. All participants receive official certificates of completion.
Judging criteria emphasize Quantum Rigor & Technical Depth (35%), Result Accuracy & End-to-End Integration (30%), Code Quality & Reproducibility (20%), and Report, Presentation & Communication (15%).