Find your crew
Meet peers in the Discord server, form or join teams of up to four, or hack solo with community support.
January 1-11 | Global | Online
Where student builders craft the next wave of innovation.
AlamedaHacks is a student-run, fully virtual hackathon helping high school and college makers ship meaningful projects, learn new skills, and unlock $220,378 in tools, credits, and mentoring.
$220,378
Prize stack you keep building with
10 days
From kickoff to polished demo
1-4 teammates
Solo-friendly, team ready
Event Snapshot
$220k+ in prizes ready.
Format10-day, fully online
EligibilityHigh school + college students
TeamsSolo or 1-4 member crews
PlatformDevpost submission + demo video
About AlamedaHacks
Global, student-led, and built to ship real projects.
Over ten days, high school and college students team up online to turn ideas into functional tools—from software to data-driven apps—that tackle real-world problems.
International + virtual
January 1-11, 2026. Join from anywhere with Wi-Fi and collaborate across time zones.
High school + college
Open to students entering or currently in high school or early college—no prior hackathon experience required.
Build what matters
Use any programming language, framework, or tool to prototype solutions and submit on Devpost with a short demo.
Community & mentors
Workshops, Discord check-ins, and industry reviewers keep the event supportive, low-pressure, and learning-first.
Participants can hack solo or with teams of up to four. Across the ten days you’ll brainstorm, iterate quickly, and package your work with a clear problem statement and demo video for judges.
A panel of engineers and product leaders reviews every submission for creativity, technical quality, and impact. Beyond major prizes, most hackers receive perks like premium dev tools, learning platforms, and community access just for showing up.
The result: resume-ready experience, portfolio projects that tell your story, and a supportive network of builders to keep learning with long after demo day.
Event blueprint
The structure that keeps momentum high.
Schedule
Jan 1-11, 2026 | Kickoff, build sprints, mentor check-ins, and demo showcase.
Teams
1-4 builders per team or solo. Mix skill levels for the best collaborations.
Access
100% online. Join from anywhere and follow the sun with global teammates.
Prizing
$220,378 in premium tools, software, and subscriptions that extend your runway.
How it works
The 10-day flow from idea to impact.
Build and learn
Attend optional workshops, experiment with new stacks, and iterate quickly on problems that matter to you.
Submit on Devpost
Package your project with a clear write-up, problem statement, and short demo video for the judging panel.
Earn recognition
Top teams receive premium tools and spotlight features, while every participant keeps perks and portfolio wins.
Prize architecture
$220,378 in tools, memberships, and founder capital.
Our prize stack focuses on leverage - resources that accelerate your roadmap instead of swag that gathers dust.
First Place | $5,409 value
Total Cash Value: $5,409
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Prizes Included:
- 2-year VIP CodeCrafters membership (4x, each valued at $720)
- Cleanshot X License (1x, valued at $29)
- $25 Art of Problem Solving Coupon (4x, each valued at $25)
- NordVPN 1 Year Plan (4x, each valued at $60)
- Nord Pass 1 Year (4x, each valued at $25)
- Nord Protect (4x, each valued at $65)
- Incogni (4x, each valued at $100)
- Nexos.Ai Credit (4x, each valued at $275)
* Note that the winners will not receive cash, only the award; this is just the cash value of the prize.
$300 Cash Prize — Sponsored by LaunchX
Second Place | $2,644 value
Total Cash Value: $2,644
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Prizes Included:
- 1-year VIP CodeCrafters membership (4x, each valued at $360)
- Cleanshot X License (1x, valued at $29)
- NordVPN 1 Year Plan (2x, each valued at $60)
- Nord Pass 1 Year (2x, each valued at $25)
- Nord Protect (2x, each valued at $65)
- Incogni (2x, each valued at $100)
- Nexos.Ai Credit (2x, each valued at $275)
* Note that the winners will not receive cash, only the award; this is just the cash value of the prize.
$125 Cash Prize — Sponsored by LaunchX
Third Place | $825 value
Total Cash Value: $825
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Prizes Included:
- 6-month VIP CodeCrafters membership (4x, each valued at $180)
- Cleanshot X License (1x, valued at $29)
* Note that the winners will not receive cash, only the award; this is just the cash value of the prize.
$75 Cash Prize — Sponsored by LaunchX
Participation | $206,500 value
Total Cash Value: $206,500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Prizes Included:
- .xyz domain free for 1 year (100x, each valued at $15)
- Interview Cake coding interview prep course for 7 days (500x, each valued at $50)
- 3 Month Unibee Access (500x, each valued at $27)
- 1 Month Bolt Pro (500x, each valued at $25)
- MongoDB Atlas Credits (500x, each valued at $50)
- Kognia Premium Study Plan (500x, each valued at $50)
- DBAcademy Certified Database Developer (500x, each valued at $200)
- HackPilot: Priority Models & Unlimited Access (500x, each valued at $8)
Redemption Instruction: Join discord server to redeem.
* Note that the winners will not receive cash, only the award; this is just the cash value of the prize.
Most Innovative Solution | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the team that presents a highly original idea or a creative rethinking of an existing problem. Hackathon organizers will evaluate novelty, ingenuity, and a fresh approach to technology or user experience.
Most Startup-Ready Project | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the project with the strongest potential to become a real product or company. This includes a clear value proposition, defined target users, and a solution that is feasible to build and scale.
Best Technical Execution | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the team that demonstrates strong engineering fundamentals, clean architecture, and thoughtful implementation. Organizers will assess code quality, system design, and overall technical robustness.
Best Use of AI or Emerging Technology | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the project that meaningfully integrates AI, machine learning, or other emerging technologies to solve a problem. The focus is on effective and appropriate use rather than complexity alone.
Best Real-World Impact | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the project that addresses a meaningful problem and has the potential to make a positive difference in the real world. Organizers will evaluate relevance, usefulness, and potential impact.
Best Product Design | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the team with the most intuitive, user-friendly, and well-designed product. This includes thoughtful UX, clean UI, and clear consideration of the end user's needs.
Best End-to-End Solution | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the project that delivers a complete and cohesive experience from problem definition to final demo. Organizers will review the integration and completeness of all components of the solution.
Best Data-Driven Project | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the team that uses data effectively to inform decisions, insights, or outcomes. This includes clear data sources, meaningful analysis, and actionable results.
Best Developer Tool or Platform | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the project that builds a tool, framework, or platform aimed at improving the developer experience. Organizers will evaluate usefulness, usability, and potential adoption by other developers.
Best Pitch and Demo | $500
Total Cash Value: $500
Number of Winners: 1 winner
Awarded to the team that communicates their idea most clearly and compellingly. Organizers will review storytelling, clarity, and how well the demo explains the problem and solution.
Partners
The brands investing in the next generation.
Our partners are carefully selected for alignment with student founders. Their tools power projects during the sprint and beyond.
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Meet the organizers
A lean team obsessed with detail.
UP
Organizer lineup drops soon
Stay tuned
The full roster of producers, mentors, and founders will be announced as we finalize contracts. Expect a world-class crew of builders and operators.
Take the next step
Secure your seat among the most ambitious student builders.
Registration is limited to maintain a premium experience. Lock in your spot, meet your crew, and get early access to partner perks.