Dates

Hackathon Period:
25 May 2026 – 19 June 2026

Opening Brief:
25 May 2026, 11:00 AM

Final Submission Deadline:
18 June 2026, 12:00 PM

Final Showcase / Demo Day:
19 June 2026

More details on workshops, mentorship, judging, and final day arrangements will be shared as the hackathon progresses.

 

Prizes

SummerBuild 2026 will include main prizes and special awards to recognise strong projects across different areas.

Possible award categories include:

  • Champion
  • First Runner-Up
  • Second Runner-Up
  • Most Innovative Project
  • People's Choice
  • Best Freshmen Team
  • Best AI Integration

Reka Sponsored Prizes:

  • Best Smart Cities Solution (using Reka AI)
  • Best Use of Reka AI

 

Final Showcase

Projects will be judged based on both the final product and the team’s ability to explain their work clearly.

Prepare a short pitch deck for the final showcase. Your presentation should clearly explain the problem, solution, key features, technical implementation, impact, and future improvements.

The judging format will follow a science-fair-style showcase, where judges will walk around to visit each team. Each team will be given around 8 minutes total, with approximately 5–6 minutes for presentation and 2–3 minutes for Q&A.

Teams are encouraged to split their time wisely and focus on the most important parts of their project.

 

Judging Criteria and Winner Selection

Judges may evaluate projects based on:

Problem and Relevance
How clearly the team identifies a real problem, target users, and the importance of the solution.

Technical Implementation
How well the product is built, including functionality, architecture, database usage, API integration, AI usage, or other technical components.

Innovation and Creativity
How original, thoughtful, or technically interesting the idea is compared to common solutions.

User Experience and Design
How easy the product is to understand, use, and navigate. This includes interface design, user flow, and overall polish.

Impact and Usefulness
How meaningful the solution is, whether it solves a practical problem, and whether it has potential for real-world use or future development.

Presentation and Demo Quality
How clearly the team communicates the problem, solution, technical approach, demo, and future plans within the given time.

Winners will be selected based on judges’ evaluation during the final showcase, together with the quality of each team’s submitted materials.