Hackyardpresents Build 2026Selected builders build in person · 24–25 October 2026 · IIT Guwahati.
How it worksAn idea.
A few people.
A ticking clock.
You can build alone anywhere. Finding the right people is harder. You might have the idea. Someone else knows how to build it. Someone else knows how to design it. Someone else understands the problem.
Most of the time, they never meet. Hackyard brings them together.
Build 2026 brings ambitious builders together to turn ideas, skills and problems into something real. Less pitching. More making.
Meet Hackyard–2026
Online. Free. Open to everyone.
Bring an idea, a problem or a skill. No finished product required.
Come solo or with a team. All kinds of builders are welcome.
Developers, designers, founders, researchers, students and operators are welcome. Have a prototype? Share a public link in the optional work-link field. No demo or pitch deck required.
24–25October 2026
In person at IIT Guwahati. Free entry.
Turn your idea into something real in 12–24 hours.
Meet your team, build together and show what you made.
Physical build is for selected builders. Build space and internet are provided. Food and accommodation are available at a nominal fee, with details shared before you travel.
Exact food and accommodation fees and arrival information will be shared with selected builders before they travel.
Read the guideYour idea. Your build. Bring a startup idea, solve something you have experienced, build an AI agent, make a useful tool or try something weird. These are starting points, not limits.
Build the smallest version that works. Test it. Then show it.
Read the builder guideStart with something worth making: an idea, a problem or a question. You do not need the whole answer.
Make the smallest version that actually works. Do not spend the weekend making slides.
Use it. Break it. Improve it. Find what does not work and fix what matters.
Do not tell us what it could do. Show us what it does.
If selected, your team gets $100 in AI Build Credits to experiment, prototype and ship with AI.
Your idea. Your stack. Your build.
Selected teams will also get access to selected AI, API, cloud and developer tools from our partners. Provider and redemption details will be shared with selected builders.
Prizes, recognition & opportunities
BUILD
Real-world build and Builder to Watch awards are also planned.
Final prize details will be announced as they are confirmed.
Apply. Get selected. Team up. Build. Keep building.
14 September → 10 October
Bring an idea, a problem or a skill. No finished product required.
After applications
We review applications and invite selected builders to the physical build.
Before the build
Find your people. Form a team. Prepare your build.
24–25 October 2026
In person at IIT Guwahati. Build. Ship. Show.
After the event
Get seen. Get opportunities. Keep building.
Good ideas deserve
Build 40%. Problem 20%.
Ingenuity 20%. Potential 20%.
How much did you actually make? Does the core experience work?
Does it solve a real or meaningful problem?
Is there something clever, original, or thoughtful about the approach?
Is there a reason to keep building it after the event?
Judge the build, not the pitch.
Bring a laptop and your curiosity. An idea is optional. Come ready to experiment, collaborate, fail, rebuild and ship.
Open the guideGet selected and become a Hackyard Selected Builder.Get recognized. Build your public profile. Find people to build with. Get $100 AI Build Credits per selected team. Stay connected to the Hackyard network after the event.
See prizes & opportunitiesBenefits can include a Selected Builder badge, a featured profile, a shareable Build 2026 credential, project showcases, future event access and selected opportunities. The hackathon ends. The builders stay.
For companies
Bring useful technology, a real challenge, expertise or an opportunity. Put it directly into the hands of people building. No generic sponsorship packages.
Explore partnershipsA builder experience where ideas, problems, skills and ambitious people come together to make something real.
Yes. Applications are free, open to everyone and run online from 14 September to 10 October 2026.
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.
After applications close, Hackyard reviews submissions and invites selected builders to the physical build. Before the build, you can meet other selected builders, form a team and prepare. The physical build is at IIT Guwahati on 24–25 October 2026.
Yes. You can apply solo or with a team, then form or join a team before the final build.
No. Building is not limited to code. Designers, researchers, operators, founders and people with strong problem-solving skills are welcome. Email [email protected].
If selected, your team gets $100 in AI Build Credits. Applicants who are not selected do not receive credits. Selected teams may also get access to selected AI, API, cloud and developer tools from our partners.
Anything worth building. Follow one of our suggested directions or build something completely your own. AI is a powerful building layer, not a requirement.
The physical build is at IIT Guwahati on 24–25 October 2026. It will run for approximately 12–24 hours. Event entry is free; food and accommodation will be available at a very nominal participant fee, shared before travel.
Final prize details will be announced as they are confirmed. Final judging criteria will be announced before the physical build.