VicAI Hackathon 2026: Build Something That Matters
We're running our first ever hackathon, and we want you there.
The details
- When: April 12-13, 2026 (Saturday-Sunday)
- Where: The Hub, Kelburn Campus
- Teams: 2-4 people (we'll help you find a team if you don't have one)
- Cost: Free. Food and drinks provided.
- Prizes: Sponsored by our industry partners
The theme: AI for Aotearoa
We're not interested in generic chatbot demos. We want projects that address real problems in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Some directions to consider:
- Te reo Maori language technology — tools that support and revitalise te reo
- Environmental monitoring — AI for conservation, biosecurity, or climate adaptation
- Public service delivery — making government services more accessible and fair
- Healthcare access — supporting rural and underserved communities
- Education — tools that help New Zealand students learn
You're free to interpret the theme broadly. The only requirement is that your project should be built with New Zealand in mind.
Who should enter
Everyone. Seriously.
You don't need to be a CS student. You don't need to know machine learning. The best hackathon teams have a mix of skills — coders, designers, writers, domain experts, and people who are good at asking the right questions.
If you've never been to a hackathon before, this is a great first one. We'll have mentors on hand throughout the weekend, and we'll run a quick "hackathon 101" session at the start.
What we're looking for
Judging will be based on:
- Impact — Does this solve a real problem for real people in NZ?
- Creativity — Is the approach original and thoughtful?
- Execution — Does the prototype work? Is it well-presented?
- Responsibility — Have the team considered potential risks, biases, or ethical issues?
Note that we specifically include "responsibility" as a judging criterion. We believe building responsibly is part of building well.
Register
Registrations are open now. Sign up on our events page or join VicAI if you haven't already.
See you in April.