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Live Demo48-hr HackathonOct 10–12, 2026 · San Francisco, CA

BuildWeek
SF

48 hours. $20,000 in prizes. Build something real.

Fort Mason Center · San Francisco, CA

Countdown to kickoff

187DAYS
05HRS
53MIN
14SEC

Event Timeline

48-Hour Schedule

Day 1

Fri Oct 10

5:00 PM

Doors open · Check-in begins

6:30 PM

Opening ceremony + keynote

8:00 PM

Team formation networking

9:00 PM

Hacking begins

11:59 PM

Midnight snack drop

Day 2

Sat Oct 11

8:00 AM

Breakfast served

10:00 AM

Mentorship sessions open

1:00 PM

Midpoint check-in demos

6:00 PM

Dinner + sponsor networking

10:00 PM

Late-night hacking continues

Day 3

Sun Oct 12

8:00 AM

Final day breakfast

12:00 PM

FINAL SUBMISSIONS CLOSE

1:00 PM

Judging rounds begin

4:00 PM

Top 10 finalist presentations

6:00 PM

Awards ceremony + closing

Build Tracks

Pick Your Track

01

AI / ML

LLM applications, computer vision, ML tooling, and intelligent agents that solve real problems.

02

Climate Tech

Energy efficiency, carbon tracking, climate adaptation tools, or clean energy innovation.

03

Dev Tools

Productivity tools, infrastructure, APIs, or anything that makes developers faster.

04

Social Impact

Projects that address accessibility, education, health equity, or community empowerment.

Prizes

$20,000 in Total Prizes

Top teams compete for cash across main and category awards.

#1

1st Place

$10,000

cash prize

#2

2nd Place

$5,000

cash prize

#3

3rd Place

$2,000

cash prize

Category Prizes

Best AI Integration

Most innovative use of AI/ML in a working product

$1,500

Best Sustainability

Addresses a real environmental or social impact challenge

$1,500

Best UX

Exceptional user experience and interface design

$1,000

Judges

Meet the Panel

JK

Jamie Kim

Partner @ Apex Ventures

TR

Taylor Reed

Staff Engineer @ Meridian Payments

ML

Morgan Liu

Founder @ Northstar Labs

AS

Avery Santos

Product Manager @ Launchpad.dev

Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Northstar Labs
Meridian Payments

Gold Sponsors

Launchpad.dev
DataForge

Community Partners

EdgeNet
Prism Analytics

Open Call

Submit your project idea

Have an idea you want to build? Submit before October 1 to find teammates and validate your concept before kickoff.

Submit your idea →

Register for BuildWeek SF

Hackers are free. Sponsor tickets include table, logo placement, and recruiting access.

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FAQ

Common Questions

What can I build?
Anything — web apps, mobile apps, hardware projects, AI tools, games. The only rule is it must be built during the hackathon. Prior research is fine; the implementation must happen at BuildWeek.
Do I need a team?
Teams of 1–5 are welcome. We hold a team formation session Friday evening for solo hackers who want to find teammates. You can also find teammates in our Discord before the event.
Can I form a team on-site?
Yes! The Friday evening team formation networking session is specifically for this. Show up, pitch your idea, find your team. Some of the best hackathon projects start from spontaneous on-site collaboration.
What do I need to bring?
Your laptop, charger, and any hardware you plan to use. We provide monitors, power strips, fast WiFi, food, coffee, and a comfortable hacking environment. Sleeping bags welcome but not required.
Are meals provided?
Yes — all meals are included for the full 48 hours: dinner and midnight snack on Friday, breakfast/lunch/dinner on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. Dietary restrictions are accommodated (specify at registration).
Is there a prize for every track?
Yes — Best AI Integration, Best Sustainability, and Best UX each carry a cash prize. The overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners are evaluated across all tracks.

Built for hackathons on CompleteEvent

Free hacker tickets, sponsor tier, team registration, custom fields — all in one platform.

Free + paid tiers

Mix free hacker tickets with paid sponsor or mentor tiers in a single registration flow.

Custom fields

Capture company, job title, t-shirt size, and dietary needs alongside standard attendee info.

Team registration

Groups of 2–10 can register together in one checkout, with individual names on each ticket.

Promo codes

Issue codes for partner communities, school programs, or diversity initiatives.

Confirmation & QR

Each hacker gets a branded confirmation with a unique QR code for check-in on arrival.

Real-time capacity

Watch hacker vs. sponsor registration fill in real time from your organizer dashboard.

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