HackCU presents...
World Cup Hackathon 2026
Code • Compete • Conquer
About the Event
Join us for 48 hours of innovation, collaboration, and competition at the World Cup Hackathon! Inspired by the global spirit of soccer, we're bringing together developers, designers, and creators to build incredible projects while celebrating teamwork and creativity.
Compete
Form teams of 2-4 and compete for amazing prizes across multiple categories including Best Overall, Most Creative, and Best Use of Technology.
Collaborate
Meet talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, learn from workshops, and build lasting connections with fellow hackers.
Create
Turn your wildest ideas into reality with access to mentors, APIs, hardware, and all the caffeine you need to make it happen.
Schedule
*All events take place at Eaton Humanities
Participant Arrival & Check-in
Dedicated Meetup/Networking Time With Sponsors
Open Doors For Opening Ceremony
Opening Ceremony
Lunch
**Hacking STARTS!**
Team Formation
Workshop: GLabs - Revolutionize Application Design w/ Nita from Google - Stitch and Jules
Dinner
Breakfast
**Submissions Due on Devpost**
Lunch
Project Expo / Judging
Open Doors For Closing Ceremonies
Closing Ceremonies & Team Pictures
**Hackathon Ends**
Tracks
Compete in the following tracks. Details and prizes will be updated soon.
Our Tracks
General Track
Max teammates: 4
HackCU's general challenge includes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners. This challenge will be evaluated based on the overall creativity of the team and their project, questions selected by HackCU organizers, as well as any additional criteria mandated by the judges.
Prizes: Prizes TBD
All Beginner
Max teammates: 4
Hackathons are a great way for beginners in technology—from the workshops to software resources provided by HackCU, we want first-time hackers to learn and build a project first hand. This track will assess the best hack created by a team of all beginner hackers.
Prizes: Prizes TBD
Social Impact
Max teammates: 4
Technology is a powerful tool that allows us to identify and combat real-world problems that billions of people face around the world today. This track will be assessed based on the project's ability to propose a resolution for a social issue. Build a product to support the Boulder community.
Prizes: Prizes TBD
CU AI
Max teammates: 4
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we approach creativity, problem-solving, and technology. This track invites teams to dive into AI-based projects—whether you're building a new model, designing an application, or exploring ethical AI practices. Projects will be judged on innovation, impact, and technical implementation within the AI space.
Prizes: Prizes TBD
Red Bull
AI Launch Track
Max teammates: 2
Created in partnership with Red Bull Basement, this track is designed for teams just starting their AI journey at the event. If you're here to brainstorm, experiment, and get your first prototype off the ground, this track is for you. The focus is on ideation, creativity, and learning rather than competition against experienced teams. 2nd and 3rd place prizes.
Prizes: Prizes TBD
Judges & Mentors
Judges
Results-oriented Cloud Security Specialist with 10+ years of experience delivering secure, scalable cloud architectures across global enterprises. Currently…
LinkedIn
I work at the frontier of AI and Supercomputing, building teams and technologies that transform how enterprises and research organizations solve their most…
LinkedIn
8x Hackathon Winner. Building Flick—the Deterministic TypeScript Framework for AI Agents.
LinkedIn
Technology is my passion. Leadership is my strength. I work at the intersection of engineering and strategy, building products that matter and teams that…
LinkedIn
As a Solutions Engineer at Google, Sophia designs and implements internal software for account recovery and AI optimization. She scales this expertise across…
My purpose is to program and lead socially impactful teams. I do this by building beautiful web apps and crypto applications. I love Ethereum, JavaScript, and…
LinkedIn
Dr. Lilly Jones is an Associate Scientist III at CIRES Earth and ESIIL Labs in the SEEC. She is also an educator with 20 years of Python experience and…
LinkedInLi Lee is a software engineer at Google. Her professional experience includes fintech (banking integrations), hedge funds (trading algorithms and risk…
LinkedIn
Andy Austin is a performance-first growth marketer and founder of Adsora, where he leads paid acquisition and growth strategy across high-intent,…
LinkedIn
I've started and sold companies, built engineering teams, and shipped products that people actually use. Right now I'm building Landingsite.ai to help people…
LinkedInMentors
TBD
FAQ
About the Team
The World Cup Hackathon is organized by HackCU—a student-run organization at the University of Colorado Boulder. Our team brings together leadership, logistics, tech, finance, marketing, and workshops to create an unforgettable hackathon experience.