Thursday 5 – Friday 6 November 2026 · Bengaluru
AI Vibecoding
Hackathon 2026
36 hours. One build. Ship something that works. Two days, an AI toolchain, and a room full of people who would rather build than talk about building.
Come solo or bring up to three others. Walk out with something that runs — and, for seven teams, with prize money and AI credits.
Free to enter · applications with an idea get preference
- Dates
- 5–6 November 2026
- Runs for
- 36 hours
- City
- Bengaluru
- Team size
- 1–4 people
- Top prize
- ₹5,00,000 + credits
- Entry
- Free
What this is
A vibe coding hackathon: you bring the judgment, the AI brings the typing speed. The whole point is to find out how far a small team can get in 36 hours when the tooling stops being the bottleneck — and to prove, publicly, that developers written off as displaced are the ones best placed to use it.
Two days, one room, in Bengaluru. The venue stays open and staffed straight through the night between them — build round the clock or sleep and come back sharp, your call. No remote track. You build from the opening to code freeze on Friday evening, then demo live to judges. Nothing you bring pre-built counts, and nothing that fails to run scores.
Prizes
₹5,00,000
+ Matching AI credits
Cash prize plus AI credits matched to the same value.
₹2,00,000
+ Matching AI credits
Cash prize plus AI credits matched to the same value.
₹1,00,000
+ Matching AI credits
Cash prize plus AI credits matched to the same value.
Finalist AI credit package
Finalist AI credit package
Finalist AI credit package
Finalist AI credit package
Cash prizes are committed by EDF and paid to the winning team to split as they choose. “Matching AI credits” means credits to the same value as the cash, drawn from EDF partner credit pools — the specific providers for this edition are being confirmed, and we will name them here once they sign rather than before.
Partners
Cohortea
Cohortea runs the hackathon alongside EDF — format, logistics, and the on-the-day operation.
Community PartnerCohortea
Cohortea also brings its community into the room: builders, mentors, and the people who keep showing up for developers in transition.
Credit pools, model access, and tooling for every team in the room.
None confirmed yet.
Prize pools, venue, food, and travel help for builders who need it.
None confirmed yet.
Engineers and founders working the floor during the build window.
None confirmed yet.
These slots are open and listed empty on purpose — we announce a sponsor or a mentor when they have signed, not when they are interested. To take one, write to hackathon@endangered.dev or read the partnership terms.
Who can apply
Any developer, designer, or builder who can be in Bengaluru for Thursday 5 – Friday 6 November 2026. Employed, between jobs, student, self-taught — all the same to us. You need an endangered.dev account so we can prefill your details and keep your team together, and that is the only membership requirement.
Teams of 1–4
Apply solo and we pair you into a team on the morning, or name your team when you apply and send invites by email straight from the form. Every teammate applies with their own details.
Bring an idea if you have one
Applications with a concrete idea get preference over applications without. Teams who arrive knowing what they are building ship more before code freeze — that's the whole reason for the weighting. A rough idea you can explain beats a polished one you can't.
Come with a clean repo
Boilerplate, component libraries, and design systems are fine. A half-finished product is not. Judges will ask what existed before the clock started.
The day
Day 1 — Thursday 5 Nov
- 08:30
Doors, check-in, coffee
- 09:00
Opening, problem framing, rules
- 09:30
Build window opens — the clock starts
- 13:00
Lunch, mentor floor walk
- 19:00
Dinner, first checkpoint
- 22:00
Night shift — the venue stays open and staffed
Day 2 — Friday 6 Nov
- 08:00
Breakfast, standup, second checkpoint
- 13:00
Lunch, demo rehearsals with mentors
- 18:00
Code freeze
- 18:30
Demos — 4 minutes per team, live only
- 20:30
Judging, results, prizes
Provisional. The venue is open and staffed for the full 36 hours; the final run of show and the exact address go to accepted teams by email.
How judging works
It runs
A working demo beats a beautiful deck. If it does not run in front of the judges, it does not score.
The problem is real
Something a person you can name would actually use on Monday. Bonus weight where it helps developers or knowledge workers displaced by AI.
Use of AI tooling
This is a vibe coding hackathon — how well you drove AI tools to get from nothing to shipped is part of the score, and you will be asked to show your process.
Built inside the 36 hours
Bring your idea, not your codebase. Boilerplate, design systems, and libraries are fine; a half-finished product is not. Judges will ask what existed before the clock started.
Common questions
Do I need a team to apply?+
No. You can apply solo and we will help you find a team on the first morning. If you already have people, name your team when you apply and send them invites from the same form — teams are 1 to 4 people.
Do I need an idea to apply?+
No, but it helps. Applications that come with a concrete idea get preference over applications without one, because teams that arrive knowing what they are building ship more by the deadline. A rough idea honestly described beats a polished one you cannot explain.
Who can apply?+
Any developer, designer, or builder who can be in Bengaluru for both days, 5 and 6 November. You do not need to be an EDF member beyond having an account on this site, and you do not need to be currently employed or currently unemployed — both are welcome.
Do we build through the night?+
That is up to your team. The venue stays open and staffed for the full 36 hours, with food, coffee, and a quiet room — but nobody is scored on staying awake, and plenty of past-winning teams sleep. We do not arrange hotels; bring what you need to be comfortable, and plan your team's shifts before the clock starts.
Can I come for only one of the two days?+
You can, but be realistic with your team about it. Judging happens on Friday evening and demos are live, so at least one person who can explain the build has to be in the room at the end.
Is there an entry fee?+
No. Applying and taking part are free.
Who owns what we build?+
You do. EDF takes no equity and no IP. We ask only that winning teams let us write about what they built.
How are applications reviewed?+
A human reads every one. We look at the idea, the team, and what you want to get out of the day. Accepted teams hear by email with the venue and the final run of show; if we cannot fit you in, we tell you that too rather than leaving you guessing.
Can I change my application after submitting?+
Yes. Sign in and open this page again — your application loads back into the form and you can update it or send more team invites until applications close.
Where are the sponsors and mentors?+
Being confirmed. We list a sponsor or a mentor only once they have signed, so those sections are empty on purpose. If you want to sponsor a prize pool, supply AI credits, or mentor on the day, write to hackathon@endangered.dev.
Apply to build
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Questions? Email hackathon@endangered.dev, or see other EDF events.