Another year, another chance. For the nerdy, this is the perfect time to participate in some of the best hackathons out there. With hosts like Google DeepMind, Kaggle and Fractal hosting concurrent hackathons, there’s plenty of challenge on offer in 2026.
Here you will find the 5 most trending hackathons running right now. From Big-Tech to finance to SaaS hackathons, this article has everyone interested in technology covered. There is even a giveaway appearance of the tenant and prize money!
1. For Big-Tech, High-Visibility Hackathons
Gemini 3 Hackathon – Google DeepMind | The challenge of a global AI architect
This is where serious builders come in. You work with Google’s Gemini 3 models and compete against teams from around the world. It’s less about toy demos and more about what you can build with frontier AI.
What does it offer?
- It supports Google DeepMind
- $100,000+ prize pool
- Global participation
- High level competition
- Great employer and media exposure
Who should join?
Anyone who wants their work to be associated with Google and high-level AI.
2. Job-defining AI exposure for ALL
iqigai AI Fellowship Challenge – Fractal Analytics | An industry-driven, GenAI-focused competition
This is no ordinary hackathon. It is designed to recognize people who really understand how GenAI works. You are tested on how you think, not just what you build. This hackathon also gives you exposure to employers, so good performers have chances to get hired as well.
What does it offer?
- Statements of real-world problems across GenAI, AI, ML and data technologies
- Participation and recognition
- ₹20,00,000 prize pool
- Tenant Visibility with Analytics Vidhya
- Awards for up 1000 Position holders
Who should join?
Those interested in scaling their hackathon performance directly to recruitment and engagement. Even if you are not the best, there is a lot in store for you.
Note: These hackathons are for Indians only.
3. For Quant Finance & Predictive Modelling
Market Forecasting – Kaggle | Financial forecasting, risk-adjusted strategy
This is where ML meets real markets. You’re not predicting labels, you’re building strategies that decide when you’re in or out of the S&P 500. It’s about making models that survive the swings of change, not just look good on a dataset.
What does it offer?
- S&P 500 market data used for real-life exposure
- Leaderboard scores are risk-adjusted
- $100,000+ prize pool
- Strategy-driven modeling
- Award points and show medals
Who should join?
Competitors who enjoy machine learning in quantitative finance, time series engineering, and engineering techniques that not only predict numbers but inform decisions.
4. For Mobile SaaS & Subscription Builders
RevenueCat Shipyard 2026 – RevenueCat | Build subscriptions and in-app revenue products
This hackathon is about building things that people actually pay for. You work on registration, payment, and monetization flows for real mobile products, and your project is judged on how well it will work in the real world.
What does it offer?
- Registration and in-app revenue challenges
- Devpost based on the demo
- $140,000+ prize pool
- Awards and public visibility of the project
- Access to RevenueCat tools
Who should join?
Developers who want to push mobile apps beyond a static demo build on product features that drive revenue.
5. On AI and Data Strategy Challenges
Zerve.AI 2026 Hackathon – HackerEarth | Predictive modeling and AI-driven solutions
Zerve’s AI hackathon is a straight competitive AI challenge. You are given real data, real analytics metrics, and real leaderboards, and your goal is to build the smartest model under time pressure.
What does it offer?
- Real-world AI and data challenges with Zerve tools
- Prize money for $10,000 with 3 top solutions
- Modeling prediction challenges
- Scheduled inspections
Who should join?
Who are they building? competition the name of the game. Being the best (or at least one of the best) is what matters in this AI hackathon.
Choice
Even though hackathons all revolve around solving problems, they don’t solve the same problem. Where you are in your journey, how much time you can commit to, and how you like to work are more important than chasing all the popular events.
If you want the visibility and credibility of a big tech hackathon, then Google DeepMind’s Gemini 3 is challenging give your work immediate weight. If you are looking for exposure to a challenging job, then iqigai AI Fellowship it can help translate effort into real opportunities. And if you enjoy honing specific skills, finance-focused competitions on Kaggle or platform-driven challenges on HackerEarth and Devpost let you dig deep where it matters.
If you are interested in the best platforms that offers Hackathons, use the following resources: 10 Hackathon Platforms
I specialize in reviewing and refining AI-driven research, technical documentation, and content related to emerging AI technologies. My experience includes AI model training, data analysis, and information retrieval, which allows me to create technically accurate and accessible content.
Sign in to continue reading and enjoy content curated by experts.
