Tracks

Projects may leverage AI or ML where relevant; tracks are defined by problem & user, not technology.

Healthcare

Projects that improve how health-related systems operate, from care delivery to diagnostics to wellness. Submissions may focus on clinical workflows, patient experience, data-driven insights, or operational efficiency within health contexts. Strong projects demonstrate a clear understanding of real-world constraints and how technology can meaningfully improve outcomes.

Examples include telehealth platforms, diagnostic or decision-support tools, health data systems, wellness or performance applications.

Consumer Software & Digital Products

Projects that build user-facing technology designed for real-world use. Submissions may focus on solving everyday problems, improving workflows, or creating tools people return to regularly. Judges will evaluate clarity of the user, usefulness of the product, and the likelihood of adoption beyond the hackathon.

Examples include consumer SaaS applications, personal finance, workflow or productivity systems, personal finance or decision-support tools, creator or utility software, communication or coordination platforms, and personalized user-facing systems.

Finance, Enterprise & Infrastructure Projects in this track focus on the systems that power organizations, markets, and large-scale operations. Submissions may address financial workflows, enterprise processes, or foundational software that enables reliability, security, scalability, and coordination at scale.

Examples include financial tools, developer tools, dashboards, analytics & data platforms, B2B SaaS software, cybersecurity, security & compliance software, and other infrastructure-layer products.

Venture Track This track is for teams building on product ideas that existed prior to the hackathon. Submissions are evaluated on technical rigor, product coherence, and momentum toward a real product. Judges will prioritize meaningful progress made during the hackathon as well as the strength of the product’s long-term thesis & roadmap beyond the hackathon. Itinerary:

Workshops

1. Building an app with AI tools: Claude, Lovable etc. 

2. Data Analytics & Decision Systems: Turning raw data into decisions, how to analyze data. 

3. 0 to 1 Product Strategy: How to go from a vague idea to a sharp problem statement. Defining who the user actually is. What is a tangible MVP? How do you prioritize the first thing to achieve & balance the bigger picture? 

4. Selling (yourself & the product): Storytelling via pitching, selling yourself & product to consumer (briefly touch on GTM)

 

 

Rubric:

1. Problem Understanding & Definition 

What judges are evaluating:

• Does the team clearly articulate the actual problem?

• Evidence that the problem exists beyond the team’s intuition (user pain, prior attempts, system gaps) based on verifiable data. How 

• Clear articulation of why existing solutions fail or are insufficient

Penalty trigger: oversimplified or artificial problem statements

1. Practicality & Feasibility 

(Mentor emphasis: timeline + realism)

What judges are evaluating:

• Could this reasonably work in the real world?

• Does the solution respect technical, operational, or market constraints?

• Did the team push the build as far as possible within the 48-hour sprint?

• Does the team have a realistic path to acquire the first 100 users?

1. Innovation & Creativity 

What judges are evaluating:

• Degree of originality in the proposed solution or product concept

• Uniqueness of the core idea relative to existing solutions in the market

• Is it novel/unique idea, with potential to be an industry disruptor?

4. Product Functionality & End-to-End Flow 

(Does the prototype actually work as a product?)

What judges are evaluating:

• Whether the primary user journey can be completed end-to-end without manual intervention or scripted paths

• Whether core features are functionally connected, not isolated demos or disconnected screens

• Whether the product supports real interactions with state, logic, or data (e.g., inputs change outputs, actions trigger system behavior, workflows progress)

• Whether the prototype is fully clickable through the intended experience

• Whether the system behaves consistently and predictably across repeated use

• Awareness of architectural tradeoffs, bottlenecks, and potential system stress points

 

5. Technical Implementation & Build Depth 

(How much of the real system was built, and how well does it function?)

What judges are evaluating:

• Presence of real application logic, workflows, or integrations beyond layout and styling

• Use of data handling or persistence (real or mock) that reflects realistic system behavior

• Evidence that technical choices were intentional and aligned to the product’s needs, not just default scaffolding

• Ability of the team to clearly explain how the system functions at a high level when questioned

• Degree of implementation depth achieved within the hackathon timeframe

• Clear articulation of pragmatic next steps and roadmap for continued development beyond the hackathon

Penalty triggers:

• Reliance on auto-generated tools or templates without understanding or modification

• Inability to explain how core functionality is implemented

• Minimal technical substance relative to the product claims

Important

• Working systems are valued over mockups, slides, or demos with hidden logic

Notes: TAM - Total addressable market. How relevant is this problem to the world. How scalable is this? How does this increase quality of life or save people time? What would it take to get first 100 users!

Prizes:

3 winners across all tracks. Tracks serve to provide a starting point for hackers to think about problems in different industries. Tracks will also align you to certain mentors to get time with. 

1st Place - $3000 

2nd Place - $2000

3rd Place - $1000

Or

Nvidia down to provide GTC tickets for $930 per person for entire 4 day conference: PRIZE FOR who showed the most technical creativity!!