Meta - Quest 3S 128GB

Hiboy S2 Electric Scooter

Bose QuietComfort SC Noise Canceling Headphones

LEGO Disney & Pixar Wall-E & EVE

This category emphasizes the growth and potential of new hackers. Each subcategory evaluates a crucial aspect of the hackathon experience for beginners: their ability to document and communicate their work, their learning process and growth, and their technical execution. The combined scores provide a comprehensive view of the team's achievement as first-time hackers.

Roots Bluetooth® Speaker

This category emphasizes the importance of environmental consciousness in technology solutions. The scoring evaluates measurable environmental impact, practical implementation feasibility, and innovative approaches to sustainability challenges. Higher scores are awarded to projects that demonstrate potential for meaningful environmental benefit while maintaining practical viability.

$250 cash prize for each member + Arduino UNO Q Starter Kit

Think you can push the Arduino UNO Q Board to its limits? Qualcomm wants to find out! Build the most creative, unexpected, and innovative project using the board, and you could win big at IrvineHacks. This is your chance to impress industry leaders and show the world what next-level hardware hacking looks like!

$150 worth of First American Merch + guaranteed 1st round interview for Summer ‘26 internship, for each member

Create an innovative and impactful AI application for the real estate sector. The winning project should demonstrate how AI can solve meaningful problems, simplify complex processes, or unlock new opportunities across buying, selling, and financing property. Whether teams focus on smarter search and personalization, faster and more transparent underwriting, automated title and closing workflows, predictive operations and maintenance, or clearer valuation and climate risk insights, entries should show practical technical execution, thoughtful UX, and a working demo that highlights AI’s transformative potential in real estate.
Potential spaces to explore, but not limited to:
Smart Property Search & Personalization: AI-driven search and recommender experiences that find the right homes for the right people, faster and with explainable matches.
Neighborhood Insights & Livability Scoring: Personalized neighborhood indices and visual maps combining transit, schools, safety, and amenities.
Visual Staging & Virtual Tours: AR/ML-powered staging and immersive tours that transform how buyers experience a property online.
Accessibility & Inclusive Housing Tech: Features and interfaces that make housing discovery, access, and living easier and fairer for all users.

Guaranteed 1st round interview for Summer ‘26 internship, for each member

Create an innovative and impactful AI application for the real estate sector. The winning project should demonstrate how AI can solve meaningful problems, simplify complex processes, or unlock new opportunities across buying, selling, and financing property. Whether teams focus on smarter search and personalization, faster and more transparent underwriting, automated title and closing workflows, predictive operations and maintenance, or clearer valuation and climate risk insights, entries should show practical technical execution, thoughtful UX, and a working demo that highlights AI’s transformative potential in real estate. Potential spaces to explore, but not limited to: Smart Property Search & Personalization: AI-driven search and recommender experiences that find the right homes for the right people, faster and with explainable matches. Neighborhood Insights & Livability Scoring: Personalized neighborhood indices and visual maps combining transit, schools, safety, and amenities. Visual Staging & Virtual Tours: AR/ML-powered staging and immersive tours that transform how buyers experience a property online. Accessibility & Inclusive Housing Tech: Features and interfaces that make housing discovery, access, and living easier and fairer for all users.

iPad + $100 worth of Opennote Merch

This category is about craft. We're looking for projects where every detail feels intentional—where the interface isn't just functional but a pleasure to use. The scoring considers clarity of design, how naturally users can navigate the experience, and whether the team paid attention to the details. We look for work that shows someone genuinely cared about how it feels, not just whether it works.

$150 + $50 worth of Opennote merch for each member

This category is about craft. We're looking for projects where every detail feels intentional—where the interface isn't just functional but a pleasure to use. The scoring considers clarity of design, how naturally users can navigate the experience, and whether the team paid attention to the details. We look for work that shows someone genuinely cared about how it feels, not just whether it works.

$50 Visa gift cards for each member of the team + instant admission to our Technical Fellowship

This category rewards projects that identify a real AI risk and propose a concrete, realistic mitigation. Higher scores reflect solutions that could realistically improve AI safety today, not just in theory.

Drone with 1080P Camera

This award recognizes the most creative and impactful project that connects technology with the brain, mind, or human behavior. Participants are not expected to have a background in neuroscience or neurology.