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AI/ML Hackathons — March 2026 Landscape

Research Report

> Research date: 2026-03-18 > Scope: AI/ML hackathons with prize pools >= $5,000, active or upcoming around March 2026

1. GPU MODE Virtual Hackathon: E2E Model Speedrun

Name: GPU MODE Virtual Hackathon: E2E Model Speedrun
Organiser: AMD + GPU MODE community
Domain/Category: AI/ML — LLM inference optimization, GPU kernel programming
Prize Pool: $1,100,000 total (cash — largest AI hackathon prize pool found)
Dates: Phase 1 (Qualifiers): March 6 – April 6, 2026; Phase 2 (Finals): April 7 – May 15, 2026; Awards ceremony: May 18, 2026
Status: ACTIVE (Phase 1 ongoing)
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Luma / custom
URL: https://www.amd.com/en/developer/resources/technical-articles/2026/new-gpumode-virtual-hackathon--e2e-model-speedrun.html / https://luma.com/cqq4mojz
Key Themes/Tracks: Phase 1: MXFP4 MoE kernels, MLA Decode, MXFP4 GEMM optimization on AMD MI355X; Phase 2: End-to-end inference of DeepSeek-R1, Kimi 2K.5
Notable Sponsors: AMD (Instinct MI355X GPUs)
Team Size: Up to 3 members
Open to: Anyone — developers, ML researchers, systems engineers, open-source contributors
Quality Signal: Very high. AMD is a major semiconductor company. GPU MODE is a respected community. $1.1M is serious money.
Notes: This is a serious systems-level competition, not a typical "build an app" hackathon. Requires deep GPU programming knowledge. Prize is cash.

2. Gemini 3 Hackathon

Name: Gemini 3 Hackathon: Build what's next
Organiser: Google DeepMind
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Generative AI applications
Prize Pool: $100,000 total (cash). Grand Prize: $50,000; 2nd: $20,000; 3rd: $10,000; 10 Honorable Mentions: $2,000 each
Dates: December 17, 2025 – February 9, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Devpost
URL: https://gemini3.devpost.com/
Key Themes/Tracks: ML/AI, Open Ended, Social Good — must use Gemini 3 API
Notable Sponsors: Google DeepMind
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Above legal age of majority; global with exclusions
Quality Signal: Very high. Google DeepMind is a top-tier organizer. Previous editions exist.
Notes: Already ended but provides context. Winners also get interviews with AI Futures Fund for potential project funding.

3. Amazon Nova AI Hackathon

Name: Amazon Nova AI Hackathon
Organiser: Amazon
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Agentic AI, Multimodal, Voice AI, UI Automation
Prize Pool: $95,000 total ($40,000 cash + $55,000 AWS credits). 1st: $15,000 cash + $5,000 credits; 2nd: $7,000 cash + $5,000 credits; 5 track prizes: $3,000 cash + $5,000 credits each; 100 blog prizes: $200 credits each; 60 feedback prizes: $50 cash each
Dates: February 2 – March 16, 2026
Status: Recently ended (deadline was March 16)
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Devpost
URL: https://amazon-nova.devpost.com/
Key Themes/Tracks: Agentic AI, Multimodal Understanding, UI Automation, Voice AI, Freestyle
Notable Sponsors: Amazon, IBM
Team Size: Individual, team, or organization
Open to: Ages 18+; country restrictions apply
Quality Signal: Very high. Amazon is a top-tier sponsor. Real cash + credits.
Notes: Mix of cash and AWS credits. Credits portion ($55K) is significant but not liquid.

4. Gemini Live Agent Challenge

Name: Gemini Live Agent Challenge: Redefining Interaction
Organiser: Google
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Multimodal AI agents, Live interaction
Prize Pool: $80,000 total (cash). Grand Prize: $25,000; 3 track prizes: $10,000 each; 3 special prizes: $5,000 each; 5 Honorable Mentions: $2,000 each
Dates: February 16 – March 16, 2026
Status: Recently ended (deadline was March 16)
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Devpost
URL: https://geminiliveagentchallenge.devpost.com/
Key Themes/Tracks: Live Agents (real-time audio/vision), Creative Storyteller (multimodal storytelling), UI Navigator (visual UI understanding)
Notable Sponsors: Google (Gemini)
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Above legal age of majority; country exclusions apply
Quality Signal: Very high. Google-backed with clear prize structure.
Notes: Must use Gemini models, Google GenAI SDK or ADK, and at least one Google Cloud service. Grand prize winner also gets trip to Google Cloud Next '26 and stage presentation.

5. Kaggle: March Machine Learning Mania 2026

Name: March Machine Learning Mania 2026
Organiser: Kaggle (Google)
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Sports prediction / machine learning
Prize Pool: $50,000 (cash)
Dates: Active, final submission deadline March 19, 2026
Status: ACTIVE (deadline tomorrow)
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Kaggle
URL: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions/march-machine-learning-mania-2026/rules
Key Themes/Tracks: Predicting NCAA basketball tournament outcomes — probability forecasting for every possible matchup
Notable Sponsors: Kaggle/Google
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Global
Quality Signal: Very high. 12th annual edition. Kaggle is the gold standard for ML competitions.
Notes: Pure ML prediction challenge. Established annual competition.

6. SURGE x OpenClaw Hackathon

Name: SURGE x OpenClaw Hackathon
Organiser: SURGE / OpenClaw / Lablab.ai
Domain/Category: AI/ML — AI agents, crypto/AI intersection
Prize Pool: $50,000 in $SURGE tokens
Dates: February 4 – March 1, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Lablab.ai
URL: https://lablab.ai/ai-hackathons/openclaw-surge-hackathon
Key Themes/Tracks: AI agents, blockchain/crypto AI
Notable Sponsors: SURGE
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Anyone
Quality Signal: Medium. Prize is in crypto tokens ($SURGE), which adds volatility risk. Lablab.ai is a known platform.
Notes: Prize is in tokens, NOT cash. Actual value depends on $SURGE token price. Treat with caution.

7. Microsoft AI Dev Days Hackathon

Name: AI Dev Days Hackathon: Build the Future with AI Apps, Agents, and Secure DevOps
Organiser: Microsoft
Domain/Category: AI/ML — AI apps, agents, DevOps
Prize Pool: $29,570–$118,280 (depending on team sizes). Each category winner: $10,000 ($2,500/member, up to 4) + Microsoft Build 2026 in-person ticket
Dates: Registration: Jan 20 – Feb 22, 2026; Submissions: Feb 10 – March 15, 2026; Winners announced: ~March 25, 2026
Status: ACTIVE (judging period ongoing, March 16–22)
Format: Online
Location: N/A (Build tickets for in-person event)
Platform: Microsoft Reactor
URL: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/reactor/events/26647/
Key Themes/Tracks: AI apps, AI agents, Secure DevOps using Azure, GitHub, Microsoft Foundry
Notable Sponsors: Microsoft
Team Size: Up to 4 members
Open to: Global developers
Quality Signal: Very high. Microsoft is a top-tier sponsor. Build tickets are valuable.
Notes: Cash prizes plus coveted Microsoft Build 2026 conference tickets. Submission deadline just passed (March 15).

8. GenAI Zurich Hackathon 2026

Name: GenAI Zurich Hackathon 2026: From Prompt to Product
Organiser: GenAI Zurich
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Generative AI, real-world industry applications
Prize Pool: ~€13,420+ total. 1st: €5,450 (5,000 CHF cash + credits); 2nd: €3,800 (3,500 CHF cash + credits); 3rd: €1,625 (1,500 CHF cash + credits); Apify Challenge: up to €1,270; Qdrant Challenge: $1,500 cloud credits
Dates: Phase 1 (Online Build): March 2–18, 2026; Phase 2 (On-site): April 1–2, 2026
Status: ACTIVE (online build phase ending today, March 18)
Format: Hybrid — 2-week remote build + 2-day in-person in Zurich
Location: Zurich, Switzerland (Phase 2)
Platform: Devpost
URL: https://genaizurich.devpost.com/
Key Themes/Tracks: GenAI applications for industry and impact challenges
Notable Sponsors: Lovable, Hugging Face, Databricks, Apify, Qdrant, Sony AI, Siemens (20+ partners)
Team Size: Solo or up to 5
Open to: Global; above legal age of majority
Quality Signal: High. Strong sponsor list including Siemens, Sony AI, Databricks. Mix of cash and credits.
Notes: Interesting hybrid format. Swiss-based with serious corporate backing.

9. Built with Opus 4.6: Claude Code Hackathon

Name: Built with Opus 4.6: a Claude Code hackathon
Organiser: Cerebral Valley + Anthropic
Domain/Category: AI/ML — AI agents, AI-powered workflows, Claude API
Prize Pool: $100,000 in Claude API credits. 1st: $50,000; 2nd: $30,000; 3rd: $10,000; Special prizes: $5,000 each (Most Creative, "Keep Thinking")
Dates: February 10–17, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: Online (virtual)
Location: N/A (winners invited to SF birthday party Feb 21)
Platform: Cerebral Valley
URL: https://cerebralvalley.ai/e/claude-code-hackathon
Key Themes/Tracks: Building agents, reinventing workflows, novel problems using Opus 4.6
Notable Sponsors: Anthropic
Team Size: Max 2 members
Open to: Ages 18+; 500 approved participants (each received $500 in API credits)
Quality Signal: Very high. Anthropic is a leading AI company. Cerebral Valley is well-known in SF AI community.
Notes: Prize is entirely in API CREDITS, not cash. But $100K in Claude credits has genuine utility for AI developers. Exclusive (500-cap).

10. RAISE Summit 2026 Global AI Hackathon

Name: Global AI Hackathon at RAISE Summit 2026
Organiser: RAISE Summit / Chain Of Events
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Broad AI across infrastructure, applications, adoption, future
Prize Pool: €200,000 total (breakdown not detailed)
Dates: July 8–9, 2026
Status: Upcoming
Format: Hybrid — 24-hour in-person and remote
Location: Le Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
Platform: Custom (RAISE your Hack portal)
URL: https://www.raisesummit.com/post/world-largest-ai-hackathon-startup-competition-raise-summit-2026
Key Themes/Tracks: Foundation (infrastructure), Frontier (advanced apps, agentic systems), Friction (adoption, ROI, regulation), Future (AGI, sustainable AI)
Notable Sponsors: 2,000+ participating companies; also includes startup contest with €10M+ in funding
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: 8,000+ participants globally
Quality Signal: High. Prestigious Paris venue. Large-scale event. But €200K claim should be verified — may include non-cash elements.
Notes: Also features a startup contest with €10M+ in funding opportunities. Very large scale.

11. AI Hackathon Hamburg 2026

Name: AI Hackathon Hamburg 2026 — Germany's Biggest AI Hackathon
Organiser: AI BEAVERS
Domain/Category: AI/ML — General AI applications
Prize Pool: $300,000+ in total perks (MOSTLY CREDITS). Cash: $5,000 (1st only). Credits/perks: $10K–$15K OpenAI credits, $3.5K Cursor credits, $15K Gemini credits, software subscriptions
Dates: January 31 – February 1, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: In-person, 48-hour hackathon
Location: Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany
Platform: Luma
URL: https://ai-beavers.com/hackathon
Key Themes/Tracks: Multiple sponsor tracks — Gemini API, ElevenLabs audio, n8n automation, LangChain, MiniMax
Notable Sponsors: Cursor, OpenAI, Google DeepMind, ElevenLabs, n8n, Manus, Superhuman, Hume AI, LangChain, Runway, Miro
Team Size: Solo or up to 5
Open to: All builders; 400+ capacity; free entry
Quality Signal: High. Impressive sponsor list. But "$300K" headline is inflated — only $5K is actual cash. Rest is credits/subscriptions.
Notes: Classic case of inflated prize pool. Real cash value is $5,000. Credits are useful but not liquid. Good event though — strong sponsors.

12. AWS and Datadog Generative AI Hackathon 2026

Name: AWS and Datadog Generative AI Hackathon 2026
Organiser: AWS + Datadog
Domain/Category: AI/ML — AI agents, cloud infrastructure
Prize Pool: $15,000 in AWS credits + $10,000+ in other prizes
Dates: February 20, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: In-person
Location: AWS SF Loft, San Francisco
Platform: Datadog Events
URL: https://events.datadoghq.com/events/aws-generative-ai-hackathon-challenge-2026/
Key Themes/Tracks: AI agents using Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, Datadog MCP
Notable Sponsors: AWS, Datadog
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Not specified
Quality Signal: High. AWS and Datadog are major tech companies.
Notes: One-day event. Prizes mostly in credits.

13. GenAI Genesis 2026

Name: GenAI Genesis 2026 — Canada's Largest AI Hackathon
Organiser: GenAI Genesis Foundation + University of Toronto student communities
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Broad AI/ML applications
Prize Pool: CAD $20,000+ plus sponsored prizes (DJI drones, projectors, gaming chairs, gift cards, $1,000 cash from BorderPass, IBM office tours)
Dates: March 13–15, 2026
Status: Recently ended (March 15 deadline)
Format: Hybrid — 1,000+ in-person at UofT + 200+ virtual
Location: University of Toronto (Myhal Centre, Convocation Hall, Bahen Centre)
Platform: Devpost
URL: https://genai-genesis-2026.devpost.com/ / https://genaigenesis.ca/
Key Themes/Tracks: Fraud detection (TD), Healthcare with agentic AI (Sun Life), Sustainability, Community Impact (Google), Production tools (Bitdeer), Efficient Memory (Moorcheh AI)
Notable Sponsors: Google, Shopify, IBM, Vector Institute, Georgian, ElevenLabs, BorderPass, TD, Sun Life
Team Size: Teams required
Open to: Ages 13+; global with exclusions; friendly to first-time hackers
Quality Signal: High. Major corporate sponsors. University of Toronto backing. Previous editions.
Notes: Mix of cash and physical prizes. Strong lineup of corporate challenge tracks.

14. Return of the Agents — AI Hackathon

Name: Return of the Agents — AI Hackathon (Episode III)
Organiser: Afore Capital + AI Valley
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Generative AI, AI agents for startups
Prize Pool: $5,000+ cash (1st: $2,500; 2nd: $1,500; 3rd: $1,000) + funding opportunity ($500K–$2M+ pre-seed from Afore Capital)
Dates: February 21, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: Hybrid (in-person SF + virtual)
Location: San Francisco, CA
Platform: Luma / aforehacks.org
URL: https://www.aforehacks.org/
Key Themes/Tracks: Generative AI applications, image/video generation, multimodal platforms
Notable Sponsors: MiniMax, VAPI, Convex, Speechmatics, Plivo, ElevenLabs
Team Size: Solo or 2–4 recommended
Open to: Ambitious developers, founders, researchers
Quality Signal: High. Afore Capital is a real VC. Funding opportunity is the real prize here.
Notes: The real value is the $500K–$2M+ pre-seed investment opportunity, not the $5K prize pool. Third in a trilogy of hackathons.

15. IEEE IES Generative AI Challenge 2026

Name: IEEE IES Generative AI Challenge 2026
Organiser: IEEE Industrial Electronics Society
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Generative AI in industrial settings
Prize Pool: ~$18,000+ in travel grants. Top 3 per conference: $2,000 each; Next 3: $1,000 each. $100/team hardware/software budget. Presentations at IRAI 2026 (Melbourne) or IECON 2026 (Doha)
Dates: February – May 2026 (3-month hackathon)
Status: ACTIVE
Format: Online with in-person conference presentations
Location: Finals at Melbourne, Australia (Sep 3–5) or Doha, Qatar (Oct 18–21)
Platform: Custom (IEEE)
URL: https://ai.ieee-ies.org/
Key Themes/Tracks: Generative design for manufacturing, human-machine collaboration, anomaly detection, energy optimization, predictive maintenance
Notable Sponsors: IEEE IES
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Anyone, no IEEE membership required, no academic experience needed
Quality Signal: Very high. IEEE is a prestigious academic/professional organization. Leads to peer-reviewed publications.
Notes: Unique format — hackathon culminates in published conference papers. Travel grants, not traditional prizes. Academic-oriented.

16. USAII Global AI Hackathon 2026

Name: USAII Global AI Hackathon 2026
Organiser: United States Artificial Intelligence Institute (USAII)
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Real-world AI solutions
Prize Pool: $15,000+ (cash). $6,000 for High School category; $9,000 for College/Graduate category. Plus USAII AI certification scholarships.
Dates: June 14–21, 2026
Status: Upcoming (pre-registration open)
Format: Online (fully virtual)
Location: N/A
Platform: Custom (aihackathon.usaii.org)
URL: https://aihackathon.usaii.org/
Key Themes/Tracks: AI-powered solutions to real-world challenges
Notable Sponsors: ETA (collaborative sponsor)
Team Size: Small teams
Open to: Students only — Grade 9 through Doctoral level, worldwide
Quality Signal: Medium. USAII is a credentialing organization. Free to register. Student-focused.
Notes: Students only. Includes mentorship and judging. Pre-registration is free.

17. ET GenAI Hackathon 2026

Name: ET GenAI Hackathon 2026
Organiser: The Economic Times (Times Internet)
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Generative AI for real-world problems
Prize Pool: ₹10 lakh (~$12,000 USD). 1st: ₹5,00,000; 2nd: ₹3,00,000; 3rd: ₹2,00,000. Plus job/incubation offers and mentorship.
Dates: Multi-phase; registrations from Dec 26, 2025. Phase I shortlisting: Feb 7. Final live jury presentation TBD.
Status: Active (later phases ongoing)
Format: Online (multi-phase with live finale)
Location: India
Platform: Custom
URL: https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/et-genai-hackathon-2026-use-generative-ai-to-solve-real-world-problems/tldr
Key Themes/Tracks: Media, finance, healthcare, sustainability, smart cities, education, fintech, open innovation
Notable Sponsors: Economic Times / Times Internet
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Students and young innovators across India (55,000+ participants)
Quality Signal: High. The Economic Times is a major Indian publication. Massive participation.
Notes: India-focused. Prize is in INR. Job/incubation offers for winners add significant value.

18. Prompt a Startup 2026

Name: Prompt a Startup 2026
Organiser: Polar x Lovable
Domain/Category: AI/ML — AI-era startup building
Prize Pool: $10,000 (cash — single prize for startup with highest MRR after 1 month)
Dates: March 7–8, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: Hybrid — 40 in-person (Stockholm luxury spa) + remote global
Location: Stockholm, Sweden (in-person component)
Platform: Custom (hackathon.polar.sh)
URL: https://hackathon.polar.sh/
Key Themes/Tracks: Building monetized AI startups
Notable Sponsors: Polar, Lovable
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Vibe coders, students, founders, anyone interested in building
Quality Signal: Medium. Polar and Lovable are real companies but smaller. Unique MRR-based judging is interesting.
Notes: Must use Lovable for building and Polar for monetization. Prize based on actual revenue (MRR) after 1 month — unique and practical judging criteria.

19. OpenAI Codex Hackathon

Name: OpenAI Codex Hackathon
Organiser: OpenAI
Domain/Category: AI/ML — AI coding agents
Prize Pool: $90,000 in credits + 1 year ChatGPT Pro (top 3 teams)
Dates: February 5, 2026 (single day)
Status: Recently ended
Format: In-person
Location: OpenAI HQ
Platform: Cerebral Valley
URL: https://cerebralvalley.ai/e/openai-codex-hackathon
Key Themes/Tracks: Building with Codex AI coding agent
Notable Sponsors: OpenAI
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Invited/selected participants
Quality Signal: Very high. OpenAI-hosted at their HQ.
Notes: Prize is in credits, not cash. Exclusive event at OpenAI headquarters. One-day format.

20. OpenAI Stack Hack (Lablab.ai)

Name: OpenAI Stack Hack
Organiser: Lablab.ai + OpenAI
Domain/Category: AI/ML — OpenAI tools (Whisper, GPT, DALL-E)
Prize Pool: $5,000 cash (1st) + $10,000 credit package + Slingshot acceleration program spot
Dates: February 24 – March 3, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Lablab.ai
URL: https://lablab.ai/event/openai-hackathon
Key Themes/Tracks: Innovative solutions using OpenAI tools
Notable Sponsors: OpenAI, Lablab.ai
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Anyone
Quality Signal: Medium-high. Lablab.ai is an established hackathon platform. OpenAI backing.
Notes: Acceleration program spot may be more valuable than the cash prize for serious builders.

21. Complete AI Agent Hackathon (Lablab.ai)

Name: Complete AI Agent Hackathon
Organiser: Lablab.ai
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Agentic AI products
Prize Pool: $3,500
Dates: February 23 – March 1, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Lablab.ai
URL: https://lablab.ai/ai-hackathons/complete-ai-agent-hackathon
Key Themes/Tracks: End-to-end agentic AI product development; shared AI workspaces
Notable Sponsors: Lablab.ai
Team Size: Teams
Open to: Anyone
Quality Signal: Medium. Lablab.ai is established but prize pool is modest.
Notes: Below $5K threshold but included for completeness as it was very recent. 6-day format.

22. Agents World: Visual AI Hackathon at ASU

Name: Agents World: Visual AI Hackathon at ASU
Organiser: Voxel51 + Arizona State University (The GAME School)
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Computer vision, AI agents
Prize Pool: Multiple prizes (Grand Prize, Most Innovative, Most Impactful, Most Creative, custom plugin prize) — amounts not disclosed
Dates: March 21, 2026 (10 AM – 5 PM)
Status: Upcoming (3 days away)
Format: In-person
Location: Arizona State University, Stauffer B 125, 950 S. Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281
Platform: Voxel51 Events
URL: https://voxel51.com/events/agents-world-visual-ai-hackathon-at-asu-march-21-2026
Key Themes/Tracks: Autonomous vision agents using FiftyOne ecosystem, annotating, curating, evaluating models
Notable Sponsors: Voxel51, ASU
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Students interested in CV, AI agents, applied ML — no prior FiftyOne experience needed
Quality Signal: Medium. ASU is a real university. Voxel51/FiftyOne is a known CV platform. Prize amounts unclear.
Notes: Participants get an "Agentic AI Development Microcredential" from ASU. One-day format. Prize amounts not disclosed — may be below $5K threshold.

23. Low-Power Computer Vision Challenge (LPCV) 2026

Name: Low-Power Computer Vision Challenge 2026
Organiser: OpenCV
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Computer vision, efficiency
Prize Pool: $10,000+ per track (3 tracks = $30,000+ total estimated)
Dates: TBD (announced Jan 2026; conference May 4, 2026 in LA)
Status: Upcoming / Active
Format: Online competition
Location: Finals at OpenCV conference, Los Angeles
Platform: Custom
URL: https://opencv.org/blog/opencv-live-the-low-power-computer-vision-challenge-2026/
Key Themes/Tracks: Track 1: Image-to-Text Retrieval; Track 2: Action Recognition in Video; Track 3: AI Generated Images Detection
Notable Sponsors: OpenCV
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Not specified
Quality Signal: High. OpenCV is a foundational computer vision library. Multi-year competition series.
Notes: Each track has $10K+ in prizes. Academic/research-oriented challenge.

24. AMD Pervasive AI Developer Contest

Name: AMD Pervasive AI Developer Contest
Organiser: AMD + Hackster.io
Domain/Category: AI/ML — AI applications across hardware platforms
Prize Pool: $160,000 USD total cash + free hardware for up to 700 participants. Top prizes: $10,000/category. Student award: $2,500. Women in Tech award: $2,500.
Dates: Ongoing (multi-month)
Status: Active
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Hackster.io
URL: https://www.hackster.io/contests/amd2023
Key Themes/Tracks: Generative AI (MI210/Radeon PRO W7900), Robotics AI (KR260 kits), PC AI (Ryzen AI PCs)
Notable Sponsors: AMD
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Global developers; free hardware provided to 700 participants
Quality Signal: Very high. AMD is a major company. Hackster.io is established. Free hardware is a major differentiator.
Notes: Excellent deal — get free AMD hardware AND compete for $160K. Long-running contest format. The hardware itself is very valuable.

25. Kaggle: Hull Tactical Market Prediction

Name: Hull Tactical Market Prediction
Organiser: Hull Tactical / Kaggle
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Financial prediction
Prize Pool: $100,000 total. 1st: $50,000; additional prizes for runners-up.
Dates: Active, ending June 16, 2026
Status: ACTIVE
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Kaggle
URL: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions (search "Hull Tactical")
Key Themes/Tracks: Predicting market movements using ML
Notable Sponsors: Hull Tactical Asset Management
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Global
Quality Signal: High. Kaggle-hosted. Hull Tactical is a real hedge fund.
Notes: Financial ML competition with serious prize money.

26. Kaggle: BirdCLEF+ 2026

Name: BirdCLEF+ 2026
Organiser: Cornell Lab of Ornithology / Kaggle
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Acoustic species identification, biodiversity
Prize Pool: $50,000
Dates: Active (March 2026)
Status: ACTIVE
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Kaggle
URL: https://www.kaggle.com/competitions (search "BirdCLEF")
Key Themes/Tracks: Acoustic identification of bird species from Pantanal region (South America)
Notable Sponsors: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Global
Quality Signal: High. Cornell Lab is prestigious. Part of long-running BirdCLEF series.
Notes: Environmental/biodiversity-focused ML challenge.

27. DevNetwork [AI + ML] Hackathon 2026

Name: DevNetwork [AI + ML] Hackathon 2026
Organiser: DevNetwork
Domain/Category: AI/ML — DevOps, Enterprise ML
Prize Pool: Non-cash prizes only (Amazon Echos, conference passes, sponsor challenges "coming soon")
Dates: May 11–28, 2026
Status: Upcoming
Format: Hybrid — online + in-person awards at South San Francisco Conference Center
Location: South San Francisco, CA
Platform: Devpost
URL: https://devnetwork-ai-ml-hack-2026.devpost.com/
Key Themes/Tracks: DevOps, Enterprise, ML/AI
Notable Sponsors: Perfect Corp, BuildKite, Hud.io, Jellyfish
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Global; above legal age of majority
Quality Signal: Medium. No cash prizes. Sponsor challenges still "coming soon." 244 registered.
Notes: Below $5K cash threshold. Prizes are products/passes, not money. Co-located with AI DevSummit.

28. VISION-X 2026

Name: VISION-X 2026 — 36-Hour National Level Hackathon
Organiser: Swarnandhra College of Engineering & Technology (India)
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Computer vision, NLP
Prize Pool: ₹1,00,000 (~$1,200 USD)
Dates: March 6–7, 2026
Status: Recently ended
Format: In-person
Location: Swarnandhra College, India
Platform: Custom
URL: https://vision-x-iota.vercel.app/
Key Themes/Tracks: Computer vision and AI applications
Notable Sponsors: College-level
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Students (national level, India)
Quality Signal: Low. College-level hackathon. Prize pool below $5K threshold.
Notes: Included for completeness. Below $5K threshold in USD terms.

29. Anthropic x USC Claude Hackathon

Name: Anthropic x USC Claude Hackathon
Organiser: Anthropic + USC student organizations
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Claude API applications
Prize Pool: $4,000 total in Anthropic API credits (1st: $2,500; 2nd: $1,500)
Dates: May 3–5, 2025 (past event — 2025, not 2026)
Status: Past (2025)
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Devpost
URL: https://anthropic-usc-hackathon.devpost.com/
Key Themes/Tracks: Building with Claude API
Notable Sponsors: Anthropic
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Students; above legal age; global
Quality Signal: High (Anthropic) but prize is modest credits.
Notes: This was a 2025 event. Included as context. Below $5K threshold and prizes are credits.

30. MLSys 2026 Competition Track

Name: MLSys 2026 Competition Track (3 competitions)
Organiser: MLSys Conference + AWS, Google, NVIDIA
Domain/Category: AI/ML — Systems optimization, GPU kernels, graph scheduling
Prize Pool: Conference registration + compute credits (no disclosed cash prizes)
Dates: 2026 (aligned with MLSys conference)
Status: Active
Format: Online
Location: N/A (conference presentations)
Platform: Custom per competition
URL: https://mlsys.org/
Key Themes/Tracks: (1) AWS Trainium2/3 MoE Kernel Challenge; (2) Google Graph Scheduling Competition; (3) NVIDIA FlashInfer AI Kernel Generation Contest
Notable Sponsors: AWS, Google, NVIDIA
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Researchers and developers
Quality Signal: Very high. Top-tier sponsors and prestigious ML systems conference.
Notes: Prize is conference access and compute credits, not cash. Highly prestigious but not cash-rich. Includes Modal compute credits for NVIDIA B200 GPUs.

31. SaTML 2026 Competitions

Name: IEEE SaTML 2026 Competitions
Organiser: IEEE Conference on Secure and Trustworthy ML
Domain/Category: AI/ML — ML security, robustness, adversarial ML
Prize Pool: Not disclosed
Dates: 2026
Status: Active/Upcoming
Format: Online
Location: N/A
Platform: Custom
URL: https://satml.org/competitions/
Key Themes/Tracks: Anti-BAD (defending against LLM backdoors), AgentCTF (security of agentic systems)
Notable Sponsors: IEEE
Team Size: Not specified
Open to: Researchers
Quality Signal: High. IEEE-backed. Academically rigorous.
Notes: Prize amounts not disclosed. Included for completeness as an academic ML security competition.

Summary: Top AI/ML Hackathons by Prize Pool (Cash/Liquid Value)

Rank	Name	Prize Pool	Type	Status	Deadline
1	GPU MODE E2E Model Speedrun	$1,100,000	Cash	ACTIVE	Apr 6 (Ph1)
2	RAISE Summit Global AI Hackathon	€200,000	TBD	Upcoming	Jul 2026
3	AMD Pervasive AI Developer Contest	$160,000 + hardware	Cash	Active	Ongoing
4	Gemini 3 Hackathon	$100,000	Cash	Ended	Feb 9
5	Kaggle: Hull Tactical	$100,000	Cash	Active	Jun 16
6	Built with Opus 4.6 (Anthropic)	$100,000	API Credits	Ended	Feb 17
7	Amazon Nova AI Hackathon	$95,000 ($40K cash)	Mixed	Ended	Mar 16
8	OpenAI Codex Hackathon	$90,000	Credits	Ended	Feb 5
9	Gemini Live Agent Challenge	$80,000	Cash	Ended	Mar 16
10	Kaggle: March ML Mania 2026	$50,000	Cash	Active	Mar 19
11	Kaggle: BirdCLEF+ 2026	$50,000	Cash	Active	~Mar 2026
12	SURGE x OpenClaw	$50,000	Tokens	Ended	Mar 1
13	Microsoft AI Dev Days	$29K–$118K	Cash+Tix	Active (judging)	Mar 15
14	LPCV 2026	$30,000+ est.	Cash	Active	TBD
15	GenAI Genesis 2026 (Canada)	CAD $20,000+	Mixed	Ended	Mar 15
16	AWS + Datadog GenAI	$25,000+	Credits	Ended	Feb 20
17	IEEE IES GenAI Challenge	$18,000+ travel grants	Grants	Active	~May 2026
18	GenAI Zurich 2026	€13,420+	Mixed	ACTIVE	Mar 18
19	USAII Global AI Hackathon	$15,000+	Cash	Upcoming	Jun 2026
20	ET GenAI Hackathon (India)	₹10 lakh (~$12K)	Cash	Active	TBD

Key Observations

GPU MODE Speedrun ($1.1M) is by far the largest AI hackathon prize pool found. It requires serious GPU kernel optimization skills — not a typical app-building hackathon.

Inflated prize pools are common. AI Hackathon Hamburg claims "$300K+" but only $5K is cash. Built with Opus 4.6 is $100K but entirely in API credits. Always check cash vs. credits vs. tokens.

Google/DeepMind is very active with Gemini 3 ($100K), Gemini Live Agent Challenge ($80K), and regional hackathons. Their prizes tend to be actual cash.

Kaggle competitions remain the gold standard for pure ML challenges with verified cash prizes ($50K–$100K range).

Lablab.ai hosts many hackathons but prize pools are generally modest ($3.5K–$5K cash range) with credit packages.

The best active opportunities right now (March 18, 2026):

GPU MODE E2E Model Speedrun — $1.1M, Phase 1 until April 6
Kaggle March ML Mania — $50K, deadline March 19 (tomorrow!)
Kaggle Hull Tactical — $100K, deadline June 16
Kaggle BirdCLEF+ — $50K, active
AMD Pervasive AI Developer Contest — $160K + hardware, ongoing
IEEE IES GenAI Challenge — $18K+ travel grants, ongoing until May
GenAI Zurich — €13K+, online phase ending today

Upcoming (worth watching):

RAISE Summit Paris (Jul 2026) — €200K
USAII Global AI Hackathon (Jun 2026) — $15K+
DevNetwork AI+ML (May 2026) — prizes TBD