Urban Innovation Hackathon

Feel free to send us all your questions to Noel Pintér on Slack or to [email protected]

What is the Urban Innovation Hackathon?

The Urban Innovation Hackathon is a 5-day-event for entrepreneurs, in which participants in teams of 2 to 5 people (programmers, designers, managers, analysts, etc) can create prototypes and/or business models of deeptech solutions. 

How long is the hackathon?

The actual HackWeek runs from 19 to 23 June, 2023.

Who can attend the Urban Innovation Hackathon?

The Urban Innovation Hackathon is targeted at creative minds with a hacker spirit (in the classical definition of the word). 

How are applicants selected?

The Urban Innovation Hackathon is open for all entrepreneurs. However, only a project team of a minimum of 2 hackers - that either came into the hackathon as a team or a newly formed team during the hackathon - will be eligible for prizes. Matching can be done individually via TAIKAI based on the candidate profiles. CVs don't matter, please don't paste full CVs as an application pitch. What matters is your potential and your passion for technology, no matter your level of experience. 

How much does it cost?

The Urban Innovation Hackathon is free for all hackers. 

What will the winners get?

The winners will be awarded with the following prizes, according to their ranking: 

• Prize 1: Access to the Drivery's GPU farm for a month combined with 1:1 coaching and a special software access
  worth 2.500€
• Prize 2: Access to the Drivery's GPU farm for a month combined with credits for One Co-Working and a special 1:1 coaching worth 1.500€
• Prize 3: A VR headset combined with credits for One Co-Working worth 1.000€

*Please note that upon request, our prizes can be combined differently in the given value-range, allowing you to create a unique and tailored reward package. 

Additional prizes will be communicated to the hackers before 19 June, 2023.  

How will the hackathon go?

The HackWeek will start on Monday 19 June, 2023. On Tuesday, 20 June, 2023 registration closes at 10 AM CEST. On Thursday, 22 June, 2023 we will organize a special Pitch coaching session, which is mandatory for being eligible for the final pitching of the developed solutions. Please decide till then if you will present on Friday, 23 June, 2023. The closing time to send in your pitch will be on Friday, 23 June, 2023 at 11:00 CEST.

The mentors and coaches will be available for questions during the HackWeek. Slack will be our main platform for communication, therefore we recommend you to join our Slack channel. For the presentation and protection of our solutions we chose Zoom. Please install this app in advance and test it with your team members. These channels are for all participants free of charge, due to our subscription packages. Our working hours are in the CEST zone.

Who is a mentor?

An individual with business experience and experience working with startups, engaged by the organizer of the hackathon to accompany and advise teams in terms of product thinking, team building, resource planning. The coach assists the teams in setting goals and monitors their achievement during the hackathon. 

How do I book a mentor session?

Please check out the mentor profiles on our hackathon website. You can send the mentor a message on TAIKAI by clicking underneath their profile on ‘’send a message’’. You can also contact the mentor in Slack through the special Slack channels we have for the hackathon. We highly recommend you to join our mentoring Slack channel. Several mentors will be available in the channel to answer your questions.

How to communicate team topics in Slack?

We recommend you to create a closed Slack channel for your own team. In this channel you can communicate with your team. Slack also offers a lot of useful features. You can call each other or start a huddle within your channel, but you can also record a video or audio clip and send it.

What are the requirements for the developed solution (prototype)?

Blow us away! Be as creative as possible! However, please note that the created prototype must not: 

• contain elements of pornography or other materials of a sexual nature

• elements and information promoting violence, inciting social, racial, national or religious hatred and enmity, or containing calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order and inciting ethnic hatred

• contain malware, viruses, spyware and other similar electronic programs that may harm the information system or violate the laws that protect the confidentiality of information

• contain pre-prepared code/part of code

What programming languages and technical tools can I use?

Participants are not limited in the choice of programming languages, technologies and implementation tools for creating prototypes, provided that the result of the work solves the problem identified in the case. The prototype can use publicly available resources, libraries, templates, third-party software, as an add-on or basis, however, such add-ons must be available to absolutely every contestant without using or attracting any external resources (money, acquaintances, etc.).

What is the format of the hackathon?

The hackathon will be held online with the potential opportunity to pitch on-site in our designated studio. Final details will be shared by the beginning of the HackWeek. The minimum requirement for being eligible for the prizes is despite of this potential on-site pitching opportunity the final project presentation online. 

Can I register our company employees in bulk?

No, candidates must register and apply individually.

Do you pay for the attendees' transportation and/or accommodation costs?

No. 

Do I have to participate in the 5-day program every day?

No, but we do encourage you to participate in the most important events and workshops during HackWeek. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities to choose from.

To be eligible for the pitch, your team has to attend the Pitch Coaching or has to schedule a 1:1 session with our Pitch Coach, Maren Lesche.

When will the schedule be available?

A detailed schedule is available on our Hackathon page on TAIKAI. We will also share more insights throughout our online meetups on 30 May and 7 June, 2023.

I am under 18 years old, but I want to take part in the hackathon. Is there such an opportunity?

An individual who has reached the age of 18 can take part in the competition. If a team member is under 18 years old, he/she will unfortunately be disqualified regardless of his/her place in the hackathon.

Why is the official language English?

Most of our participants are from different countries, we have attendees coming from all over the world. English is usually well understood and accepted. Our main motivation is technology and talent, and these are global attributes, so our main 'language' is what we use to code. English is not the only language at the event, though. 

Do I get a participation certificate at the end?

Yes, we can provide participation certificates on demand in the days following the Urban Innovation Hackathon. Just make sure you actually participate.

Can I participate in multiple teams?

No, each confirmed participant has the opportunity to participate in only one team. You can propose two ideas and start gathering a team but at the end you have to decide which project you want to put into the ring during the pitch event.

I'm a techie, but I also do recruiting. Is it OK if I talk to someone at the Urban Innovation Hackathon to see if they're interested in working with me?

You cannot engage in direct recruitment activities during the Urban Innovation Hackathon. This is one of the core rules of the event. The attendees don't enjoy unsolicited targeting, and we don't want to turn the event into a battlefield for hires. Trust us, it's better for you, not only for attendees. Having said this, it's OK if the interest is mutual and both parties want to talk (meaning the attendee approaches you). It's definitely NOT OK if you're preaching to the crowd or fishing around for interest.