Guwahati, Oct 23: Developers will race against the clock to turn ideas into working artificial intelligence (AI) products at a 24-hour hackathon at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati on October 24 and 25.
Hackyard Technologies Private Limited, an Assam-based technology company, will host Build 2026, bringing together developers selected from thousands of applicants for an intensive, in-person buildathon.
The event aims to connect Northeast India’s emerging technology talent with founders, investors and the wider startup ecosystem, with participants expected to develop AI-powered products during the non-stop 24-hour challenge.
Organisers have announced a cash prize pool of up to ₹44.75 lakh, along with additional partner challenges.
Three Y Combinator F26 companies — ByteAsk, Agent37 and Nodus Compute — are sponsoring the event. Founders from Y Combinator-backed startups, including Maritime, Clean and Nodus Compute, will lead sessions over the two days, sharing their experiences of building companies.
Hackyard co-founder and chief executive Shyamol Konwar said the event was intended to strengthen the Northeast’s technology ecosystem and give young people more opportunities to build products and launch companies.
The hackathon will bring the region’s developers into contact with founders, tools and a wider technology community, he said, adding that the goal was to demonstrate that globally competitive products could be built from the Northeast.
The event will also feature online challenges, including an Agent37 challenge and an open-source challenge by Nodus Compute, allowing developers beyond the in-person participants to take part.
Organisers said founders associated with Y Combinator-backed startups would judge the final round live from San Francisco.
Hub News, a digital news platform covering Assam and the Northeast, will serve as the event’s official digital media partner, covering the hackathon and its results.
Build 2026 is Hackyard’s flagship hackathon. The company says it is building a global network of developers, with the event bringing that ambition to its home base in Assam.
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