Catalyst Hack 2026

Catalyst Hack 2026 is a fully online technology and innovation hackathon organised by Catalyst Crew Dev Community, in collaboration with Posterwa and AWS SBG PSIT.

The hackathon brings together student developers, innovators, designers, and technology enthusiasts to transform meaningful ideas into practical, scalable, and impactful solutions for real-world problems.

Why Join?

• Upto ₹20,000 Cash Prizes
• Cloud Innovation Opportunity
• Build Real-World Solutions
• Certificates & Recognition

No Team? No Problem!

Fill The Form: Formstuff.in and find teammates based on your skills, interests & ideas.

Basic Event Details:

• Event Name: Catalyst Hack 2026
• Organizer: Catalyst Crew Dev Community
• Mode: Fully Online
• Team Size: 4–5 members
• Participation Fee: Free
• Round 2 Fee: ₹50/member- Only For Shortlisted Teams
• Tagline: IDEATE • BUILD • IMPACT

Important Dates:

• 25 September 2026: Registration Opens
• 20 October 2026: Registration & Round 1 PPT/Idea Submission Deadline
• 24 October 2026: Semi-Final – Online Mentor Screening
• 25 October 2026: Final Hackathon – 10-Hour Online Build & Demo

Eligibility & Team Formation:

• Each team must consist of 4–5 members.
• Team members can belong to different branches, years, specializations, or colleges.
• Inter-college teams are allowed.
• Inter-branch and inter-year teams are allowed.
• No team member changes are permitted after registration without prior approval from the organizers.
• Participants must provide accurate registration and contact information.
• All team members are expected to follow the event rules, deadlines, and code of conduct.

Hackathon Themes:

Participants can choose a problem and develop a solution under any of the following themes:

• AI for Humanity
• ClimateTech & Sustainability
• Future of Education
• FinTech & Financial Inclusion
• Cybersecurity & Digital Trust
• Smart Cities & CivicTech
• AgriTech & Rural Innovation
• AI Agents & Autonomous Systems
• Blockchain for Real-World Impact
• Open Innovation

Participants should focus on solving meaningful problems through innovative and technically feasible solutions.

Competition Structure:

Round 1 – Online PPT & Idea Submission

The first round focuses on problem identification, innovation, solution design, technical planning, and feasibility.

Teams must submit a concise presentation covering:

• Problem Statement
• Target Users
• Proposed Solution
• Key Features
• Innovation / Uniqueness
• Technology Stack
• System Architecture
• Expected Impact
• Feasibility
• Scalability
• Future Roadmap
• Conclusion

PPT Structure:

• Slide 1: Title & Team Introduction
• Slide 2: Problem Statement & Target Users
• Slide 3: Proposed Solution
• Slide 4: Key Features & Innovation
• Slide 5: Technology Stack & Architecture
• Slide 6: Impact, Feasibility & Scalability
• Slide 7: Prototype, Future Roadmap & Conclusion

Round 1 Deadline: 20 October 2026

Round 2 – Semi-Final: Online Mentor Screening

Teams shortlisted from Round 1 will proceed to an online mentor screening round.

The semi-final will evaluate:

• Solution Pitch
• Technical Understanding
• Technical Feasibility
• Scalability
• Execution Readiness
• Overall Solution Approach

Teams should be prepared to explain their idea clearly, defend their technical decisions, and demonstrate that the proposed solution can realistically be developed and implemented.

Semi-Final Date: 24 October 2026

Round 3 – Final Hackathon

Selected finalist teams will participate in a 10-hour online build sprint.

During the final round, teams will develop their proposed solution and demonstrate their implementation.

Final Deliverables:

• Working Prototype
• Source Code / Repository
• Project Documentation
• Final Presentation
• Required demonstration of the developed solution

Final Hackathon Date: 25 October 2026

Duration: 10 Hours

Mode: Online

Use Of AI & Technology:

Participants are allowed to use:

• AI tools
• Development frameworks
• APIs
• Open-source resources

However, the use of such resources must follow the event's applicable policies and required disclosure.

Teams are expected to demonstrate genuine understanding and contribution toward their submitted solution.

Rules & Guidelines:

• Each team must have 4–5 members.
• Team members may belong to different branches, academic years, or colleges.
• Team member changes after registration require organizer approval.
• Participants must provide accurate registration and contact information.
• All submissions must be completed within the specified deadlines.
• Plagiarism, code copying, and unauthorized reuse of existing solutions are strictly prohibited.
• AI tools, frameworks, APIs, and open-source resources are permitted subject to the applicable disclosure requirements.
• Participants must maintain professional conduct throughout the competition.
• Participants must follow all event instructions and submission requirements.
• Any violation of the event rules or code of conduct may result in disqualification.

Elimination / Disqualification:

A team may be disqualified if it:

• Fails to submit required deliverables within the specified deadlines.
• Is found guilty of plagiarism.
• Uses unauthorized or undisclosed reused solutions.
• Engages in unfair practices.
• Violates event rules or the code of conduct.
• Misses mandatory presentations.
• Misses the mentor screening.
• Misses required demonstrations.
• Provides false or misleading registration information.

Prizes:

Total Prize Pool: Up to ₹20,000

E-Certificates:

E-certificates will be provided to Semi-Finalists and Finalists.

Judging Criteria:

• Problem Understanding – 15%
• Innovation & Originality – 20%
• Solution Quality – 20%
• Technical Feasibility – 15%
• Impact / Usefulness – 10%
• Scalability – 10%
• Presentation Clarity – 10%

Total – 100%

The judging focuses on how well teams understand the problem, the originality and quality of their solution, technical feasibility, real-world usefulness, scalability, and clarity of presentation.

Official Communication:

All participants are required to join the official WhatsApp communication group.

Important information including official announcements, deadlines, round-wise instructions, important links, participant updates, and event-related communication will be shared through the official group.

Official WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JMueST1O52NEmwY7Xji92l?s=cl&p=a&mlu=4&ilr=4

About The Organizer:

Catalyst Crew Dev Community is the organising developer community behind Catalyst Hack 2026. The community focuses on bringing student developers, innovators, and technology enthusiasts together through:

• Collaborative learning
• Technical activities
• Community initiatives
• Innovation-driven events

Organizer: Catalyst Crew Dev Community

Event: Catalyst Hack 2026

Tagline: IDEATE • BUILD • IMPACT

Participation Summary:

Catalyst Hack 2026 provides participants with a structured journey from idea → screening → mentorship → development → final demonstration.

Teams will first present and submit their idea through the PPT round, shortlisted teams will undergo mentor screening, and selected finalists will get a 10-hour online build sprint to turn their concept into a working prototype.

Participants are encouraged to focus on real-world problems, meaningful innovation, technical feasibility, practical impact, and scalable solutions.

Bring your idea. Build your solution. Create real-world impact.

CATALYST HACK 2026

IDEATE • BUILD • IMPACT