Opportunity brief
Note:
Mandatory Registration On: https://techfest.org/competitions/perceptron-hackathonWhatsapp
WhatsApp Group Link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hfvt3cKRZRRBaVHYsAf7uDs=cl&p=a&mlu=4&ilr=4
About:
Perceptron Hackathon 2026 is presented by the IITB-Optiver AI Innovation Lab and invites builders to tackle ten concrete, technically demanding problems spanning efficient AI systems, causal reasoning, financial markets, multi-agent coordination, education, and trustworthy AI. Teams pick one of six themes and then one specific problem within it, and Round 1 is judged purely on the depth and rigor of their technical plan, not a working prototype. Finalists go on to present their built solutions before a joint panel of Optiver and IIT Bombay judges at Techfest, IIT Bombay, Asia's largest science and technology festival.
Structure:
- The competition runs in two rounds, with Round 2 as an in-person final at Techfest, IIT Bombay.
- Eligibility: Open to all students with a valid ID from their educational institution. Cross-institutional teams are encouraged.
- Team Size: Maximum 3 members per team.
- Themes & Problems: Teams choose one problem statement from 10 listed across 6 themes:
- Efficient AI at Scale
- Cause & Effect in AI Decisions
- Markets & Trading Intelligence
- Agents That Compete/Cooperate/Adapt
- AI That Teaches
- AI You Can Actually Trust
- Some themes offer a choice between 2–3 related problems; the team picks exactly one problem as its Round 1 submission.
Round 1 - Online Abstract Submission:
Teams submit a 600–900 word abstract, along with an optional 1-page architecture diagram, covering:
- The chosen problem and why they selected it.
- Their understanding of its core technical difficulty.
- A concrete proposed approach naming specific techniques, tools, and datasets.
- How they will meet the problem's Minimum Viable bar.
- Which stretch goals they would attempt.
- Any novelty/differentiation.
- Their evaluation plan.
- Team fit and risks.
No code, results, or working prototypes are required at this stage. Only the Team Leader may submit, and multiple submissions are not accepted.
Midway Check:
Roughly 15 days before the finals, each shortlisted team submits a 1-page progress report confirming they are on track. This is a lightweight, unscored checkpoint to flag teams needing support before final judging.
Round 2 - Finals:
- 25–30 teams are shortlisted across all themes combined, not per theme, for the in-person finals at IIT Bombay.
- Teams must bring a working code/prototype demonstrating their Minimum Viable scope and any stretch goals attempted.
- Round 1 was plan-only, but Round 2 requires an actual functioning build to present and demo to the judges.
- Each team presents to a joint panel of Optiver and IIT Bombay judges.
- Scores are normalized across all finalist teams on a common scale.
- The top 3 teams overall, not per theme, are declared winners.
Timeline:
- Registration Closes: 15th October 2026
- Round 1 Submission Deadline: 31st October 2026
- Shortlist Announcement: 10th November 2026
- Midway Check: 1st December 2026
- Finals: 15th–18th December 2026
Rewards And Prizes:
- Top 3 Winners: INR 2,00,000
- Certificates: All participants who qualify for Round 2 will receive a certificate.