Build North: Ship Something Real

Overview

Build North: Ship Something Real is a virtual AI build sprint hosted by Georgian and partners like Anthropic, Google Cloud for Startups, and TAPNET. Participants are challenged to identify a real problem and user, then build a solution with startup potential. The hackathon encourages both seasoned engineers and students to bring their ideas to life, offering hands-on support from partner teams and mentors during Build Week. Participants can work individually or in teams of up to four. The focus is on creating a project that addresses a genuine need and has a credible path to production, rather than just a business plan. While open-ended, there are specific categories sponsored by partners like Expo, Clerk, Eon, and SurrealDB, where using their platforms plays a key role. Projects must be submitted through a Devpost page, including a public GitHub repository, a live link if applicable, and an optional demo video. A project write-up detailing the build, tech stack, and partner platforms used is also required. Disclosure of any prior work or templates used is mandatory. The top 10 teams will be announced on October 26, 2026, and will present their projects live at Demo Day in Toronto on October 29, 2026. At least one team member must attend in person for the Demo Day. Winners will receive non-cash prizes across various categories, with the Best Overall team earning a Georgian Golden Ticket for investor introductions.

What to build

An app, an agent, a browser extension, a hardware project, or something else entirely, provided it addresses a chosen real problem for a specific user, offers a clear value-add, and has a credible path to production. Optional use of partner platforms like Expo (for mobile apps), Clerk (for authentication), Eon (for AI agent testing), or SurrealDB (for agent memory) can qualify projects for category prizes.

Prizes

Key dates

• Submission DeadlineOct 25, 2026 @ 11:59 PM ET
• Top 10 Teams AnnouncedOct 26, 2026
• Hackathon DeadlineOct 26, 2026 @ 12:00am EDT
• Demo Day in TorontoOct 29, 2026

Eligibility

Ages 18+ only. All countries/territories, excluding standard exceptions. At least one person on the team needs to be able to attend Demo Day in Toronto in person.

How to enter

1. Join the hackathon
2. Pick a real problem with a real user
3. Build a project towards solving it, with startup potential
4. Submit your project through a single Devpost project page by the deadline

Submission requirements

• Public GitHub repository of your code
• Live link (if applicable) for deployed app, App Store listing, or test build
• Demo video (optional, 4 minutes or less, shareable link, no login required)
• Project write-up covering what was built, why, tech stack, and partner platforms used (if any)
• List of every team member (up to four)
• Disclosure of prior work, templates, or scaffolding used, explaining what was built or changed during Build Week

Judging criteria

• Innovation: Going beyond obvious solutions and applications.
• Real-World Impact: Clear user, value-add, and a path to production.
• UI & Design: Usable by a real user, thoughtful and effective UI elements.
• Tech & Deployment: Solid architecture, tech stack, and deployed, serving features.
• Security & Ethics: Responsible applications, guardrails, and safe handling of user data.

Sponsors & partners