Build, Ship, Shape: Amazon Developer Hackathon

Overview

The Amazon Developer Hackathon, titled "Build, Ship, Shape," is a global competition for developers to create new experiences across Amazon's device ecosystem. This event uniquely brings together Fire TV, Alexa+, Ring, and Bee for the first time in a single hackathon, allowing participants to build for one product or integrate several to connect various aspects of daily life, from the living room to the front door and the cloud. Participants are encouraged to leverage Amazon's SDKs, simulators, and sample code, with support available through documentation and live office hours. AI tools are also provided to assist with prototyping and troubleshooting. The hackathon offers a platform for developers to contribute product feedback directly to the teams responsible for building these Amazon services. The competition features a total prize value of $190,000, comprising $138,000 in cash and $60,000 in AWS credits. Track winners will also receive a 1:1 meeting with the Amazon Developer team. Entrants must select a primary track (Fire TV, Alexa+, Bee, or Ring) and can optionally layer mini-challenges, such as AWS Builder or Open Source, onto their projects for additional winning opportunities. Submissions require a working demo, a public GitHub code repository with an open-source license, a demo video under 3 minutes, and detailed product feedback on all utilized tools, APIs, or SDKs. The judging criteria focus on technical implementation, design, potential impact, and the quality of the idea.

What to build

Participants must pick a primary track (Fire TV, Alexa+, Bee, or Ring) and ship a working demo. Projects can also layer a mini-challenge (AWS Builder or Open Source) onto the same project. Primary Tracks: - Fire TV: Launch a demo-ready app on Fire OS or Vega OS using React Native, web technologies, or Android (Kotlin/Java). Priority categories include AI-enhanced viewing, sports, fitness, family entertainment, multi-modal UX, and computer vision. - Alexa+: Build a self-hosted MCP server (spec 2025-11-25 or later, Streamable HTTP) or an Agent Skill. Alternatively, build a simulated Alexa+ experience in a web app using a preferred agentic tool. - Bee (Wearable AI): Build a project that connects to real data recorded and processed through a Bee device or an Apple Watch running Bee software, using Bee's CLI, MCP, or Agent Skills. The demo must show the project using this data to provide a useful function. - Ring: Build a new app or extend an existing one using Ring APIs, SDKs, simulators, or devices. A physical Ring device is not required. Priority categories include access control, business systems, IoT home automation, accessibility, and caretaking. Mini Challenges (can be stacked onto a primary track project): - AWS Builder: Use AWS services (e.g., Bedrock, AgentCore, Strands SDK, Kiro Crew, SageMaker) in the project with documented integrations. Building with Kiro Crew alone qualifies. - Open Source: Ship a new open-source project (with an open-source license) or a contribution (branch, fork, or pull request) to a public repository during the hackathon window, alongside the primary-track submission. Contributions do not need to be merged.

Prizes

Key dates

• Submission DeadlineOct 23, 2026 @ 12:00pm PDT

How to enter

1. Pick a primary track: Fire TV, Alexa+, Bee, or Ring.
2. Set up the developer environment for the chosen track (refer to Resources).
3. Review track details and requirements.
4. Submit a working demo, code repository, and product feedback by the deadline.

Submission requirements

• A text description of the project, explaining what it does and how it works.
• A public GitHub code repository containing all source code, assets, and instructions to run the project, with an open-source license visible at the top of the repo (in the About section).
• For Alexa+, Bee, and Ring: The code repository must demonstrate calls to the required track technology (e.g., an import, entry point, loaded agent/flow/MCP config).
• For Fire TV: Any framework is acceptable, provided the demo video shows the project running on an actual Fire TV device or the Fire TV/Vega simulator.
• For Alexa+ (simulated experience path): The repo must include the simulation's source code, and the demo must clearly show it working.
• For Bee: The video and code must demonstrate the project actually using live Bee data to benefit a user.
• For Ring: The project should be shown working through a simulator or an actual Ring device.
• A demo video under 3 minutes, public, in English, hosted on YouTube or Vimeo. Judges are not required to watch beyond the 3-minute mark.
• Product feedback on every tool, API, or SDK used: describe what it was used for, what worked well, what needs improvement, onboarding experience, and whether it would be used again. If AWS services were used, describe which ones and how.
• Specify which track(s) and mini challenge(s) are being entered.
• For Open Source and AWS Builder mini-challenges, additional required fields must be completed (see Mini Challenges section for details).
• If the project existed before the hackathon, a clear explanation of what was built or changed during the submission window.
• Optional: Feature requests: what would be desired, why it matters, and its urgency (critical/important/nice-to-have).
• Optional: Friction log entries: for each friction point, describe the task attempted, steps taken, expected vs. actual outcome, severity rating, any workaround, and an actionable suggestion. Submissions with friction logs can earn up to a 10% judging bonus.

Judging criteria

• Tech Implementation: How well is the project built, and how effectively does it use the required tech? Does it effectively leverage the required APIs, SDKs, or device capabilities for the specified track or mini-challenge?
• Design: Does the project deliver a complete, coherent product experience? Is the interaction model intuitive and well-considered for the target device or platform?
• Potential Impact: Does the project make a credible, specific case for solving customer needs? Could it realistically serve an audience beyond the hackathon?
• Quality of the Idea: Is this a creative, imaginative use of the required tools? Does the team demonstrate a genuine understanding of the developer ecosystem and the end-user needs within their chosen track?

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