HTCJ × PROOF Aviation Futures Challenge

Overview

The HTCJ × PROOF Aviation Futures Challenge, powered by Hack the Concrete Jungle (HTCJ) and PROOF Aviation Futures, is an innovation challenge targeting individuals and teams developing aviation, aerospace, and mobility technology. The challenge seeks solutions that go beyond conceptual ideas, requiring participants to build, demonstrate, validate, and move their projects toward real-world application. It focuses on tangible proof rather than just pitches. Participants are expected to address opportunities across various challenge areas, including artificial intelligence, intelligent flight systems, advanced air mobility (AAM/eVTOL), drones and UAS, autonomous systems, airport technology, cybersecurity, cargo and logistics, passenger experience and accessibility, aviation workforce development, and aviation entrepreneurship. The process involves identifying a problem, building a solution, submitting it for review, and demonstrating its functionality. Strong submissions will clearly define a real aviation or aerospace need, offer a credible technological or business solution, provide demonstrable proof through a prototype or working model, identify a clear target user, and outline a reasonable pathway for testing, validation, commercialization, or deployment. The challenge welcomes a diverse range of participants, including founders, developers, engineers, designers, researchers, students, and aviation professionals, regardless of prior industry experience. Beyond the challenge, selected projects may be considered for continued opportunities within the HTCJ and PROOF ecosystem. These opportunities include founder assessment, technology showcases, mentor engagement, business and industry introductions, corporate challenge matching, commercialization support, and pilot-readiness evaluation. The objective is to identify technologies and founders capable of transitioning from an innovation challenge to real-world demonstration, evaluation, and potential deployment.

What to build

Projects can be software, AI, hardware, robotics, platforms, infrastructure concepts, workforce solutions, or new aviation businesses. Solutions should address a real problem in aviation and demonstrate a credible solution. Specific areas include: * AI + Flight Intelligence: AI copilots, predictive maintenance, flight planning, operational intelligence, computer vision, safety systems, weather intelligence, decision-support tools, aviation agents, and intelligent airport operations. * Autonomy + Advanced Air Mobility: Drones, UAS platforms, eVTOL systems, autonomous operations, fleet management, airspace coordination, navigation, vertiport technology, ground-control systems, and advanced mobility applications. * Airport + Ground Operations: Smart-airport technology, baggage systems, turnaround optimization, ramp operations, aircraft servicing, ground equipment, airport logistics, charging systems, facility management, and passenger-flow technology. * Cybersecurity + Dual-Use: Aircraft and airport infrastructure security, communications, identity, threat detection, trusted AI, resilient networks, drone security, and technologies with commercial and public-sector applications. * Passenger Experience + Accessibility: Wayfinding, accessibility tools, multilingual travel assistants, sensory-support systems, baggage tracking, disruption management, personalized travel, customer-service AI, and connected passenger experiences. * Cargo + Aviation Logistics: Air cargo marketplaces, autonomous delivery, warehouse technology, routing, last-mile systems, cold-chain monitoring, shipment visibility, predictive logistics, and cargo automation. * Aviation Workforce + Education: Pilot and technician training, AR/VR simulation, AI tutors, maintenance education, credentialing, workforce matching, career discovery, apprenticeship platforms, and tools that make aviation careers more accessible. * Aviation Business + Entrepreneurship: Aircraft services, cleaning and detailing, maintenance-support businesses, drone services, airport vendors, logistics companies, aviation marketplaces, ground services, local supplier platforms, and other scalable aviation services. Examples of potential ideas include AI Aircraft Maintenance Copilots, Airport Operations Agents, Drone Fleet Command Centers, Accessible Airport Navigators, Aviation Cyber Monitors, Smart Baggage Platforms, Air Cargo Optimizers, eVTOL Operations Platforms, Aviation Skills Copilots, Aircraft Service Marketplaces, Airport Small-Business Marketplaces, and Flight Disruption Assistants.

Prizes

Key dates

• DeadlineOct 27, 2026 @ 5:00pm PDT

How to enter

1. Choose a problem: Identify a meaningful challenge across aviation, aerospace, AI, autonomy, airports, cybersecurity, passenger experience, infrastructure, logistics, workforce, or advanced air mobility.
2. Build your solution: Create a prototype, application, AI system, hardware concept, platform, technical architecture, business solution, or working demonstration.
3. Create your team: Participate individually or form a team with technical, business, design, aviation, and industry expertise.
4. Submit your proof: Show the problem, your solution, how it works, who needs it, what you built, and what you need to move forward. This includes providing a project name, problem statement, solution description, evidence of the solution (prototype, application, model, etc.), a demonstration video (if possible), images/screenshots, technology used, target user/customer, current project stage, business/deployment case, what you need next, and team information.

Submission requirements

• Project name
• Team information
• Problem statement (what problem you are solving, who experiences it, why it matters)
• Solution description (what you built and how it addresses the problem)
• Technology used (AI models, APIs, programming languages, cloud infrastructure, hardware, sensors, robotics, datasets, aviation systems, development platforms, or other technologies)
• Target customer/user (who would use or purchase the solution)
• Project stage (concept, prototype, MVP, demo ready, pilot ready, commercial)
• Written description
• Images or screenshots (clear visuals of product, interface, hardware, prototype, diagrams, system architecture, or user experience)
• Demonstration/video where available (showing the product working)
• Links to your working product, prototype, repository, or supporting materials (GitHub/repository, pitch deck, technical documentation, architecture diagram, research, business model)
• Business/deployment case (how the solution could eventually be tested, deployed, purchased, licensed, integrated, or operated)
• What you need next (customers, pilot partner, technical support, aviation expertise, mentors, data, infrastructure, corporate partner, capital readiness, workforce, commercialization support)
• Credible proof that the solution exists (working prototype, application, AI model, hardware prototype, simulation, technical architecture, dashboard, platform, service workflow, business model, or other demonstrable solution)

Judging criteria

• Problem Relevance (20%): Clarity in defining and addressing a meaningful aviation, aerospace, mobility, airport, logistics, safety, workforce, or passenger problem.
• Innovation + Differentiation (15%): Originality of the solution, creative technology use, differentiation from existing approaches, and meaningful improvement provided.
• Technical Execution (20%): Quality of the build, functionality, engineering quality, AI/ML or hardware implementation, integrations, usability, and technical feasibility.
• PROOF / Demonstration (20%): Credible proof that the solution works through a prototype, MVP, demo, simulation, test results, model output, research, or other working evidence.
• Pilot Readiness + Feasibility (15%): Realistic potential for testing or deployment, operational practicality, safety, regulatory awareness, integration needs, scalability, and defined next steps.
• Impact + Commercial Potential (10%): Potential change if implemented, considering safety, efficiency, accessibility, sustainability, workforce impact, customer value, scalability, and commercial potential.

Sponsors & partners

Resources

• HTCJ × PROOF Aviation Futures Challenge Devpost page