LaunchPad Hacks

Overview

LaunchPad Hacks is an online student hackathon organized by Hack4TodayOrg, aimed at encouraging bold ideas, useful prototypes, and creative problem-solving among students. It is designed to be beginner-friendly, welcoming curious builders, first-time hackers, and experienced makers. The event emphasizes building something tangible and launch-worthy, encouraging participants to develop a small first version of their big idea. Participants are encouraged to create a useful prototype, explore new technologies, or solve a problem they care about. The hackathon is open to various types of projects including websites, mobile apps, games, AI tools, hardware projects, and low-code builds. The core mission revolves around identifying a real problem, building a working solution, and demonstrating what was learned during the process. The hackathon operates entirely online, allowing students to participate solo or with a team from anywhere in the world. Eligibility requires participants to be students and above the legal age of majority in their country of residence. The event runs from October 16, 2026, for hacking, with a submission deadline on November 20, 2026, followed by online judging. The competition offers prizes totaling $300 in cash, along with recognition for the top three projects. Projects are evaluated based on innovation, usefulness, implementation, and design. Submissions must include a working demo, a comprehensive project description, and optionally, a short demo video.

What to build

A working technology prototype that addresses a problem or opportunity. Any technology stack is welcome, including low-code and no-code tools. The work completed during October 16–November 20, 2026, must be clearly identified. Examples include websites, mobile apps, games, AI tools, hardware projects, and low-code builds.

Prizes

Key dates

• Hacking beginsOctober 16, 2026
• Submission deadlineNovember 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time
• Online judgingNovember 21–25, 2026

Eligibility

Participants must be above the legal age of majority in their country of residence. Companies/professional organizations are excluded from participation. All countries/territories are eligible, excluding standard exceptions.

How to enter

1. Register for the hackathon.
2. Choose a manageable idea and start building.
3. Submit your project on Devpost before the deadline with a clear explanation and a demo judges can access.

Submission requirements

• A completed Devpost project page with a name, short pitch, and team members.
• A description of the problem, intended users, solution, technologies, challenges, and what was learned.
• A working demo link, downloadable build, or recorded walkthrough showing the core functionality. Include setup steps.
• Screenshots of the main experience.
• A source-code or project-file link where possible.
• Credit third-party libraries, datasets, assets, AI assistance, and pre-existing work.
• Keep required links accessible to judges throughout November 21–25.
• Explain limitations honestly.
• Submit one final entry per project before November 20 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
• Do not include private credentials or personal data.

Judging criteria

• Innovation & Originality: How original is the idea or approach? Does the project offer a fresh solution, thoughtful improvement, or creative use of technology? (Scored 1–5, equal weight)
• Usefulness & Impact: How clearly does the project address a real problem or opportunity? Consider its value to the intended users, evidence of user needs, and potential positive impact. (Scored 1–5, equal weight)
• Implementation & Functionality: How well does the working prototype deliver its core promise? Consider functionality, thoughtful technical choices, reliability, and what the team built during the event. Complexity alone does not earn a higher score. (Scored 1–5, equal weight)
• Design & Presentation: Is the project understandable and easy to use? Consider accessibility, the clarity of the user experience, and how clearly the submission explains the problem, solution, demo, and limitations. (Scored 1–5, equal weight)