Welcome to LuminHacks: Where Anyone Can Build With AI!

AI is changing the way we create, learn, and solve problems, and now you can harness its power for your own projects, regardless of your experience level. LuminHacks invites newcomers, seasoned coders, and everyone in between to explore what’s possible when cutting-edge AI meets inspired ideas.

What makes Lumin Hacks special?

  1. All Skill Levels Welcome: Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve built with AI before, our hackathon is designed for inclusive learning and creativity. No prior experience required. Just bring your curiosity!
  2. Supportive Community: Connect with mentors, collaborate in teams, and share your progress in a friendly, encouraging environment.
  3. Privacy-First Approach: Many suggested APIs and tools run locally, so you can focus on building great projects without worrying about privacy or server management.

Why participate?

  1. Build a project for your portfolio and demonstrate practical AI skills.
  2. Win prizes, recognition, and feedback from experienced judges and peers.
  3. Network with innovators, get mentorship, and join a learning community.
  4. Unleash your imagination. Show how YOU would use AI to solve real-world problems or create something fun!

Projects must be new and original for this event! No recycled code or reused project ideas from previous years. Let's bring something fresh!

Requirements

WHAT TO BUILD

Entrants must create a new project that showcases the use of AI models. You can build anything from a web application, mobile app, creative bot, educational tool, financial assistant, productivity enhancer, to even an art or music generator. Your project should meaningfully use at least one AI model or API and be accessible to beginners, intermediate, and advanced participants.

  1. You may use any open-source or commercial AI tools/models (e.g., OpenAI, Hugging Face, Google Gemini, etc.), provided your solution is original for this event.
  2. Projects can be solo or team-based but collaboration is encouraged!
  3. You are free to select the platform: web, desktop, or mobile. Focus is on demonstrating AI integration.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

  1. A working application: Make sure it can be accessed and tested by judges (demo link, published app, or public-facing website).
  2. A written description: Explain your project’s purpose, features, the AI models/APIs used, and the problem it seeks to solve.
  3. A demonstration video:
    1. Should be no more than three (3) minutes
    2. Must include footage of your project in action on the target platform
    3. Must be publicly accessible (YouTube or Vimeo link on submission form)
    4. Video and written materials must not infringe upon any third party’s rights
  4. A public GitHub repository:
    1. Include all code and documentation needed for judges to review and run your project
    2. The repo must be open source and include instructions
  5. Testing access: Provide any login credentials or special steps needed for judges to access the application.
  6. Language: Written and video submissions must be in English.

(Optional) After submitting your project, please share feedback on your development experience to help improve future events and AI resources!

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$3,500 in prizes
1st Place
$2,000 in cash
1 winner

2nd Place
$1,000 in cash
1 winner

3rd Place
$500 in cash
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Aayush Chebolu

Aayush Chebolu
Lumin AI

Ayur Munipalli

Ayur Munipalli
Lumin AI

Shashank Madala

Shashank Madala
Lumin AI

Judging Criteria

  • Functionality
    How well does the project perform its intended functions? Is the AI integration robust and reliable? Is the solution scalable to support a wider audience or additional use cases?
  • Purpose
    Does the project address a meaningful problem or enhance an everyday user journey? Does it enable new possibilities with AI that were previously difficult or inaccessible for most users?
  • Innovation & Creativity
    How original is the idea? Does the project showcase unique uses of AI, creative designs, or new takes on familiar tools? Is there a clear “wow” factor?
  • User Experience
    Is the application intuitive and easy to use? Is the information presented clearly? Does the solution prioritize accessibility and inclusivity across beginner, intermediate, and advanced users?
  • Technical Execution
    How effectively are AI models or APIs integrated? Is the technical approach well-documented and maintainable? Are performance, privacy, and reliability concerns addressed (e.g., client-side inference, offline support, etc.)?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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