HopHacks is the annual hackathon hosted at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. This event brings engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs together to explore new ideas, compete for prizes, and create amazing applications. For 36 hours, students work in teams of up to 4 to bring a software or hardware idea to life.
Teams start working on their hacks (at 9:00 PM) after the Friday evening kickoff event and continue working until Sunday morning (8:45 AM). All submissions MUST be made on Devpost. All submissions must be presented IN PERSON at HopHacks!
All of the prizes, including sponsored prizes, will be judged and announced at the opening ceremony. See https://hophacks.com for more information.
Requirements
What to Build
What to Submit
*GitHub link of repo containing source code
Your first commit must be AFTER the start of hacking
Your last commit must be BEFORE the end of hacking. DO NOT edit your repo beyond this point.
Make sure to add all your teammates to your project submission!
Prize Rules
- All teams will be considered for the General track.
- Each team can ONLY apply for 1 track.
- Each team can apply for multiple opt-in challenges (make sure you meet the description requirements).
Prizes
Best Overall Hack
Open to all HopHacks hackers! Take this open-ended opportunity to collaborate alongside others of all skills and experience levels and hack to your heart’s desire.
1st Place - $1024, 2nd Place - $512, 3rd Place - $256
* Bonus prize of cases of Red Bull
Healthcare Track: Best Healthcare Hack by Commure
This track invites teams to design and build solutions that improve the way we deliver, access, or experience care. Projects can tackle any area of healthcare—from empowering patients and providers with better tools, to improving access and equity, to leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, wearables, or digital health platforms.
1st place: 4 Apple Watch SE
2nd place: 4 $50 Amazon Gift Cards
Gaming Track: Best Use of SpacetimeDB by SpacetimeDB
The SpacetimeDB Prize will be awarded to the team that creates the most polished app using SpacetimeDB
1st Place - $500 and $500 of Maincloud Credits, 2nd Place - $300 and $300 of Maincloud Credits, 3rd Place - $100 and $100 of Maincloud Credits
Hardware + AR Track: AI + AR for Maternal Wellness by Orcava
This track invites participants to explore how cutting-edge technologies — including AI, Augmented Reality, and hardware-enabled solutions (e.g., sensors, wearables, computer vision) — can improve women’s health across the full maternal journey. From fertility planning and pregnancy monitoring to postpartum support and maternal mental health, we are looking for projects that combine innovation, empathy, and practical impact. At Orcava Inc., we are building intelligent digital products that merge AI, immersive AR, and data-driven insights to create accessible, impactful solutions. Our Velris AR visualization platform shows how interactive, user-centered design can transform everyday decision-making, while GigFlow demonstrates the power of AI in personalized financial management. We encourage teams to take inspiration from these technologies — combining immersive interfaces, predictive analytics, and user empowerment — to deliver the next generation of maternal wellness tools.
1st Place - $500, 2nd Place - $300
Social Good Track: Best Application to Support Philanthropic Goals by Bloomberg
This will be awarded to the best application to support philanthropic goals. Criteria will include how much the application aims to help people and improve lives, technical difficulty, and technical polish.
1st Place - up to 4 pairs of Beats Solo headphones
Honorable Mention
Data Driven Track: Best Data Visualization by Marshall Wace
At Marshall Wace, data powers everything we do. This track challenges you to turn complex information into clear, engaging, and insightful visualizations. We’re looking for projects that combine technical skill with creativity—making data not just understandable, but impactful.
1st Place - 4 iPad Airs, 2nd Place - $500, 3rd Place - $300
Best Use of Gemini API by MLH
It’s time to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI using Google Gemini. Check out the Gemini API to build AI-powered apps that make your friends say WHOA. So, what can Gemini do for your hackathon project?
- Understand language like a human and build a chatbot that gives personalized advice
- Analyze info like a supercomputer and create an app that summarizes complex research papers
- Generate creative content like code, scripts, music, and more
Think of the possibilities… what will you build with the Google Gemini API this weekend?
Prize: Mechanical Keyboard + Keycap set!
Best Use of Contextus on MentorMates by MentorMates
Contextus is the engine that powers MentorMates, making feedback smarter and more impactful. It helps you track your project data as you move along, interact with AI agents, and refine your work with meaningful insights. Incorporate contextus into your workflow, then build your best AI agent on top of Contextus and submit it on MentorMates for a chance to win!
Whether it’s automating mentor interactions, analyzing project progress, or enhancing collaboration, Contextus gives you the foundation to build innovative, feedback-driven tools. Along with hands-on resources, you’ll have everything you need to create an agent that makes learning and feedback seamless.
Build your best AI agent powered by Contextus on MentorMates for a chance to win an $250 gift card and four exclusive shirts for you and your team.
Prize: $250 gift card + 4 branded shirts
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
TBD
Judging Criteria
-
General Prize Criteria
Hacks will be judged based equally on 4 criteria: polish (of app and presentation), usefulness, creativity, technical difficulty.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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