WE KICK OPEN-SOURCE PROJECTS INTO HIGH GEAR!
The call for projects for CloudFest Hackathon 2026 is CLOSED.
We’re keeping the CloudFest Hackathon tradition alive by focusing on projects that resonate with our core principles. All projects are a testament to our commitment to the world of open source:
Not-for-profit: Giving back to the #OSS communities remains our top priority
Interoperable: Ensuring seamless interaction across different systems
Open-source: Of course! Fostering innovation through collaboration and transparency
Focus Areas for 2026:
Building on our successful track record in web accessibility, security infrastructure, CMS improvements, developer tools, and community platforms, we’re expanding our scope to include AI-enhanced solutions and next-generation web technologies. Whether you’re working on traditional open-source challenges or exploring how AI/ML can strengthen the open web, we want to hear from you.
We welcome projects that address real-world challenges in hosting, cloud infrastructure, content management, developer experience, web standards, and emerging technologies – all while maintaining our commitment to sustainability beyond the hackathon.
To encourage friendly competition between the projects, a jury will determine a winner in six different categories.
And staying true to our ethos, the corresponding awards will be directed to support a charity project.
The first six projects for CloudFest Hackathon 2026 have been announced!
Meet our Project Mentors!
Got a great idea for a hackathon project? Wondering about its trajectory post-hackathon? You won’t be sailing this ship alone:
Alain Schlesser
Software Engineer
Google Developer Expert &
WP-CLI Maintainer
Lucas Radke
Product Manager
at Automattic—WordPress VIP
Simon Kraft
Product Manager at Patchstack
Full Stack Developer, Blogger and Podcaster
We’ve assembled a dedicated team that brings together decades of open-source expertise. Alain Schlesser, Lucas Radke, and Simon Kraft will work closely with project leads in 2026.
Their combined experience and expertise will be invaluable in transforming your ideas into well-defined, impactful projects and guide you towards successful implementation during the event. Whether you need help refining your project scope or achievable objectives, planning your resources, or maximizing your team’s efficiency, our Project Support Team is here to help.
Reach out to us at hackathon@cloudfest.com and we will guide you through the process.
Browse through our showcase of groundbreaking projects from CloudFest Hackathon 2023, 2024, and 2025, and see what kind of magic happens when we bring together 100+ brilliant minds!
Project Applications
The call for projects has been closed since January 18, 2026.
