Happy New Year, world! As a New Year gift, HackerNoon brings you the grandest developer hackathon of 2026. The internet is overflowing with software that looks impressive, sounds intelligent, and quietly fails to help anyone. We’ve normalized pitch decks for products that don’t exist, AI demos with no users, and MVPs that launch with applause and vanish without a trace. Meanwhile, people still need tools that work. So we’re doing something different. Enters   From January 5 to June 5, this is a global developer competition that rewards one thing and one thing only: the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon! the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon! 
 
 Real-world usefulness. Real-world usefulness. And yes, there’s $150,000+ in cash and software prizes for winners  & $1500+ for participating projects that can prove it. This hackathon is supported by companies that care about production software, not just demos:   ·   ·   ·   ·  . Bright Data Neo4j Storyblok Algolia HackerNoon Bright Data Neo4j Storyblok Algolia HackerNoon 
 
  Individual developers and budding startups are welcome to participate, with access to free tools that help you build and promote something meaningful. Any technology is welcome, but bigger prizes are reserved for AI and ML projects that use sponsor technologies. Note:  Individual developers and budding startups are welcome to participate, with access to free tools that help you build and promote something meaningful. Any technology is welcome, but bigger prizes are reserved for AI and ML projects that use sponsor technologies. Note: Let’s Start With the Prizes Let’s Start With the Prizes This isn’t a weekend hackathon where one team wins, and everyone else disappears. Proof of Usefulness runs for six months, with monthly rewards and ongoing recognition for winners, 40+ winners, as well as $1500 worth of inventory for each participant. Cash Prizes: $20,000 Cash Prizes: $20,000 Awarded monthly across the contest, recognizing both individual builders and startups. 
 
 
 
 Bright Data: $10,000 (10 winners × $1,000) HackerNoon: $5,000 (10 winners × $500) Storyblok: $5,000 (6 winners) Winners are announced every month. Software Credits: $120,000+ Software Credits: $120,000+ Because useful software deserves real infrastructure. 
 
 
 
 Bright Data: $60,000
 
 
 
 
 3 startup winners × $20,000 One winner per bimonthly cycle (Jan–Feb, Mar–Apr, May–Jun) Neo4j: $10,000
 
 
 
 10 winners × $1,000 Algolia: $60,000
 
 
 
 6 winners get 6 months of premium Algolia access worth $10,000 And here’s the part most hackathons don’t give you: Every participant is eligible for rewards! Participation Rewards: 
 
 
 
 
 
 Bright Data: $250 in free credits. Learn more  . here Storyblok: $540 worth of 45 days of access to the Growth+ plan. Learn more  . here Neo4j: AuraDB Free for all participants. Learn more  . here Algolia: Build tier Free for all participants. Learn more  . here HackerNoon: $750 worth of publishing and promotion credits for startups. Learn more  . here How the Timeline Works How the Timeline Works 
 
 
 
 
 January 5th – June 5th: Rolling submissions Every month: Cash and software prize winners announced Every two months: Major software prize cycles for top startups. June/July: Final awards and top projects spotlighted Submit when your product is ready. No deadlines designed to force half-built demos. Who Can Submit Who Can Submit A valid submission includes: 
 
 
 
 A working project URL Complete project information Claims that can be verified in the real world No mockups. No “coming soon.” No vibes-only prototypes. 
 
  Projects falling under any of the sponsored themes and utilizing the sponsor tools unlock free software and tools worth $1500 and qualify for bigger prizes. Note:  Projects falling under any of the sponsored themes and utilizing the sponsor tools unlock free software and tools worth $1500 and qualify for bigger prizes. Note: The Contest Tags (~Themes) The Contest Tags (~Themes) Projects are published and evaluated under focused themes as HackerNoon tags, including: Foundational Tech & Builder Innovation sponsored by HackerNoon HackerNoon, your favorite technology publication, is not only the organizer, but the sponsor this year.   is where technologists read, write, and share stories about tech, startups, and the future of the internet, reaching millions of curious minds every month. HackerNoon You can win from $5000 in cash by submitting your projects on machine learning and AI, software engineering, security, startups, fintech innovation, and Web3 technologies. You can use any technology stack to qualify for this theme. 
 
 HackerNoon is also giving away  . This is your chance to showcase your startup to global audiences. $750 in publishing and promotion credits to all qualifying startups HackerNoon is also giving away  . This is your chance to showcase your startup to global audiences. $750 in publishing and promotion credits to all qualifying startups Here are the tags sponsored by HackerNoon: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 #software-development #machine-learning #software-engineering #security #startup #fintech #web3 Data Infrastructure, AI & Automation sponsored by Bright Data Bright Data is the leading platform for real-time web access, powering agentic AI and LLMs. Bright Data is rewarding projects showing great use cases of web data extraction and access, automation, data science pipelines, AI and generative AI applications, and agent-driven systems powered by large-scale datasets. With   and   for winners, this is the top theme of the hackathon. Here are the sponsored tags by Bright Data: $10k in cash prizes $60k in software credits 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 #ai #generative-ai #ai-agents #web-development #data-science #api #automation #data 
 
 To participate in the theme powered by Bright Data, you qualify for $250 in free software credits to create a great use case.  . Click here to claim your free credits To participate in the theme powered by Bright Data, you qualify for $250 in free software credits to create a great use case.  . Click here to claim your free credits Modern Content Architecture sponsored by Storyblock Storyblok is a headless CMS built for developers who want clean architecture and full control. Storyblock is giving away $5000 in cash prizes to submissions around API-first and headless CMS architectures, omnichannel content delivery, composable and frontend-agnostic content systems, and scalable content infrastructure for developers. Here are the sponsored tags by Storyblok: 
 
 
 
 
 
 #cms # headless-cms #api-first-cms #first-cms # omnichannel-content 
 
 Storyblock is giving away   in this theme. Build a beautiful, functional project with StoryBlock and win $$$ in cash. $524 worth of free Growth+ Access to all participants Storyblock is giving away   in this theme. Build a beautiful, functional project with StoryBlock and win $$$ in cash. $524 worth of free Growth+ Access to all participants Graph-Powered Intelligence sponsored by Neo4j Graph databases, knowledge graphs, data intelligence, contextual retrieval, GraphRAG, and graph-powered AI agents for connected data use cases. Here are the sponsored tags by Neo4j. Neo4j is giving away   to the top submissions. $10,000 in software prizes 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 #graph-database #knowledge-graph #data-intelligence #graph-rag #contextual-retrieval #graph-powered-agents 
 
 To build a project using Neo4j, use their  . free version (Aura DB) To build a project using Neo4j, use their  . free version (Aura DB) Intelligent Search & Retrieval sponsored by Algolia AI-powered search, semantic and relevance-based retrieval, search APIs, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for fast, user-centric discovery experiences. Here are the sponsored tags by Algolia: 
 
 
 
 
 
 # ai-search #retrieval #retrieval-augmented-generation #semantic-search #search-api 
 
 Build a kick-ass AI search project using  . Your submissions qualify for $60,000 worth of software prizes. Algolia’s free Build Tier Build a kick-ass AI search project using  . Your submissions qualify for $60,000 worth of software prizes. Algolia’s free Build Tier What “Proof of Usefulness” Actually Means What “Proof of Usefulness” Actually Means Proof of Usefulness (PoU) is HackerNoon’s way of measuring what most demos avoid. It asks: 
 
 
 
 Do people use this? Does it solve a real problem? Can it survive outside a launch tweet? Every submission receives a PoU score from -100 to +1000 based on empirical evidence, with seven distinct tiers: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 751-1000: 
 Unicorn Utility - Product has undeniable utility and massive adoption. 
 
 
 
 601-750: 
  - Product is a default choice and trusted across its category. Category Standard 
 
 
 
 451-600: 
  - Product is a definitive solution to a market problem. Industry Mainstay 
 
 
 
 301-450: 
  - Product is self-sustaining and provide long-term operational stability Certified Problem Solver 
 
 
 
 101-300: 
  - Product is officially moving from "neat idea" to "serious contender" Gaining Momentum 
 
 
 
 000-100: 
  - You've hit "Deploy" and the world didn't crash. You're In Business 
 
 
 
 -100-000: 
  - Product is almost ready for the big reveal Lab Mode 601-750:  - Product is a default choice and trusted across its category. Category Standard 451-600:  - Product is a definitive solution to a market problem. Industry Mainstay 301-450:  - Product is self-sustaining and provide long-term operational stability Certified Problem Solver 101-300:  - Product is officially moving from "neat idea" to "serious contender" Gaining Momentum 000-100:  - You've hit "Deploy" and the world didn't crash. You're In Business -100-000:  - Product is almost ready for the big reveal Lab Mode 
 
 The algorithm cross-validates responses against publicly available data, ensuring projects can't simply claim utility without demonstrating it. The algorithm cross-validates responses against publicly available data, ensuring projects can't simply claim utility without demonstrating it. Evaluation Criteria and Weight Distribution 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Criterion 
 Weight 
 Correlation 
 Justification 
 
 
 
 
 
 Real-World Utility 
 25% 
 r = 0.847 
 Problem-solution fit and practical actionability 
 
 
 
 
 
 Evidence of Traction 
 25% 
 r = 0.792 
 User adoption, media coverage, and verifiable signals 
 
 
 
 
 
 Audience Reach & Impact 
 20% 
 r = 0.734 
 Size and real-world influence 
 
 
 
 
 
 Technical Innovation 
 15% 
 r = 0.681 
 Novelty and quality of implementation 
 
 
 
 
 
 Market Timing & Relevance 
 10% 
 r = 0.667 
 Competitive positioning and timeliness 
 
 
 
 
 
 Functional Completeness 
 5% 
 r = 0.643 
 Clarity, evidence, and thoughtfulness Real-World Utility 25% r = 0.847 Problem-solution fit and practical actionability Evidence of Traction 25% r = 0.792 User adoption, media coverage, and verifiable signals Audience Reach & Impact 20% r = 0.734 Size and real-world influence Technical Innovation 15% r = 0.681 Novelty and quality of implementation Market Timing & Relevance 10% r = 0.667 Competitive positioning and timeliness Functional Completeness 5% r = 0.643 Clarity, evidence, and thoughtfulness Proof of Usefulness: Why We’re Doing This Proof of Usefulness: Why We’re Doing This The web doesn’t need more software optimized for screenshots. It needs tools that: 
 
 
 
 Actually work after launch Earn their place through use Create value without hype 
 
 “The most exciting breakthroughs happen when teams leverage open web access to address real-world challenges. At Bright Data, we believe usefulness starts with connecting people and AI to the world’s live information—transforming ideas into impact.” — Or Lenchner, CEO of Bright Data “The most exciting breakthroughs happen when teams leverage open web access to address real-world challenges. At Bright Data, we believe usefulness starts with connecting people and AI to the world’s live information—transforming ideas into impact.” — Or Lenchner, CEO of Bright Data 
 
 “Proof of usefulness in our world comes down to one thing: does your CMS help developers ship better and faster, or does it slow them down? Hype doesn’t build products. Real utility does. That’s the standard Storyblok is built to meet.” - Storyblock team “Proof of usefulness in our world comes down to one thing: does your CMS help developers ship better and faster, or does it slow them down? Hype doesn’t build products. Real utility does. That’s the standard Storyblok is built to meet.” - Storyblock team 
 
 "As a manager of a developer relations organization, I see a lot of hackathons where the results are toys or novelties. By emphasizing usefulness, Hacker Noon forces participants to put on their product hats and really build something that’s going to help the end user." Chuck Meyer, Sr Manager, Developer Relations at Algolia "As a manager of a developer relations organization, I see a lot of hackathons where the results are toys or novelties. By emphasizing usefulness, Hacker Noon forces participants to put on their product hats and really build something that’s going to help the end user." Chuck Meyer, Sr Manager, Developer Relations at Algolia That’s the whole thesis. Why You Should Participate in Proof of Usefulness Hackathon (Even If You Don’t Win) Why You Should Participate in Proof of Usefulness Hackathon (Even If You Don’t Win) You’ll get: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A free Proof of Usefulness evaluation An instant PoU score and report A ready-made blog post showcasing your work to global tech audiences Eligibility for free software worth $1500+ for every participant Eligibility for $100,000+ in prizes Global validation & promotion by HackerNoon And if nothing else, you’ll walk away knowing where your project stands, in reality, not theory. Submissions Are Open Submissions Are Open If your product is live, useful, and ready to be judged on reality, not hype - this is for you. Submit your project. Get your score. Prove it’s useful. Compete for $150K+. 
 
 Submit your Project to Proof its Usefulness Now! Submit your Project to Proof its Usefulness Now! Submit your Project to Proof its Usefulness Now! Proof of Usefulness Hackathon: Become an Ecosystem Partner If you support developers, educate tech talent, run a tech community, or create content for builders, become  ! Partners get: Proof of Usefulness Official Ecosystem Partner 
 
 
 
 
  Your logo and name featured on the main hackathon website as an official University, Community, Influencer, or Ecosystem Partner Official Recognition:  Top referring partners may be selected as Official Judges, earning voting power and global recognition Earn Judge Status:  100k+ in prizes & $1,000+ in software tools per participant - major startup-ready stacks from Bright Data, Neo4j, Storyblok, and Algolia Empower Your Community:  Get featured in Hackathon newsletters and other marketing materials Co-Branded Cross-Promotion: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is a global 6-month developer challenge designed to reward real-world utility projects and initiatives. With 150,000+ in cash prizes and software credits for winners and $1500+ worth of software and inventory for participants, this is undisputedly the biggest contest of the year. Learn more  . here Meet our sponsors:  Bright Data is the leading web data infrastructure company, empowering over 20,000 organizations with ethical, scalable access to real-time public web information. From startups to industry leaders, we deliver the datasets that fuel AI innovation and real-world impact. Ready to unlock the web? Learn more at  . Bright Data: brightdata.com  GraphRAG combines retrieval-augmented generation with graph-native context, allowing LLMs to reason over structured relationships instead of just documents. With Neo4j, you can build GraphRAG pipelines that connect your data and surface clearer insights. Learn  . Neo4j: more  Storyblok is a headless CMS built for developers who want clean architecture and full control. Structure your content once, connect it anywhere, and keep your front end truly independent. API-first. AI-ready. Framework-agnostic. Future-proof.  . Storyblock: Start for free  Algolia provides a managed retrieval layer that lets developers quickly build web search and intelligent AI agents.  . Algolia: Learn more Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is a global 6-month developer challenge designed to reward real-world utility projects and initiatives. With 150,000+ in cash prizes and software credits for winners and $1500+ worth of software and inventory for participants, this is undisputedly the biggest contest of the year. Learn more  . here here Meet our sponsors: Meet our sponsors:  Bright Data is the leading web data infrastructure company, empowering over 20,000 organizations with ethical, scalable access to real-time public web information. From startups to industry leaders, we deliver the datasets that fuel AI innovation and real-world impact. Ready to unlock the web? Learn more at  . Bright Data: brightdata.com brightdata.com  GraphRAG combines retrieval-augmented generation with graph-native context, allowing LLMs to reason over structured relationships instead of just documents. With Neo4j, you can build GraphRAG pipelines that connect your data and surface clearer insights. Learn  . Neo4j: more more  Storyblok is a headless CMS built for developers who want clean architecture and full control. Structure your content once, connect it anywhere, and keep your front end truly independent. API-first. AI-ready. Framework-agnostic. Future-proof.  . Storyblock: Start for free Start for free  Algolia provides a managed retrieval layer that lets developers quickly build web search and intelligent AI agents.  . Algolia: Learn more Learn more

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