Calling universities, research labs, VC firms, dev communities, and influencers! You can be part of the hottest Hackathon of 2026, highlighting real-world projects with $100,000+ in prizes. If you support developers, educate tech talent, run a tech community, or create content for builders, you know this: the internet doesn't need more demo-day darlings. It needs tools that survive real users. That's why we are running the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon, a six-month global hackathon that rewards real-world utility over pitch-deck promises. With over $100,000 in prizes for individual developers and startups, this is one of the biggest Hackathons, inviting global talent to join us. Proof of Usefulness Hackathon This hackathon is supported by companies that care about production software, not just demos. Meet Bright Data, Neo4j, Storyblok, Algolia, and yours truly, HackerNoon. And we’d love to have you join as an official ecosystem partner, helping developers worldwide build software that matters while earning recognition, influence, and exclusive perks. Apply here to join the Hackathon Partner Program. Apply here to join the Hackathon Partner Program. Apply here to join the Hackathon Partner Program. Apply here to join the Hackathon Partner Program What’s Proof of Usefulness Hackathon? Proof of Usefulness is HackerNoon's validation system that measures what actually matters: real utility instead of polished demos, technical theatrics, or pitch deck projections. It's a competition where projects are scored from -1000 to +1000 based on empirical evidence of user adoption, revenue sustainability, technical stability, and genuine utility. This 6-month contest will go live in the first week of January. What kind of submissions qualify? Anyone building software can participate. Developers and startup teams building projects that solve real problems for real people are encouraged to participate. Projects can be existing products or new builds created specifically for the hackathon. To unlock bigger prizes, we encourage you to submit AI and Machine learning projects. Explore the sponsored themes and tags to earn bigger rewards and freebies! To unlock bigger prizes, we encourage you to submit AI and Machine learning projects. Explore the sponsored themes and tags to earn bigger rewards and freebies! earn bigger rewards and freebies TL;DR: 👩‍💻 Who is Eligible: Developers worldwide Who is Eligible: 🌍 Where: Global Where: ⏳ Duration: 6 months Duration: 🏆 Prizes: Prizes: • $100,000+ cash for winning projects $100,000+ cash • ~$1,000 in software tools for every participant! ~$1,000 in software tools for every participant! every Become Proof of Usefulness Hackathon Ecosystem Partner Join a global initiative inviting developers to build impactful, real-world projects. Here's how we partner: You bring the developers and budding startups, we bring the platform, prizes, and global reach. Together, we validate real innovation, expand your influence, and put your name in front of a global audience of builders, innovators, and tech decision-makers for six months straight. Here's how we partner: You bring the developers and budding startups, we bring the platform, prizes, and global reach. Together, we validate real innovation, expand your influence, and put your name in front of a global audience of builders, innovators, and tech decision-makers for six months straight. Here's how we partner: Win-win-win, isn’t it? But, there’s more: Why Partner With Us? Official Recognition: Your logo and name featured on the main hackathon website as an official University, Community, Influencer, or Ecosystem Partner
Earn Judge Status: Top referring partners may be selected as Official Judges, earning voting power and global recognition
Empower Your Community: 100k+ in prizes & $1,000+ in software tools per participant - major startup-ready stacks from Bright Data, Neo4j, Storyblok, and Algolia
Co-Branded Cross-Promotion: Get featured in Hackathon newsletters and other marketing materials Official Recognition: Your logo and name featured on the main hackathon website as an official University, Community, Influencer, or Ecosystem Partner Official Recognition: Earn Judge Status: Top referring partners may be selected as Official Judges, earning voting power and global recognition Earn Judge Status: Empower Your Community: 100k+ in prizes & $1,000+ in software tools per participant - major startup-ready stacks from Bright Data, Neo4j, Storyblok, and Algolia Empower Your Community: Co-Branded Cross-Promotion: Get featured in Hackathon newsletters and other marketing materials Co-Branded Cross-Promotion: Who Can Join the Partner Program We're looking for four types of partners to amplify this movement: Universities and Academic Partners: Turn your students' projects into portfolio-ready achievements with real validation and professional tools. We are looking to partner with: Universities and Academic Partners: Computer Science departments
Labs & research centers
Robotics, AI/ML, Web3 clubs
Student developer societies Computer Science departments Labs & research centers Robotics, AI/ML, Web3 clubs Student developer societies Developer & Community Partners: Give your members the spotlight they deserve, complete with scoring, prizes, and recognition from industry leaders. We are looking to partner with: Developer & Community Partners: Tech meetups
Online dev communities
Open-source groups
Bootcamps and training academies Tech meetups Online dev communities Open-source groups Bootcamps and training academies Influencer Partners: Show your audience how to turn their side projects into validated, prize-winning software, while positioning yourself as the connector who made it happen. We are looking to partner with: Influencer Partners: Developer YouTubers/TikTokers
Tech writers & bloggers
X/Twitter influencers
Hackathon mentors and educators Developer YouTubers/TikTokers Tech writers & bloggers X/Twitter influencers Hackathon mentors and educators VC Funds & Startup Incubators: Help your portfolio companies prove real traction, gain visibility, and accelerate adoption—without dilution. We are looking to partner with: VC Funds & Startup Incubators: Venture capital & angel funds
Startup incubators & accelerators
Corporate venture arms
Founder fellowship programs Venture capital & angel funds Startup incubators & accelerators Corporate venture arms Founder fellowship programs If you nurture tech talent, you're a perfect match. If you nurture tech talent, you're a perfect match. If you nurture tech talent, you're a perfect match. Partner Responsibilities What we need from you is simple: Share the hackathon with your audience
Encourage project submissions
Post announcements on your channels
Optionally, host info sessions or workshops Share the hackathon with your audience Encourage project submissions Post announcements on your channels Optionally, host info sessions or workshops No administrative burden - just community empowerment. Hackathon Duration Proof of Usefulness runs for six months, from January to June 2026, with prizes announced monthly and 3 bimonthly software cycles from our $100k prize pool. Every project - and partner - benefits from 6 months of global visibility. Hello, exposure! Benefits for Participants 100k+ in prizes for winners and ~1.5k in software credits and promotional inventory for every participant
Global exposure through HackerNoon: Publish and promote your projects with us!
Validation from HackerNoon & industry judges
Access to Powerful tools to build real products
Portfolio-ready project outcomes 100k+ in prizes for winners and ~1.5k in software credits and promotional inventory for every participant Global exposure through HackerNoon: Publish and promote your projects with us! Validation from HackerNoon & industry judges Access to Powerful tools to build real products Portfolio-ready project outcomes Who can participate? Who can participate? Anyone building useful software can participate! Whether you're a solo developer, startup team, or established company, if you have a project that solves real problems for real people, you're eligible. Projects can be existing products or new builds created specifically for the hackathon. Ready to Empower Real Innovation? Join us in celebrating software that actually works. Become an official partner and give your community access to the validation, tools, and recognition they deserve. Apply to the Partner Program! Questions? Contact sidra@hackernoon.com Apply to the Partner Program! Questions? Contact sidra@hackernoon.com Partner Program sidra@hackernoon.com Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is a global 6-month developer challenge designed to reward real-world utility projects and initiatives. With 100,000+ 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: 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 brightdata.com.
Neo4j: 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 more.
Storyblock: 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. Start for free.
Algolia: Algolia provides a managed retrieval layer that lets developers quickly build web search and intelligent AI agents. Learn more. Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is a global 6-month developer challenge designed to reward real-world utility projects and initiatives. With 100,000+ 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: Meet our sponsors: Bright Data: 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 brightdata.com. Bright Data: brightdata.com brightdata.com Neo4j: 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 more. Neo4j: more more Storyblock: 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. Start for free. Storyblock: Start for free Start for free Algolia: Algolia provides a managed retrieval layer that lets developers quickly build web search and intelligent AI agents. Learn more. Algolia: Learn more Learn more

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Proof of Usefulness Hackathon by HackerNoon: Become an Official Ecosystem Partner

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