In partnership with
AI Forum Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival
Where Mission Ready talent, schools, and industry come together to build practical AI solutions for real challenges.
Hybrid event - 5-6 August 2026
$0 for Mission Ready candidates
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What is it?
The Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival is a national multi-city event where teams spend 48 hours building AI-powered solutions to challenges that matter, from food security and digital accessibility to environmental custodianship and workforce futures. The best solutions from each venue advance to the national AI Summit stage in September.
Who should join?
This is for Mission Ready candidates, students, teams and industry professionals who believe AI should serve people.
Use your skills on a live brief alongside schools, industry and mentors.
$0 entry
Join the festival, build with a mixed team and learn by making.
$15 student ticket
Join as an individual or bring a team to build alongside emerging talent.
Individual or team registration
Call for mentors
Mentors join separately from participants and support teams through drop-ins, team channels and pitch preparation.
Help teams make sensible choices around data, AI tools, architecture and feasibility.
Bring context from education, community, accessibility, workforce or impact domains.
Help teams sharpen value, adoption, pitch narrative and next-step thinking.
Have expertise to share? Register as a mentor or staff supporter and help shape solutions that matter.
Register as mentorHow it works
We keep the public page light. Registered participants receive the operational details they need before the event.
Join as an individual, team or mentor. Team matching is available.
Pick a problem space and frame the people, context and impact.
Prototype with mentor support and present your solution to judges.
Top teams can move forward into the national AI Summit pathway.
The challenge
Teams will tackle real-world problems facing Aotearoa. Pick a theme that resonates with you and build an AI solution with genuine impact.
AI-powered ideas for access, supply, waste, resilience or distribution.
Tools that make services, learning and participation easier for more communities.
Support people to upskill, prove capability and move into AI-enabled work.
Help people understand, protect and act on environmental knowledge.
Improve coordination between people, groups and communities.
Bring a challenge if it is grounded, people-centred and feasible to prototype.
Ready to build?
Register to participate as an individual or team, or register separately as a mentor.
