The George Washington University
Scholarship up to75%
- Winning team
- Scholarship of up to 75%*
- Runner-up team
- Scholarship of up to 50%*
- Eligibility
- Fall 2027 intake
- CGPA requirement
- 3.5+ (winner) · 3.4+ (runner-up)
Presented by SEED Global Education
SEED Hackathon 2026
Machines have started making calls on their own. Spend this hackathon working out which ones they should be allowed, under the 2026 theme
ThemeThe Age of Autonomy
- Entry Free Registration
- Team size 2 – 3
- Format Virtual
Eligibility
BE | BTech | BScFinal & pre-final year
ME | MTech | MSc1st & 2nd year
Working professionalsIn technical roles
About the hackathon
Built by SEED, judged by global universities
SEED Global Education helps students reach the world's best universities. This hackathon skips the essay and the waiting. You take a real problem, build it with two or three others, and show admissions what you shipped.
The Age of Autonomy is the 2026 brief. Software is being handed decisions that used to be ours, and most of it still cannot explain itself. Winning teams build the receipts. Show us an agent that can be audited as well as demoed.
- First idea to working prototype, across 6 guided phases.
- Mentored by working engineers, founders and university faculty.
- Judged on real-world impact, not slide decks.
At a glance
- Theme
- The Age of Autonomy
- Prize pool
- ₹2,00,000
- Scholarship
- Up to 75%
- Entry
- Free Registration
- Format
- Virtual
The brief
Three briefs. Three sub-themes.
Pick one and go deep. Each brief runs as a seven to ten day sprint for a team of two to three, and ends in front of a jury that will try to break what you built.
Step one
What we need from you first
The abstract is how you enter SEED Hackathon 2026. Tell us which problem you picked, how you plan to solve it, and what changes if it works. Write it yourself. We check for copied and AI-written text. Keep it under 1,000 words.
- Your own words. We check for copied and AI-written text.
- 1,000 words, hard cap. Most good ones run shorter.
- Problem first, then your fix, then why it matters.
Timeline
How the hackathon runs
The full schedule, start to finish. Registered teams get each milestone by email as it comes up.
Phase 01
Registration and Abstract Submissions Open
All three problem statements are published and abstract submissions open.
Phase 02
Abstract Submissions Close
Your thousand-word abstract is due. Nothing is accepted after this date.
Phase 03
Shortlist Announced
The teams advancing to the prototyping round are announced.
Phase 04
Prototyping Phase
Just under two weeks to build, with cloud credits and checkpoints.
Phase 05
Mentorship Phase
One-to-one sessions with engineers, founders and partner faculty.
Phase 06
Grand Finale
Finalists present to the jury. Every prize is announced the same day.
Awards & recognition
Cash prizes worth ₹2,00,000
Every placing team also leaves with a tuition scholarship of up to 75% at a partner university and an application fee waiver, applied at the point of admission.
University scholarships
Offered to the winning and runner-up teams, at the point of admission.
Boston University
Scholarship up to50%
- Winning team
- Scholarship of up to 50%*
- Runner-up team
- Scholarship of up to 30%*
- Eligibility
- Fall 2027 intake
- CGPA requirement
- 3.6+ (winner) · 3.5+ (runner-up)
*Scholarship applies to tuition fees only and does not cover any other expenses. Eligible only for winners who secure admission for the Fall 2027 intake.
Cash prizes
Two teams take each placing, so every figure below is per team.
1st
Winners
2 winning teams
₹50,000
Cash prize, per team
- An appreciation letter from Boston University and GW
- A hamper from both partner universities
- Application fee waivers at both partner universities
- Participation certificate
2nd
Runners-up
2 runner-up teams
₹35,000
Cash prize, per team
- An appreciation letter from Boston University and GW
- A hamper from both partner universities
- Application fee waivers at both partner universities
- Participation certificate
3rd
Second runners-up
2 second runner-up teams
₹15,000
Cash prize, per team
- An appreciation letter from Boston University and GW
- A hamper from both partner universities
- Application fee waivers at both partner universities
- Participation certificate
All
Every team & participant
Everyone who takes part
Top 30
Teams recognised
- Top 30 teams: appreciation letters and a hamper
- Top 30 teams: application fee waivers
- Participation certificate for every registered member
- Access to the SEED alumni network and its referrals
Before you register
No. The strongest teams mix engineering with design, business sense and domain knowledge. If you can push a working prototype and a credible pitch forward, there is a seat for you, and mentors are on hand for the whole sprint.
Anyone with a background in computers or technology. That covers:
- Final and pre-final year BE, BTech and BSc students
- First and second year ME, MTech and MSc students
- Working professionals in technical roles
- Students and graduates of any other computing or technology discipline
Teams may mix all of them.
Teams are two to three people. If you are short of teammates, we match you on skills and on the problem statement you picked, so nobody is left hunting for a team.
Winning and runner-up teams receive tuition scholarship offers from our partner universities, subject to meeting each university's academic threshold and completing a full application for the stated intake.
Nothing. Entry is free and the tooling for shortlisted teams is covered. You keep whatever you build, and placing teams also take cash, a scholarship offer and an application fee waiver.
The Age of Autonomy
The machines are already deciding. Build the part that keeps them honest.
₹2,00,000 in prizes, scholarships of up to 75% at partner universities, and a project worth putting your name on. Entry is free.