Hacklanta '26Adobe Ambassador
Dates
Oct 9 - 11
City
ATL
Duration
36 hours
Builders
1,000+ students across the US

Current face: details

a weekend built at full volume

What is Hacklanta?

Hacklanta's back, and this one's bigger than the first. 36 hours straight, festival energy the whole way through: no breaks, no sleep, just building. Whatever your background or experience, there's a seat for you.

This time, sponsors are on the floor running a live sponsor fair, doing real interviews on the spot, the kind of thing that turns a weekend project into an actual opportunity. Expect real networking, real prizes, and a few weird challenges along the way. Seats are limited, so apply now.

Oct 9 - 11ATL1,000+ students across the USfree for accepted participants

pick your stage

Tracks

Four tracks and three sponsor challenges, one weekend. Choose where your project competes.

  1. Social Good

    Build for the people and places that get overlooked: access, safety, mobility, and the everyday systems communities run on.

    presented by

  2. Creative

    Make something people feel: interactive art, music, games, and design tools that put new ideas on screen.

    presented by

  3. AI/ML

    Put models to work: agents, assistants, and data pipelines that take real tasks off someone's plate.

  4. Fintech

    Rethink how money moves: payments, budgeting, investing, and the tools that make finances easier to manage.

sponsor challenges

  1. Small Business

    Build the best small business app with Replit. Judges favor working, creative apps over technical complexity.

    • prize: a talk and dinner with Replit

    presented by

  2. Agents in iMessage

    Build an agent that lives in iMessage using Photon. Projects must integrate Spectrum, Photon's open source SDK.

    • winning team: $400 cash, $300 credits, and a fast track to the final interview round
    • runner up team: $200 cash, $100 credits

    presented by

  3. Zero Data

    Prove useful software doesn't need user data. Build a simple tool with no accounts, tracking, profiles, or stored personal info.

    presented by

take something home

Side Quests

Sponsor prizes through MLH, alongside the tracks and challenges. Build with a sponsor's tools to compete for theirs.

  • Mercedes-Benz

    $100 Visa Gift Card

  • Replit

    Dinner with Replit

  • Best Use of Solana

    Assorted Prizes

  • Best Use of ElevenLabs

    Wireless Earbuds

  • Best Use of Gemini API

    MLH Swag Kits

  • Best Use of Auth0

    Wireless Headphones

  • Best Use of Tiger Data

    Stream Deck Mini

  • Best Use of Vultr

    M5Stack Official Tab5

  • Best Domain Name from GoDaddy Registry

    Digital Gift Card

full prize details on MLH

future frequencies

Sponsors

Brought to you by Cox Automotive and Adobe, with sponsor challenges from Replit, Photon, and Shock Tracker, alongside many other sponsors powering this year's tracks and prizes.

title partners

Your host

with support from

  • Red Bull
  • Google Cloud
  • GoDaddy
  • Auth0
  • ElevenLabs
  • Solana
  • Vultr

transmission received

FAQ

Who can apply?

Applicants must be 18 or older and a current college or university student with a .edu email.

How much does it cost?

Hacklanta is free for accepted participants.

How large can teams be?

Teams may have up to four people.

Do I need a team?

Nope, you can always apply solo! We'll have a team finder available to you upon acceptance.

Where is it?

The venue will be on Georgia State University campus. Exact itinerary and location details will be announced before the event.

Can I participate remotely?

Hacklanta is in person only. There is no remote participation, and we don't cover travel.

What happens after I apply?

Decisions and accepted-participant RSVP instructions will arrive by email.

Major League Hacking 2026 Hackathon Season