Hackathon
+ Demo Day
A weekend to build something that matters, then show it on stage. Form a team on Friday, August 13, build through the weekend, and demo to judges, investors and the festival on Monday, August 16.
- C-Tribe x Tech
- Edmonton, AB
- Kick-off August 13
- Demo Day August 16
What's the C-Tribe x Tech Hackathon?
Reorient & Reinvent, the 2027 theme, is a build brief: take a real problem from Edmonton, from a partner or from your own life, and make something new in a weekend.
Kick-off to Demo Day
The weekend
Friday, August 13
Kick-off
Challenge briefs from partners (our Reverse Pitch), team matching for anyone flying solo, and the clock starts that evening.
Saturday, August 14
Build
A full day on the floor with mentors walking the room, quick workshops on the tools you're using, food and a quiet room when you need it.
Sunday, August 15
Submit and judging
Projects are in by mid-morning. Judges see every team, then pick the finalists for Demo Day.
Monday, August 16
Demo Day
Finalists demo live on the C-Tribe x Tech stage to judges, investors and festival-goers, followed by the awards.
What to build
Four challenge tracks
Partner challenges come from the Reverse Pitch at kick-off: companies and public partners pitch the problems they need solved.
Partner challenges
Real problems brought by companies and public partners in the Reverse Pitch. Solve one and you might be talking to your first customer.
Community impact
Tools for newcomers, small businesses, accessibility and the services people rely on.
Creative collisions
Build for musicians, designers, filmmakers, game makers and culture keepers, with them in the room.
Open track
Have your own idea? Build it. If it fits the theme, it fits the hackathon.
Who should come
Bring your skills
- Developers, designers, product people, data folks and domain experts. Teams of up to 4; come solo and we'll help you find one.
- Students and first-time hackers. Mentors are there for exactly that, and there are short workshops on the floor.
- Founders testing an idea before they commit to it. Startup Alpha and the pitch competitions are the next step.
Want to learn the tools first? The Workshops & Masterclasses run all week.
The rules
- Build during the hackathon. Ideas, sketches and open-source tools are welcome; existing products are not.
- Teams of 1 to 4 people.
- Use any language, framework or AI tool, and say which ones you used.
- Everyone follows the C-Tribe Code of Conduct.
Monday, August 16
Demo Day
On Monday, August 16, the finalists take the C-Tribe x Tech stage. Short live demos, real questions from judges and investors, then the awards. Demo Day is open to every pass holder, so come and cheer.
How the judges score
Impact
Does it solve a real problem for real people?
Execution
Does it work, and how much did the team build this weekend?
Design
Is it usable and accessible for the people it's for?
Demo
Can the team show it clearly and answer hard questions?
Get ready
Four steps
Sign up for updates
We'll email you the moment hacker registration opens.
Get your pass
Hackers need a pass that includes Tech: Tech, Tribe, VIP, Executive or Diversity.
Register your team
Teams of 1 to 4. Solo? Tick the box and we'll match you at kick-off.
Show up and build
Kick-off is Friday, August 13. Bring a laptop, a charger and an open mind.
FAQ
Good to know
How do I register?
Do I need a pass?
What are the prizes?
I can't code. Can I join?
Can my company bring a challenge or sponsor a prize?
Can I mentor or judge?
Bring a challenge, mentor or judge
Partners can bring a Reverse Pitch challenge or sponsor a prize. Builders and investors can mentor on the floor or judge Demo Day.