Join us for the Aotearoa AI Hackathon 2026

Got an idea? A problem worth solving? Or just a dangerously curious brain?

Good. You'll fit right in.

The Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival is taking over academyEX for two high-energy days of big ideas, bold thinking, AI and a whole lot of “what if we tried this?”

The challenges are inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), tackling real-world issues across People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. Big global challenges that need fresh thinking, practical ideas and a bunch of clever humans willing to have a crack.

Saturday 8 August & Sunday 9 August
Sat 8:30am - 5:30pm - Sun 8:30am - 5pm
99 Khyber Pass Road, Grafton
Register now

Are you HACK FIT?

Oh, and did we mention the prizes? Our venue-winning team pockets $250 to share, and the top four teams across Aotearoa are invited to pitch live at the Aotearoa AI Summit in Wellington.

From there, two $1,000 national prizes are up for grabs: the TAIAO Prize – AI Summit Audience Vote and Technological Brilliance – National Judging Panel Prize.

  • Come with a team or find your people when you get here. Teams of 3–6 are recommended, and with mentors and technical support on hand throughout the weekend, you won't be left staring blankly at your laptop wondering what happens next.

  • You can arrive with ideas and do a little pre-planning, but the real work happens here. This is about collaborating, developing and building your solution during the Hackathon itself.

  • You don't need to be a coder or an AI expert either. Different skills, backgrounds and ways of thinking are exactly what make a great Hackathon team, so fire up the AI tools and jump in!

** If you are a current learner studying with academyEX use this code STUDENT40 at checkout for a discounted registration fee. Student ID required.