Proof of Usefulness Hackathon by HackerNoon: Become an Official Ecosystem Partner

Calling universities, research labs, VC firms, dev communities, and influencers! You can be part of the hottest Hackathon of 2026, highlighting real-world projects with $100,000+ in prizes.

If you support developers, educate tech talent, run a tech community, or create content for builders, you know this: the internet doesn't need more demo-day darlings. It needs tools that survive real users.

That's why we are running the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon, a six-month global hackathon that rewards real-world utility over pitch-deck promises. With over $100,000 in prizes for individual developers and startups, this is one of the biggest Hackathons, inviting global talent to join us.

This hackathon is supported by companies that care about production software, not just demos. Meet Bright Data, Neo4j, Storyblok, Algolia, and yours truly, HackerNoon.

And we’d love to have you join as an official ecosystem partner, helping developers worldwide build software that matters while earning recognition, influence, and exclusive perks.

:::tip Apply here to join the Hackathon Partner Program.

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What’s Proof of Usefulness Hackathon?

Proof of Usefulness is HackerNoon's validation system that measures what actually matters: real utility instead of polished demos, technical theatrics, or pitch deck projections. It's a competition where projects are scored from -1000 to +1000 based on empirical evidence of user adoption, revenue sustainability, technical stability, and genuine utility. This 6-month contest will go live in the first week of January.

What kind of submissions qualify? Anyone building software can participate. Developers and startup teams building projects that solve real problems for real people are encouraged to participate. Projects can be existing products or new builds created specifically for the hackathon.

:::tip To unlock bigger prizes, we encourage you to submit AI and Machine learning projects. Explore the sponsored themes and tags to earn bigger rewards and freebies!

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TL;DR:

👩‍💻 Who is Eligible: Developers worldwide

🌍 Where: Global

⏳ Duration: 6 months

🏆 Prizes:

• $100,000+ cash for winning projects

• ~$1,000 in software tools for every participant!

Become a Proof of Usefulness Hackathon Ecosystem Partner

Join a global initiative inviting developers to build impactful, real-world projects.

Win-win-win, isn’t it? But, there’s more:

Why Partner With Us?

• Official Recognition: Your logo and name featured on the main hackathon website as an official University, Community, Influencer, or Ecosystem Partner
• Earn Judge Status: Top referring partners may be selected as Official Judges, earning voting power and global recognition
• Empower Your Community: 100k+ in prizes & $1,000+ in software tools per participant - major startup-ready stacks from Bright Data, Neo4j, Storyblok, and Algolia
• Co-Branded Cross-Promotion: Get featured in Hackathon newsletters and other marketing materials

Who Can Join the Partner Program

We're looking for four types of partners to amplify this movement:

Universities and Academic Partners: Turn your students' projects into portfolio-ready achievements with real validation and professional tools. We are looking to partner with:

• Computer Science departments
• Labs & research centers
• Robotics, AI/ML, Web3 clubs
• Student developer societies

Developer & Community Partners: Give your members the spotlight they deserve, complete with scoring, prizes, and recognition from industry leaders. We are looking to partner with:

• Tech meetups
• Online dev communities
• Open-source groups
• Bootcamps and training academies

Influencer Partners: Show your audience how to turn their side projects into validated, prize-winning software, while positioning yourself as the connector who made it happen. We are looking to partner with:

• Developer YouTubers/TikTokers
• Tech writers & bloggers
• X/Twitter influencers
• Hackathon mentors and educators

VC Funds & Startup Incubators: Help your portfolio companies prove real traction, gain visibility, and accelerate adoption—without dilution. We are looking to partner with:

• Venture capital & angel funds
• Startup incubators & accelerators
• Corporate venture arms
• Founder fellowship programs

Partner Responsibilities

What we need from you is simple:

• Share the hackathon with your audience
• Encourage project submissions
• Post announcements on your channels
• Optionally, host info sessions or workshops

No administrative burden - just community empowerment.

Hackathon Duration

Proof of Usefulness runs for six months, from January to June 2026, with prizes announced monthly and 3 bimonthly software cycles from our $100k prize pool. Every project - and partner - benefits from 6 months of global visibility. Hello, exposure!

Benefits for Participants

• 100k+ in prizes for winners and ~1.5k in software credits and promotional inventory for every participant
• Global exposure through HackerNoon: Publish and promote your projects with us!
• Validation from HackerNoon & industry judges
• Access to Powerful tools to build real products
• Portfolio-ready project outcomes

Who can participate?

Anyone building useful software can participate! Whether you're a solo developer, startup team, or established company, if you have a project that solves real problems for real people, you're eligible. Projects can be existing products or new builds created specifically for the hackathon.

Ready to Empower Real Innovation?

Join us in celebrating software that actually works. Become an official partner and give your community access to the validation, tools, and recognition they deserve.

:::tip Apply to the Partner Program! Questions? Contact sidra@hackernoon.com

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:::info Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is a global 6-month developer challenge designed to reward real-world utility projects and initiatives. With 100,000+ in cash prizes and software credits for winners and $1500+ worth of software and inventory for participants, this is undisputedly the biggest contest of the year. Learn more here.

Meet our sponsors:

Bright Data: Bright Data is the leading web data infrastructure company, empowering over 20,000 organizations with ethical, scalable access to real-time public web information. From startups to industry leaders, we deliver the datasets that fuel AI innovation and real-world impact. Ready to unlock the web? Learn more at brightdata.com.

Neo4j: GraphRAG combines retrieval-augmented generation with graph-native context, allowing LLMs to reason over structured relationships instead of just documents. With Neo4j, you can build GraphRAG pipelines that connect your data and surface clearer insights. Learn more.

Storyblock: Storyblok is a headless CMS built for developers who want clean architecture and full control. Structure your content once, connect it anywhere, and keep your front end truly independent. API-first. AI-ready. Framework-agnostic. Future-proof. Start for free.

Algolia: Algolia provides a managed retrieval layer that lets developers quickly build web search and intelligent AI agents. Learn more.

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