BigRed//Hacks 2026

Challenges
Best Domain Name from GoDaddy Registry
GoDaddy Registry is giving you everything you need to be the best hacker no matter where you are. Register your domain name with GoDaddy Registry for a chance to win some amazing prizes! <br>
Best Use of Gemini API
It’s time to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI using Google Gemini. Check out the Gemini API to build AI-powered apps that make your friends say WHOA. So, what can Gemini do for your hackathon project?<br><ul> <li>Understand language like a human and build a chatbot that gives personalized advice<br> </li> <li>Analyze info like a supercomputer and create an app that summarizes complex research papers<br> </li> <li>Generate creative content like code, scripts, music, and more<br> </li> </ul>Think of the possibilities… what will you build with the Google Gemini API this weekend?<br>
Best Use of ElevenLabs
Deploy natural, human-sounding audio with ElevenLabs. Create realistic, dynamic, and emotionally expressive voices for any project, from interactive AI companions to narrated stories and voice-enabled apps. ElevenLabs will empower you to build rich, immersive experiences without the need for actors or complex audio production, using simply the power of AI. <br><br>Integrate fully autonomous audio experiences into your hack with ElevenLabs and give your project a voice, along with giving your team the chance to win some wireless earbuds!<br>
Best Use of Solana
The world of development is evolving fast and Solana is leading the charge with a network built to handle all of your infrastructure needs. Forget high fees and slow confirmations, it’s time to build applications that are fast, efficient, and scalable. <br><br>Harness Solana's core advantages like blazing fast execution and near-zero transaction costs to make your hackathon ideas become real world projects. With Solana, the possibilities are endless.<br><ul> <li>Create a game, social app, or consumer product that relies on instant, high-frequency transactions.<br> </li> <li>Design a sophisticated trading, lending, or decentralized exchange (DEX).<br> </li> <li>Build a prototype for supply chain, identity, or payments that can handle massive, real-world volume.<br> </li> </ul>Show us how you can innovate with Solana for a chance to win some cool prizes for you and each member of your team!<br>
Best Use of Presage
Presage is pioneering the Human Sensing Layer, enabling any application to understand a person’s real-time physical and emotional state. With Presage, you can leverage clinically-proven vital signs, movement, emotion, and/or focus tracking to build a project that gives the standard camera super powers.<br><br>Use any of the <a href="https://mlh.link/presage-sdk" target="_blank">Presage SDKs</a> to integrate capabilities like real-time heart rate, breathing rate, engagement levels, and facial expressions into your hack with just a few lines of code.<br><ul> <li>Immersive Gaming & Entertainment: Dynamically change game difficulty or story elements based on a player's excitement or focus levels.<br> </li> <li>Contactless Wellness & Fitness: Build a non-invasive app that monitors stress, recovery, or fitness performance.<br> </li> <li>Accessibility & Security: Utilize vital signs for effortless authentication, or to enhance accessibility.<br> </li> <li>Productivity: Design a tool that tracks focus or stress.<br> </li> </ul>Build your next hack with Presage and show us the future of human-computer interaction! Win awesome prizes along for with the following perks from the Presage team:<br><ul> <li>Free refills for Presage Development credits to accelerate you through your next three months of building<br> </li> <li>30% off all Presage usage charges for your first year after going live<br> </li> </ul>
Best Use of Tiger Data
<p>Building high-performance apps under hackathon deadlines shouldn't mean spending half your weekend configuring complex databases or learning obscure query languages. Tiger Data extends PostgreSQL to give student developers an ultra-fast foundation for real-time data, time-series metrics, and complex analytics.<br><br>Why build with Tiger Data this weekend?</p><ul> <li><p>Standard SQL Power: Query massive datasets instantly using the SQL you already know, with no complex NoSQL aggregation pipelines required.<br></p></li> <li><p>Unified Data Stack: Store relational user profiles and high-frequency metric streams side-by-side in a single database.<br></p></li> <li><p>Instant Dashboards: Serve lag-free, real-time frontend charts using pre-computed Continuous Aggregates.<br></p></li> <li><p>90%+ Data Compression: Store millions of events on free-tier cloud instances without running out of disk space.<br></p></li> </ul><p>Whether you’re building real-time IoT monitoring, AI-driven analytics dashboards, or financial prediction engines, show us how Tiger Data powers your project. The team that demonstrates the most innovative, impactful, and performance-driven use of Tiger Data will take home some great prizes!<br></p>
Submissions aren’t open for this event.