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What is an AI hackathon
ai hackathon
AI hackathons that build real things
An AI hackathon is where talent meets tools and something working comes out the other side. Tembi runs AI hackathons at universities across the Global South, and this is the hub for everything they involve.
Live map
Find a hackathon near you.
Every ping marks an upcoming Tembi Labs hackathon. Hover a dot to see the date and focus area.
In short
The short version
Access to technology should be a human right, not a privilege of geography or income, and a hackathon is the most concrete way Tembi Labs acts on that. An AI hackathon is a focused event where students form teams and build a working prototype with AI tools in a day or two, then pitch it to a jury. At Tembi it is also the front door to everything else we do. The hackathon proves local demand, builds the relationship with a university, and shows us where devices and support belong next.
We do not run charity. We activate talent. A hackathon is the clearest way to see that talent was always there, waiting only for the tools and the moment to use them.
How we work
How a Tembi AI hackathon runs
- 01
Roughly 4 hours of hands-on introduction to AI tools
- 02
About 24 hours of team building on a real problem
- 03
A business pitch to a jury, with prizes for the strongest teams
- 04
Working prototypes built in 24 to 48 hours
- 05
The strongest builders join the Fellows network
On the ground
AI Hackathons
The Tembi AI hackathon hub. What an AI hackathon is, how ours run at universities across the Global South, and how universities and companies take part.
What we offer
Explore the hub
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Host an AI hackathon
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Corporate Challenge Day
Compare
Two ways to run a hackathon with Tembi
| University hackathon | Corporate Challenge Day |
|---|---|
| Who it is for. Universities across the Global South that want to activate their students and open the door to devices and support. | Who it is for. Companies that want to set a real challenge, meet talent, and own the solutions that come out of it. |
| What you bring. The venue, access to students, a local contact, power and internet. | What you bring. A real problem with sample data, a jury from your team, and a budget of EUR 5,000 to 15,000. |
| What you get. An activated student community, a relationship with Tembi, and a path toward computer rooms and devices. | What you get. IP of the solutions, brand presence, and direct access to a talent pipeline. |
In short
Built for students, open to every field
A Tembi AI hackathon is an ai hackathon for students first, and that shapes everything about how it runs. You do not need to be a computer science major or to have shipped code before. The opening hours are a hands-on introduction to AI-native tools, so a law student, a designer and an engineer can build side by side. What we have seen at student hackathons across the Global South, including our focus on an ai hackathon in Africa, is that the best ideas rarely come from the most credentialed person in the room.
For a university, that breadth is the point. When you host a hackathon at your university, you reach students across faculties, not just one department, and you give a wide group their first real digital skills with modern AI. The weekend becomes a snapshot of talent your campus already had and a starting line for what comes next.
In numbers
Hackathons so far (placeholder KPIs, confirm before launch)
25+
AI hackathons organised
100%
success rate
4
countries operating in
300
students impacted
5
solutions built
48
partners & supporters
“Talent is everywhere. Access is not. A hackathon is where we prove it, in a weekend, in the open.”
Next step
Bring a hackathon to your campus
Universities provide the room and the students. Tembi brings everything else. It takes roughly 6 to 8 weeks of lead time to run the first one.
Book a call
Host an AI hackathon or become a partner
Pick a slot that works for you. We will walk you through the next steps, from first call to your first event.
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FAQ
Questions, answered.
It is a focused event where teams build a working prototype with AI tools in 24 to 48 hours, then pitch it to a jury. Tembi runs them at universities across the Global South as the front door to devices, computer rooms and community programs.
Roughly 4 hours of introduction to AI tools, then about 24 hours of team building on a real problem, then a business pitch to a jury with prizes. The strongest builders join the Fellows network.
Nothing. Taking part is free. Tembi brings the format, facilitation, a jury with prizes, sponsored AI tools and credits, and mentors. Students bring their idea, their curiosity, and a laptop if they have one.
The university provides the venue, access to students, a local contact, power and internet. Tembi brings the format, facilitation, jury, sponsored AI tools and mentors. First contact to first event takes roughly 6 to 8 weeks.
A company sponsors a hackathon (EUR 5,000 to 15,000), sets a real problem with sample data, puts its jury on the panel, owns the IP of the solutions, and meets the talent directly.
Our core focus is universities across the Global South, where access barriers are highest. Corporate Challenge Days can be arranged with company partners as part of that mission.
The event proves local demand. From there, refurbished enterprise laptops can be built into computer rooms, and students can step into Chapter Lead and AI Champion roles to keep the community active.
Any student at a partner university, from any faculty. These are AI hackathons for students of every background, and the opening sessions teach the tools, so first-timers build right alongside experienced coders. ---