Crackathon™
Edition
2026
Launching soon

AI Innovation Accelerator Hackathon with Agent Build Club

A face-to-face engineering design hackathon at the University of Surrey, set in Santa's workshop.

When
Wednesday 2 December 2026, with a show and tell on 9 December
Cost
Free
Places
Two people pulling a silver cracker at an office party, bursting with lightbulbs, gears and ideas

Supported by

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About

About this run

Key dates

Dates to know

How it works

Step by step

Every Crackathon follows the cracker. Short or long, in person or online, it runs the same way.

Pull the cracker

The opening. Teams form, meet the coaches and hear what the occasion is about.

Put on the hat

Everyone wears one, and each hat gives you a part to play in your team. It is also the photo everyone takes home.

Open the gift: your prompt

Inside every cracker is a prompt. That is your challenge, written for the occasion and the people in the room.

Read the joke: the story

Every prompt comes with a story: the context behind the challenge, so you know who it is for and why it matters.

Crack it together

Explore the problem with AI, generate ideas, plan and visualise them, then build just enough to test the best one.

Share what you made

Pitch it on the day, then show it at the show and tell. Take it further in the community, or bring your team back for the next one.

Events

What happens and when

MON
30
NOV
17:00 to 18:00
Briefing

AIIA AI Engineering Challenge: briefing

[WHY COME TO WRITE] A short online briefing the day before the 2026 Crackathon opens: what it is, how the days work and how to take part.

Online
WED
2
DEC
Hackathon

AIIA AI Engineering Challenge: hackathon day

Teams form and go to work on businesses' draft challenges, so the feedback sharpens the briefs before they reach the University.

In person

Steps

What opens when

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Supporters wanted

Supported by

The organisations behind this run

University of Surrey