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the world's

LARGESTCOLLEGIATE

HACKATHONis back & better than ever.

the world's

LARGESTCOLLEGIATE

HACKATHONis back & better than ever.

You Belong At Cal Hacks!

Whether you’ve barely ever coded in your life or have participated in twenty hackathons, Cal Hacks is here to give you a platform to build, to learn, and to create – the world is your oyster!As the world’s largest collegiate hackathon, we recognize that tech spaces need to do more to create environments where hackers of marginalized backgrounds can thrive.As long as you’re passionate about technology and looking to change the world, you belong at Cal Hacks.

The numbers that make our hackathon the largest — celebrating diversity, record-breaking participation, and a prize pool like no other.

48hours

$200,000in prizes

400+projects

2,000+hackers

36hours

$200,000+in prizes

400+projects

2,000+hackers

Our VenueThe Palace of Fine Arts

3601 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Get directions

Our Story - Twelve Years of Hacking

Year after year, we bring together the brightest minds to inspire breakthroughs. Scroll through to explore our history!

I loved Cal Hacks from the finalist & judging format, the llamas, to all the people I met along the way it was a big highlight of my summer! Live, Laugh, Love Cal Hacks.

Cal Hacks gave me the confidence to try building with tools I'd never touched before.

The energy in the room was contagious. Every corner you turned, someone was building something wild.

20232024201420152016

Join us for DDoSki's Hack Month!

Prime yourself for the best Cal Hacks yet with a series of tech talks, sponsor workshops, and hack nights — show off what you're building, bring your friends (& meet new ones), and come immerse yourself among the best & brightest in tech!

01/

INTRO TO HACKATHONS

Mon 9/29 6 - 7 PM Wheeler 20

Learn what hackathons are, how to apply, how to network with sponsors, and why they're the perfect space to learn, connect, and build something exciting!

RSVP!

02/

URM HACK NIGHT

Fri 10/10 5 - 9 PM Mudd Hall 100

Join us for a Hack Night for URMs—a fun space to build any project you like, connect with peers, and meet others heading to 12.0!

RSVP!

03/

PRE-HACKATHON SOCIAL

Wed 10/15 8 - 9:30 PM Blum Courtyard

Enjoy some food, meet other hackers, and the directors of Cal Hacks!

RSVP!

04/

ANTHROPIC WORKSHOP

Thurs 10/16 7 - 8 PM SOCS 126

Enjoy some food, meet other hackers, and the directors of Cal Hacks!

RSVP!

05/

DDOSKI'S HACK NIGHT

Fri 10/17 6:30 - 8:30 PM Grimes 3-304

Come along to build things & make new friends at a mini-hackathon!

RSVP!

06/

APPLOVIN WORKSHOP

Mon 10/20 2 - 3 PM Online

Over 1.6 billion people see an AppLovin ad each day, powered by Axon, our real-time recommendation system. Discover why we’re one of the most talked about companies, preview our challenge projects, and learn how you can win big prizes!

RSVP!

07/

GET HACKATHON READY: LEARN HOW TO NETWORK*

Tues 10/21 3 - 4 PM 2204 Bancroft Way

Learn how to network with employers at a hackathon by practicing core communication skills, developing an elevator pitch, and engaging in peer-to-peer practice to stand out in conversations. *Berkeley students only.

RSVP!

08/

CRASH COURSE IN FIGMA MAKE

Tues 10/21 7:30 - 8:30 PM Online

Join the Figma team for a workshop crash course in how to use Figma Make (Figma’s newest AI tool) to start with a design and prompt your way to a functional prototype, fast. During the session, we’ll cover how to write effective prompts, iterate on your product, and publish it as a functional, high-fidelity prototype that turns your ideas into a published website!

RSVP!

09/

FETCH.AI WORKSHOP

Wed 10/22 7 - 8 PM Wheeler 102

Discover how ASI:One searches and executes agents for your query dynamically.

RSVP!

DDoSki hopes to see you there!

Meet our Speakers

Ali Ghodsi

CEO & Co-Founder
Databricks

Ali Ghodsi is the CEO and co–founder of Databricks, responsible for the growth and international expansion of the company. In addition to his work at Databricks, Ali serves as an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and is on the board at UC Berkeley’s RiseLab. Ali received his MBA from Mid-Sweden University in 2003 and PhD from KTH/Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden in 2006 in the area of Distributed Computing.

Dylan Field

CEO & Co-Founder
Figma

Dylan Field founded Figma in 2012 when he was a computer science student at Brown University. He dropped out to work full-time on Figma. Field moved to San Francisco to spend four years preparing the software for its first public release in 2016. Figma IPO'd in August 2025.

A round of applause to our sponsors, who make all of this possible.

And a big thank you to our partners.

FAQs

General

What is Cal Hacks?

Who can participate?

How many people can be on a single team?

What qualifies as a beginner team?

Do I have to have a team to participate?

Can I start on my project before the hackathon?

I can't wait until the weekend to get hacking!

Still have questions?

Registration

Who can apply?

If I've graduated, can I volunteer to be a judge or mentor?

How do I apply?

Why are there two timelines for applying?

Do I get guaranteed admission if I apply early?

I applied! What's next?

Do you have a waitlist or accept walk-ins on the day-of?

In-Person Logistics

Where is Cal Hacks?

What should I bring?

Do I have to be in-person?

Will food be provided?

Will there be overnight accommodations?

Will my travel be reimbursed?

Will there be hardware I can use?

General

What is Cal Hacks?

Who can participate?

How many people can be on a single team?

What qualifies as a beginner team?

Do I have to have a team to participate?

Can I start on my project before the hackathon?

I can't wait until the weekend to get hacking!

Still have questions?

Registration

Who can apply?

If I've graduated, can I volunteer to be a judge or mentor?

How do I apply?

Why are there two timelines for applying?

Do I get guaranteed admission if I apply early?

I applied! What's next?

Do you have a waitlist or accept walk-ins on the day-of?

In-Person Logistics

Where is Cal Hacks?

What should I bring?

Do I have to be in-person?

Will food be provided?

Will there be overnight accommodations?

Will my travel be reimbursed?

Will there be hardware I can use?