Hardware hackathons
9 open hardware hackathons, each checked against the organizer's official page.
A hackathon gives you a deadline, a theme and a prize pool. Many run online for several weeks and accept solo builders, so you can enter from anywhere and work in your own time.
Money for people who build physical things: hardware accelerators, chip design awards, maker contests and programs for robotics and space.
element14 My Project Is Trash design challenge 2026
element14 gives five makers a free kit to build a smart recycling or waste project, with prizes up to about $1,305. Apply by 18 October 2026.
QHack 2026: Quantum Coding Championship
Xanadu's QHack 2026 pays a $67,000 cash pool for quantum coding challenges from October 16 to 23. Register now at qhack.ai.
Hackaday Retrocomputing Contest 2026
Hackaday and DigiKey give a $150 gift certificate to each of three favorite retrocomputing projects. Entries close on October 27, 2026.
HackFW MADE Challenge 2026
HackFW MADE Challenge is a North Texas hackathon on AI, hardware and software for manufacturing, with $1,900 in prizes. Submissions close on 30 October 2026.
Build the Autodesk University 2027 Product
A Hackster design challenge to create the official Autodesk University 2027 product, open until December 21, 2026. The winning concept is manufactured for about 750 attendees.
EasyEDA Spark 2026 hardware program
EasyEDA Spark 2026 offers an $85,000 prize pool for hardware projects, with up to $30,000 for the top entry. Project submissions close 31 December 2026.
PCBWay 9th Project Design Contest
PCBWay runs its 9th Project Design Contest with cash prizes up to $2,000 plus hardware for electronics, robotics and mechanical projects. Submissions close January 24, 2027.
Sustain the System 2026: Nordic Semiconductor contest with an $8,000 prize pool
Nordic Semiconductor is giving away $8,000 for predictive monitoring projects built on the nRF54LM20 DK. Submissions close 23 April 2027.
Infineon Boss Battle in the AI Arena 2026
Infineon is running a hardware contest on the PSOC Edge E84 AI kit with a $2,000 prize pool. Submissions open 13 October 2026 and close 3 January 2027.
Questions
How many hardware hackathons are open right now?
9 as of 5 October 2026.
Which hardware hackathons close soonest?
element14 My Project Is Trash design challenge 2026 from element14 Community closes on 18 October 2026. QHack 2026: Quantum Coding Championship from Xanadu closes on 23 October 2026. Hackaday Retrocomputing Contest 2026 from Hackaday closes on 27 October 2026.
Can I apply from any country?
8 of the 9 accept applicants worldwide. The others are limited to a region or a country, and each entry says which.
How is this list checked?
Every entry is written from the organizer's official page and links to it. Programs with a rolling deadline are checked again for closure, and an entry moves to the archive on the day it closes.