About LIVE AI

✰ LIVE AI is the premier accelerator-backed, hackathon-driven talent identification program.

Welcome to LIVE AI Ivy Plus 2026, the multi-campus fully-hybrid hackathon of the Ivy Plus Universities.

✰ 2025 February 20 - 22
✰ Columbia
✰ Duke
✰ Harvard
✰ MIT

Our competition promotes two technologies (AI / ML and blockchain) and two themes (fintech and medtech).

All host campuses will provide parallel onsite hackathons, and our Discord channel will offer a unique global experience that connects both communities with our online community for a truly hybrid event. Our participants will be eligible for the usual hackathon prize package, as well as offers for internships and jobs, opportunities to sell their IP, and consideration for joining the fintech-focused Converge Accelerator.

Check out our previous Ivy Plus event: LIVE AI Ivy Plus 2025 (https://liveai-ivyplus-2025.devpost.com)

 

[1] Before Coding

✰ Submit your resume and apply to LIVE AI Ivy Plus 2026 to be eligible for prizes.
✰ Join our Discord and check out our Participants Handbook for more event information.
✰ Receive your application decisions and confirm where you will participate in Ivy Plus 2026.

[2] During Coding

✰ Start coding on 02/20 (Friday) at 8:00 pm EST and follow our event schedule to participate.
✰ Start submitting your solutions at our submission checkpoint on 02/21 (Saturday) at 8:00 pm EST.
✰ Finish submitting your solutions before our submission deadline on 02/22 (Sunday) at 12:00 pm EST.

[3] After Coding

✰ Present your products at our host campuses on 02/22 (Sunday) to be eligible for onsite prizes.
✰ Our judges will evaluate all submitted pitch videos and code bases from 02/22 until 03/08.
✰ Join the Global Awards Ceremony on 03/16 (Monday) at 6:00 pm EDT to celebrate!

 

For more details, you can check out our Rules page and our Participants Handbook, as well as contact us on our Discord channel.

 

Previous Events

✰ LIVE AI Ivy Plus 2024 (2024 March 23 - March 24)
@ Duke + Harvard

✰ LIVE AI Ivy Plus 2025 (2025 February 21 - February 23)
@ Duke + Harvard

✰ LIVE AI Lone Star 2025 (2025 June 6 - June 8)
@ Google Austin + BankSocial (Dallas) + Rice

✰ LIVE AI Best Coast 2025 (2025 November 7 - November 9)
@ Stanford + Berkeley + UCLA + UCSD

Requirements

What to Build

Your product must include:

  • at least one of these two technologies
    • artificial intelligence
    • blockchain / web3
  • at least one of these two themes
    • medicine / medtech
    • finance / fintech

As long as your product fulfills both requirements, you're welcome to include anything else in your product!

What to Submit

To be eligible for onsite prizes, present your product at a host campus on February 22 (Sunday).

To be eligible for global prizes, submit a pitch video (2-3 minutes in length) on February 22 (Sunday) by noon. You may also submit any supporting documents, files, images, etc. Our judges will evaluate all pitch videos from February 22 until March 8, and then we will announce our global winners.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$213,875 in prizes
✰ AXIS: BLACKROCK FOR EVERYONE ✰
$30,000 in cash
1 winner

✰ Check out Axis at https://devpost.com/software/axis-blackrock-for-everyone
✰ Axis was considered for a $25,000 investment
✰ All team members were offered internships and full-time positions
✰ All team members were invited to join Google and BankSocial on an all-expenses-paid trip to showcase their product at NACUSO Reimagine (https://reimagine.nacuso.org) at Walt Disney World on 2026 April 27 - 30

[GLOBAL] GOLD
$250 in cash
1 winner

* 250 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] SILVER
$150 in cash
1 winner

* 150 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] BRONZE
$100 in cash
1 winner

* 100 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
2 winners

* Digital Certificates

[IVY PLUS] GOLD
$100 in cash
1 winner

* 100 USD
* Digital Certificates

[IVY PLUS] SILVER
$75 in cash
1 winner

* 75 USD
* Digital Certificates

[IVY PLUS] BRONZE
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] AI / ML 1st Place
$200 in cash
1 winner

* 200 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] AI / ML 2nd Place
$150 in cash
1 winner

* 150 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] AI / ML 3rd Place
$100 in cash
1 winner

* 100 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] AI / ML Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
4 winners

* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Blockchain 1st Place
$200 in cash
1 winner

* 200 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Blockchain 2nd Place
$150 in cash
1 winner

* 150 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Blockchain 3rd Place
$100 in cash
1 winner

* 100 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Blockchain Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
1 winner

* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] MedTech 1st Place
$200 in cash
1 winner

* 200 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] MedTech 2nd Place
$150 in cash
1 winner

* 150 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] MedTech 3rd Place
$100 in cash
1 winner

* 100 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] MedTech Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
3 winners

* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] FinTech 1st Place
$30,200 in cash
1 winner

* 25,000 USD Investment Consideration
* 5,000 USD Trip
* 200 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] FinTech 2nd Place
$25,150 in cash
1 winner

* 25,000 USD Investment Consideration
* 150 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] FinTech 3rd Place
$25,100 in cash
1 winner

* 25,000 USD Investment Consideration
* 100 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] FinTech Honorable Mention
$25,000 in cash
2 winners

* 25,000 USD Investment Consideration
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Best Design
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Design Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
3 winners

* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Best Development
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Development Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
3 winners

* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Best Demo
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Demo Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
3 winners

* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Best Product
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 BSL
* Digital Certificates

[GLOBAL] Product Honorable Mention
$0 in cash
3 winners

* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] GOLD
$100 in cash
1 winner

* 100 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] SILVER
$75 in cash
1 winner

* 75 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] BRONZE
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] AI / ML Winner
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] Blockchain Winner
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] MedTech Winner
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] FinTech Winner
$25,050 in cash
1 winner

* 25,000 USD Investment Consideration
* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] Best Design
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] Best Development
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[DUKE] Best Demo
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] GOLD
$100 in cash
1 winner

* 100 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] SILVER
$75 in cash
1 winner

* 75 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] BRONZE
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] AI / ML Winner
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] Blockchain Winner
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] MedTech Winner
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] FinTech Winner
$25,050 in cash
1 winner

* 25,000 USD Investment Consideration
* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] Best Design
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] Best Development
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

[UAi] Best Demo
$50 in cash
1 winner

* 50 USD
* Digital Certificates

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

LIVE AI Ivy Plus 2026 Judges

LIVE AI Ivy Plus 2026 Judges
Each onsite will have its own onsite panel for onsite evaluations on Sunday. Afterwards, all judges will be combined into one global panel for global evaluations. Check https://liveai-ivyplus-2026.devpost.com/#judging-criteria for more information.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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