Build Season · The BestPossible.AI Hackathon · Aug 2026
Build online. Earn your way to Dharamshala.
The flagship of Build Season, and it’s online: apply, then build and deploy a real app — web or mobile — from wherever you are. Standout builders earn an invitation to the in-person finale in Dharamshala. Here’s how it works, from your first application to the final demo.
Easy to enter. Earned all the way up.
What to build
Build something that matters.
This isn’t a race to the flashiest SaaS. BestPossible.AI exists to find the best possible uses of AI for real people and real problems — with a focus on India. We’re looking for builds with a genuine positive impact, not the next purely-commercial startup. Pick a problem that matters and make someone’s life measurably better.
Education
Help people learn, teach, or reach knowledge they couldn’t before.
Health & wellbeing
Better access, care, and outcomes — physical and mental.
Livelihoods
Help people find work, earn, upskill, or run a small business.
Sustainability
Protect the environment, save resources, adapt to climate.
Governance & civic
More transparency, better public services, real participation.
Accessibility
Technology that includes the people too often left out.
These are directions, not limits — anything that helps people counts. Not sure what to build? See the kinds of problems we mean:
How it works
From application to the Himalayas
Six steps — mostly online, from home. The in-person finale in Dharamshala is the reward for standout builders.
Apply — open now
A lightweight application — a few minutes, no résumé polishing. We’re looking for people who genuinely want to build.
Build & engage · Aug 1–10
Build a real, AI-driven app — web or mobile — deployed, open source, and solving a clear purpose. Build in public, engaging daily with other builders in Discord.
Submit by Aug 10
To be in the running for Dharamshala, submit your product and a screencast of how you built it by Aug 10. Submit early — earlier builds get more eyes and feedback.
Invites · Aug 13
We finalize selections and send invitations to the in-person finale in Dharamshala. Prize submissions also get a follow-up interview about your process and goals.
Dharamshala hackathon · Aug 23–26
Invited builders come together in person at AltSpace, Dharamshala — build together, with mentors, workshops, and founder talks.
Demo Day · Aug 26
Builders demo and the Silver (₹10k cash) and Gold (₹1 lakh cash) awards are announced — in Dharamshala or online. Can’t make the trip? You still demo online on the 26th and compete for every prize.
What to submit
What makes a strong submission
The submission is an app you’ve deployed — web or mobile. Anyone can enter — submit early and improve as you go. The more of these a build has, the stronger it stands for the Silver and Gold cash prizes, and a seat in Dharamshala.
A clear purpose — solves a real problem; obvious what it does and who it’s for.
Built with AI — AI apps, AI agents, or AI woven into the product.
A usable UI — looks good and is easy to use.
Responsive — works well on laptop and phone.
User login — real authentication, not a mock-up.
A real backend — saves data, so it behaves like a real product.
Deployed & live — a live URL for web (e.g. Vercel), or an installable build for mobile.
Open source & version control — a public repo with real commit history — all submissions are open source.
Nice extras — email, chat, or social integrations.
The finale · for invited builders
Four days in Dharamshala, Aug 23–26
The standouts come together in the Himalayas to close it out — connect first, then build, then demo on the final day. The kind of few days you remember for years.
Connect
Arrive, meet the other builders, and lock scopes. Open space, themed conversations, and hackathon energy.
Build
Heads-down building with mentors around. Step out for a workshop or deep-dive whenever you want to think.
Demo Day & awards
Final push, live demos to the room (and online for remote builders), and the Silver & Gold cash awards. Polished builds carry on to the public Demo Day in September.
On site, around the building:
Your stay, meals, and the Dharamshala experiences are on us — plus a travel stipend of up to ₹20,000, reimbursed on proof of tickets and travel.
Not headed to Dharamshala? You can still demo online on Aug 26 — every prize is open to online submissions too.
Prizes
Lots of ways to win
Real prizes — cash, Claude Pro subscriptions, and partner perks. Gold and Silver name the tiers; the reward is cash — a single ₹1 lakh Gold tier if a build earns it, plus several ₹10k Silver tiers and AI prizes.
The top cash prize — for a polished, complete app (web or mobile) that clearly solves a real purpose. At most one is given, and only if a build truly earns it.
A cash prize for a substantial submission with the core elements — responsive, login, database, deployed, and usable. Multiple Silvers are awarded.
For standout use of AI — AI apps, agents, or AI woven into the product. Several awarded, each a 3-month Claude Pro subscription.
An invitation to the in-person finale in the Himalayas, Aug 23–26 — stay, meals, experiences, and a travel stipend of up to ₹20k.
Every prize submission includes a short workflow demo of how you built it, and we follow up with a quick interview. The best builds don’t stop here — they carry on to the public Demo Day, and the strongest builders earn three months of funding through the Fellowship.
The fine print
What’s the catch? There isn’t one.
Build from home, on your own time — that’s the whole ask. No commitment to continue, no obligation to your idea afterwards. Win some prizes, earn a Dharamshala seat, find a collaborator, or just ship something you’re proud of. The upside is real; the strings are not.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Who can participate?
Anyone who can build products — whether you “vibecode” with AI or ship as a developer. On your own or collaborating with others, beginner or seasoned. The one real ask: you actually build and deploy something.
What kind of app should I build?
Something with a genuine positive impact — a real solution to a real problem, not a purely commercial startup. BestPossible.AI is about the best possible uses of AI for people, especially in India: education, health, livelihoods, sustainability, governance, accessibility, and the like. If it makes someone’s life measurably better, it fits. The Idea Wall is a good place to start.
Is it online or in person?
It’s an online hackathon — build from anywhere. It ends with an in-person finale in Dharamshala (Aug 23–26) for invited standout builders. Not invited? You can still demo online on Aug 26 and compete for every prize.
What happens between Aug 1 and Aug 10?
This is the build window. Pick an idea from the Idea Wall or bring your own, meet others and find collaborators in Discord, post daily updates, and work your idea into a real, working prototype. Then submit your product and a screencast by Aug 10.
What do I submit, and by when?
By Aug 10: your deployed app (web or mobile) and a short screencast of how you built it. Submit early — earlier builds get more eyes and feedback before the deadline.
Where will we stay in Dharamshala?
The finale is hosted at AltSpace, Dharamshala. Food and stay are covered for invited builders.
Do you cover travel to Dharamshala?
For invited builders, we offer a travel stipend of up to ₹20,000 — reimbursed once you share proof of your tickets and travel. Stay and meals in Dharamshala are covered too.
Do I apply as a team?
No — everyone applies individually and is evaluated individually for prizes and awards. Collaboration is very welcome, though: several people can work on the same or a similar project, and Discord is where you meet collaborators during the Aug 1–10 window. Each person submits their own work.
Do I have to go to Dharamshala to win?
No. Every prize is open to everyone who submits. If you can’t travel, you demo online on Aug 26 and compete for the Silver and Gold cash prizes, and the AI prize, just the same.
What does it cost?
Nothing to enter. For invited builders, stay and meals at the Dharamshala finale are covered, plus a travel stipend of up to ₹20,000 (reimbursed on proof of tickets and travel).
Does my project have to be open source?
Yes — all submissions are open source, so the community can learn from what everyone builds.
Apply
Ready to build? Apply now.
A few minutes puts you on the trail. Then build, and submit early — the sooner your app is live, the sooner it can win.