HITLAB World Cup – Fall 2026

HITLAB World Cup Hackathon

in Partnership with UVU Kahlert Applied AI Institute

PURPOSE

The HITLAB World Cup Hackathon in partnership with Utah Valley University (UVU)’s Kahlert Applied AI Institute, is a fast-paced innovation experience designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and rapid problem-solving. Participants will work in teams to develop early-stage solutions to real-world challenges across applied AI, digital identity, and life sciences.

This experience emphasizes hands-on learning, interdisciplinary teamwork, and the ability to quickly translate ideas into tangible concepts or prototypes within a short timeframe.

Who should apply

The Hackathon is open to individuals worldwide who are 18 years of age or older at the time of application. All Hackathon participants are required to participate in person at Utah Valley University during the Hackathon event dates unless otherwise approved by the organizers.

Participants may apply regardless of student or professional status
A dedicated Student Category will be available for individuals currently enrolled as undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral students at an accredited college or university
Participants applying to the Student Category must be able to provide valid proof of student status (e.g., university email address or student ID)
Participants are solely responsible for all travel, lodging, meals, transportation, and related expenses associated with participation in the Hackathon unless otherwise stated by the organizers

What innovations are we looking for

During the Hackathon, participants will work on real-world challenge statements (“bounties”) provided by sponsoring organizations and industry leaders. Teams will collaborate on-site to develop innovative concepts, prototypes, and technical solutions within the event timeframe.

Bounties may require:

Applied AI: Solutions that improve decision-making, workflows, automation, analytics, or user experiences
Healthcare & Life Sciences: Ideas that improve access, outcomes, patient experience, care delivery, or operational efficiency
Digital Identity & Data: Concepts focused on security, privacy, interoperability, trust, and user control over data

Participants are not required to arrive with an existing startup, business idea, or completed prototype. Solutions will be developed during the Hackathon in response to the live challenges presented at the event.

Timeline

*All deadlines are at 11:59 pm Mountain Time on the respective days, unless otherwise stated.

Hackathon Mentor

We welcome professionals, researchers, faculty, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who are passionate about innovation and supporting the next generation of changemakers. Mentors will play an important role in guiding hacker teams throughout the hackathon by offering strategic insight, technical expertise, industry perspective, and encouragement as participants develop and refine their ideas.

Mentors are not expected to build solutions for teams, but rather to provide feedback, help teams think critically, connect ideas to real-world applications, and support students in navigating challenges throughout the event. Individuals with experience in healthcare, technology, AI, entrepreneurship, research, product development, data, innovation, or related fields are strongly encouraged to apply.

Apply as a Mentor

First Name

Last Name

Title

Organization

What expertise and perspective would you bring as a mentor, and how would you support teams during the hackathon?

Which innovation area(s) are you most interested in mentoring within, and why?

Applied AI Healthcare & Life Sciences Digital Identity & Data Open Innovation

1-2 sentence explanation of interest

Briefly describe any relevant experience (professional, academic, or advisory) that would help you guide early-stage teams

Would you like to receive communications for other HITLAB events?

Yes No

Benefits

Participants will gain:

Exposure to leaders across healthcare, AI, and life sciences
Mentorship from academic and industry experts
Opportunity to pitch to a panel of high-profile judges
Access to potential funding, partnerships, and pilot opportunities
Visibility across HITLAB and partner networks
$30k+ of cash and in-kind prizes
Finalists will receive dedicated pitch coaching and the opportunity to present live at UVU.

Rules & Criteria

Hackathon Judging Criteria

All submissions will be evaluated in person by the respective bounty owners. Each bounty owner will review the solutions tied to their challenge and select the winning team based on how effectively the solution addresses the problem, including feasibility, creativity, and alignment with the stated objective.

Sponsor the Hackathon

Partner or sponsor the World Cup Pitchday & Hackathon

Sponsor a Hackathon Bounty

While sponsors may contribute general funding, equipment, laptops, or other resources, bounty owners will be responsible for providing a specific challenge or problem statement for participants to solve during the hackathon.

Bounty owners may: