📌About the Event

Startathon 2026 is a 30-hour, builder-focused student hackathon organized by SCT Coding Club at Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering (SCTCE), Thiruvananthapuram. Instead of giving participants fixed problem statements, the hackathon asks teams to identify meaningful problems within selected domains and build working software solutions. Only 20 teams will be shortlisted for the on-campus hackathon, where participants will receive mentorship and compete for a ₹2,00,000 prize pool.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Organizer: SCT Coding Club, Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering (SCTCE)
• Mode of Conduct: Fully offline/in-person
• Venue: SCTCE, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
• Hackathon Duration: 30 hours
• 24 hours dedicated to building
• 6 hours for evaluation and demonstrations
• Finalists: 20 shortlisted teams
• Team Size: 3–4 members
• Format: Teams are expected to build and ship a functional product rather than submit only a presentation or incomplete prototype.
• Problem Domains:
• Preventive Health & Everyday Care
• Intelligent Operations & Case Work
• Inclusive Access to Essential Services
• Digital Trust & Scam Resilience
• Mentorship: Shortlisted participants get access to mentors, founders, technical professionals and members of the startup ecosystem.

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📅 Important Dates

• August 2026: Idea submission, submission deadline and shortlisted-team announcement stages are scheduled during August.
• September 5–6, 2026: Startathon 2026 main 30-hour hackathon at SCTCE, Thiruvananthapuram.

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• Open to college students interested in building real products, including developers, designers and aspiring founders.
• Participants must apply as a team of 3–4 members.
• Only 20 teams will be selected for the final in-person hackathon.
• Selection is based on the quality of the idea and the strength/building ability of the team.
• Participants do not receive fixed problem statements. Instead, teams must choose one of the four defined opportunity domains and identify an appropriate problem.
• Teams may conduct research, user interviews, domain study, technology learning and initial planning before the event.
• Participants cannot build the core product, implement the main user journey or deploy the solution before the hackathon begins.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Total Prize Pool: ₹2,00,000
• First Prize: ₹1,00,000
• Second Prize: ₹60,000
• Third Prize: ₹40,000
• Participants get opportunities to interact directly with founders, CTOs, operators, mentors and companies attending the hackathon.
• The event provides participants with industry visibility and networking opportunities, with companies able to observe teams while they build their products.