Your hackathon
Where teams sit
Drag to move around the floor. Tap a coloured area to see who sits there.
Poland, on Zoom
The Polish teams take part over Zoom. Find them in the Sport room on floor 29.
Find a team
Schedule
Day 1 · Monday 16 November
- Pastries, registration and T-shirt pop-up on floor 29
- Opening words and kick-off: Opening Bell
- Team work
- Lunch break on your own (Cibus). Bring the food that makes you feel good
- Team work continues
- Dinner: pizza and beer
- Barista at your service until 01:00!
Day 2 · Tuesday 17 November
- Coffee and cake on floor 29
- Team work
- Lunch on us, delivered to your space so you can hit the deadline
- Hard stop: work on the projects ends
- Semi-final judging by Papaya domain experts, in the judging rooms at your assigned slot
- Exhibition and People's Choice voting on the site. Walk between the spaces, hear about the projects and vote for your favourite
- Final event, everyone's invited: refreshments, TED-style presentations, judging, announcements and prizes
Format
- 40 teams: 34 in Israel and 6 in Poland.
- Semi-final: 8 teams go through to the final, 4 from Vibe and 4 from Dev.
- Final: TED-style, 6 minutes per team, presented in English by 1–2 team representatives. Poland presents over Zoom.
- Winners: first and second place in each track, plus People's Choice chosen from all teams.
- Judging criteria: business value and impact on metrics; solution maturity and ability to take it forward; originality.
What to bring
- Laptop and charger
- Your own food for lunch on day one (or order in)
- The winning idea
Final judges
Good questions before we start
When and where do we meet?
On 16–17 November, Monday–Tuesday. On day one we meet at 09:00 on floor 29 for coffee, pastries and the T-shirt pop-up. At 09:30 Oriel rings the bell to kick off, and at 09:40 we start building!
How do I know who I'm working with and which space I'm in?
On the site you can see who's on your team, where your space is and which mentor is supporting you. The info will also be available at the stand at the start of the event.
What should I bring?
A laptop, a charger and an idea worth building. For lunch on day one, everyone brings the food they like. Best if both you and your laptop are fully charged.
What about food and coffee?
Day one starts with coffee and pastries, lunch is bring-your-own, and at 19:00 we meet for pizza and beer. The barista stand is open until 01:00. Day two starts again with coffee and cake at 09:00, and at 12:30 lunch arrives at your space.
When can we work on the project?
From the kick-off at 09:40 on day one until 14:00 the next day. At 14:00 the bell rings: building time is over and it's time to show what you've made.
We're stuck. Is there someone to ask?
Yes! Our mentors are experts who'll support the teams throughout the hackathon. Come with a focused question to get the most out of their help.
Do we need a perfect product in two days?
The goal is a working prototype that shows the idea and its value, with a base you can keep developing. Focus on the part that best shows how your solution helps, and try to get the product as close to finished as you can.
How will the projects be judged?
On three main things: business value and impact on metrics, solution maturity and the ability to take it forward, and originality. A smart solution to a real problem can make a big impression, even without twenty features.
How does the semi-final work?
On day two, between 14:00 and 15:15, teams present to the judges in the judging rooms at their assigned slot. At the end, eight teams go through to the final: four from the Dev track and four from the Vibe track.
What happens at 14:00?
Keyboards down, time's up! Head to the judges' room at your slot, then walk between the spaces and hear the other teams' ideas. During the exhibition you can vote for People's Choice.
And what happens at the final?
The final takes place on day two between 16:00 and 18:00. Each finalist team gets six minutes to present its project in English, through one or two team representatives. Short, focused, with room for your idea to stand out.
Are the teams from Poland taking part too?
Yes! 34 teams from Israel and 6 from Poland are taking part. Polish teams that reach the final will present over Zoom.
Will we get a chance to show what we built?
Of course! On day two, between 14:00 and 15:45, there's a project exhibition where every team can show what they've made. Visitors walk between the spaces, get to know the ideas and vote for People's Choice. Time to let your project shine!
How is People's Choice chosen?
Voting happens on the site during the exhibition. People's Choice is chosen from all teams in both tracks, so even a team that didn't reach the final can win the crowd over.
How many teams win?
In each track, first and second place are announced: four winners across both tracks. On top of that, there's the People's Choice award, shared across both tracks. Winners are announced and prizes handed out at the final event.