15
Tue · Sept
Kickoff and build
Check-in, opening keynote, problem statements revealed, team formation, and first commits by nightfall.
Sept 15-17, 2026/ Boise, Idaho
Global Hackathon for Data & AI Engineers
Three days of building at the center of America's next data corridor. Working engineers, data scientists, and infrastructure builders from around the world converge on Boise to ship real systems, on the ground where the AI data center boom is taking root.
Apply now
Venue disclosed to accepted participants only
Why Idaho
The next AI data center hub is being built here
Idaho is ramping up a serious effort to become a home for AI data center infrastructure, and Boise is at the center of it. Abundant, low-cost hydropower, available land, a fast-growing engineering workforce, and one of the country's most significant semiconductor employers headquartered in the city make the Treasure Valley a natural fit for the compute buildout the AI era demands.
State and city leadership are actively courting data center investment, streamlining the path for large-scale facilities, and betting that the infrastructure powering AI shouldn't only live on the coasts.
This hackathon puts working professionals in that story. Come solve the problems that data centers, data platforms, and AI systems actually face: power efficiency, data pipelines, model serving, observability, in the place that's positioning itself to run them.
Build time72 hrs
FormatTeams of 2-5
WhoWorking professionals
AttendanceVirtual by review
Demo daySept 17
BOISE
IDAHO
IDAHO
Happening in Boise
Three days on the ground in Boise, Idaho, the city at the center of the state's growing data and AI infrastructure economy, connecting global engineering talent with the region building the backbone of AI.
Schedule
Three days. One shipped system.
16
Wed · Sept
Deep build
Full build day with mentor office hours, infrastructure workshops, and midnight checkpoints. Submissions lock at 11:59 PM MT.
17
Thu · Sept
Demo day
Final polish in the morning, then live demos before a panel of industry judges. Awards, closing, and what comes next.
Tracks
Build where compute meets the real world
TRACK / 01
Data Infrastructure
Pipelines, storage engines, streaming systems, and the plumbing that keeps petabytes moving reliably.
TRACK / 02
Applied AI Systems
Model serving, agents, evaluation, and AI products that solve real problems for real users.
TRACK / 03
Energy & Efficiency
Power-aware scheduling, cooling optimization, and tools for the data centers Idaho is building.
Judges and mentors
Judging and mentor slots open
We're inviting experienced professionals in data and AI to join the judging panel for demo day, and to mentor teams during the build with office hours on the subjects you know cold. Virtual judging and mentoring are accepted on a case by case basis. To express interest in either, reach out with a short note on your background: Carl@engineeringtheworld.com
Past hackathons
Where this started
EDITION / 02 · COMPLETE
Global Data & AI Engineering Hackathon
Aug 6-9, 2026 · Boise, Idaho · 96 hours
Our second edition brought working engineers, data scientists, and infrastructure builders to Boise for four days of shipping real systems across data infrastructure, applied AI, and energy efficiency. It set the format for everything that follows.
EDITION / 01 · COMPLETE
The First Hackathon
July 3-5, 2025 · Boise, Idaho
Where it all began. Our inaugural hackathon gathered data and AI professionals in Boise for a weekend of building, and proved the appetite for a recurring event at the center of Idaho's data infrastructure story.
Venue
Location disclosed after registration
The venue is shared directly with accepted participants. Apply below and full location details, arrival instructions, and the participant briefing will be sent to your email. This event is built for working professionals in data and AI. Remote participation is available on a case by case basis; note it in your application.
CityBoise, Idaho
Venue████████████████
Address██████████████
DoorsSept 15 · 9:00 AM MT
AttendanceVirtual by request
DisclosureUpon registration
Application
Apply to participate
If you have any questions, reach out to our organizer: Carl@engineeringtheworld.com