Happy New Year, world! As a New Year gift, HackerNoon brings you the grandest developer hackathon of 2026.
The internet is overflowing with software that looks impressive, sounds intelligent, and quietly fails to help anyone. We’ve normalized pitch decks for products that don’t exist, AI demos with no users, and MVPs that launch with applause and vanish without a trace. Meanwhile, people still need tools that work.
So we’re doing something different.
Enters the Proof of Usefulness Hackathon! From January 5 to June 5, this is a global developer competition that rewards one thing and one thing only:
Real-world usefulness.
And yes, there’s $150,000+ in cash and software prizes for winners & $1500+ for participating projects that can prove it. This hackathon is supported by companies that care about production software, not just demos: Bright Data · Neo4j · Storyblok · Algolia · HackerNoon.
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Note: Individual developers and budding startups are welcome to participate, with access to free tools that help you build and promote something meaningful. Any technology is welcome, but bigger prizes are reserved for AI and ML projects that use sponsor technologies.
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Let’s Start With the Prizes
This isn’t a weekend hackathon where one team wins, and everyone else disappears. Proof of Usefulness runs for six months, with monthly rewards and ongoing recognition for winners, 40+ winners, as well as $1500 worth of inventory for each participant.
Cash Prizes: $20,000
Awarded monthly across the contest, recognizing both individual builders and startups.
- Bright Data: $10,000 (10 winners × $1,000)
- HackerNoon: $5,000 (10 winners × $500)
- Storyblok: $5,000 (6 winners)
Winners are announced every month.
Software Credits: $120,000+
Because useful software deserves real infrastructure.
- Bright Data: $60,000
- 3 startup winners × $20,000
- One winner per bimonthly cycle (Jan–Feb, Mar–Apr, May–Jun)
- Neo4j: $10,000
- 10 winners × $1,000
- Algolia: $60,000
- 6 winners get 6 months of premium Algolia access worth $10,000
And here’s the part most hackathons don’t give you: Every participant is eligible for rewards!
Participation Rewards:
- Bright Data: $250 in free credits. Learn more here.
- Storyblok: $540 worth of 45 days of access to the Growth+ plan. Learn more here.
- Neo4j: AuraDB Free for all participants. Learn more here.
- Algolia: Build tier Free for all participants. Learn more here.
- HackerNoon: $750 worth of publishing and promotion credits for startups. Learn more here.
How the Timeline Works
- January 5th – June 5th: Rolling submissions
- Every month: Cash and software prize winners announced
- Every two months: Major software prize cycles for top startups.
- June/July: Final awards and top projects spotlighted
Submit when your product is ready. No deadlines designed to force half-built demos.
Who Can Submit
A valid submission includes:
- A working project URL
- Complete project information
- Claims that can be verified in the real world
No mockups. No “coming soon.” No vibes-only prototypes.
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Note: Projects falling under any of the sponsored themes and utilizing the sponsor tools unlock free software and tools worth $1500 and qualify for bigger prizes.
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The Contest Tags (~Themes)
Projects are published and evaluated under focused themes as HackerNoon tags, including:
Foundational Tech & Builder Innovation sponsored by HackerNoon
HackerNoon, your favorite technology publication, is not only the organizer, but the sponsor this year. HackerNoon is where technologists read, write, and share stories about tech, startups, and the future of the internet, reaching millions of curious minds every month.
You can win from $5000 in cash by submitting your projects on machine learning and AI, software engineering, security, startups, fintech innovation, and Web3 technologies. You can use any technology stack to qualify for this theme.
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HackerNoon is also giving away $750 in publishing and promotion credits to all qualifying startups. This is your chance to showcase your startup to global audiences.
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Here are the tags sponsored by HackerNoon:
Data Infrastructure, AI & Automation sponsored by Bright Data
Bright Data is the leading platform for real-time web access, powering agentic AI and LLMs. Bright Data is rewarding projects showing great use cases of web data extraction and access, automation, data science pipelines, AI and generative AI applications, and agent-driven systems powered by large-scale datasets. With $10k in cash prizes and $60k in software credits for winners, this is the top theme of the hackathon. Here are the sponsored tags by Bright Data:
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To participate in the theme powered by Bright Data, you qualify for $250 in free software credits to create a great use case. Click here to claim your free credits.
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Modern Content Architecture sponsored by Storyblock
Storyblok is a headless CMS built for developers who want clean architecture and full control. Storyblock is giving away $5000 in cash prizes to submissions around API-first and headless CMS architectures, omnichannel content delivery, composable and frontend-agnostic content systems, and scalable content infrastructure for developers. Here are the sponsored tags by Storyblok:
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Storyblock is giving away $524 worth of free Growth+ Access to all participants in this theme. Build a beautiful, functional project with StoryBlock and win $$$ in cash.
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Graph-Powered Intelligence sponsored by Neo4j
Graph databases, knowledge graphs, data intelligence, contextual retrieval, GraphRAG, and graph-powered AI agents for connected data use cases. Here are the sponsored tags by Neo4j. Neo4j is giving away $10,000 in software prizes to the top submissions.
- #graph-database
- #knowledge-graph
- #data-intelligence
- #graph-rag
- #contextual-retrieval
- #graph-powered-agents
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To build a project using Neo4j, use their free version (Aura DB).
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Intelligent Search & Retrieval sponsored by Algolia
AI-powered search, semantic and relevance-based retrieval, search APIs, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) for fast, user-centric discovery experiences. Here are the sponsored tags by Algolia:
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Build a kick-ass AI search project using Algolia’s free Build Tier. Your submissions qualify for $60,000 worth of software prizes.
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What “Proof of Usefulness” Actually Means
Proof of Usefulness (PoU) is HackerNoon’s way of measuring what most demos avoid.
It asks:
- Do people use this?
- Does it solve a real problem?
- Can it survive outside a launch tweet?
Every submission receives a PoU score from -100 to +1000 based on empirical evidence, with seven distinct tiers:
| 751-1000: | Unicorn Utility – Product has undeniable utility and massive adoption. |
|—-|—-|
| 601-750: | Category Standard – Product is a default choice and trusted across its category. |
| 451-600: | Industry Mainstay – Product is a definitive solution to a market problem. |
| 301-450: | Certified Problem Solver – Product is self-sustaining and provide long-term operational stability |
| 101-300: | Gaining Momentum – Product is officially moving from “neat idea” to “serious contender” |
| 000-100: | You’re In Business – You’ve hit “Deploy” and the world didn’t crash. |
| -100-000: | Lab Mode – Product is almost ready for the big reveal |
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The algorithm cross-validates responses against publicly available data, ensuring projects can’t simply claim utility without demonstrating it.
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Evaluation Criteria and Weight Distribution
| Criterion | Weight | Correlation | Justification |
|—-|—-|—-|—-|
| Real-World Utility | 25% | r = 0.847 | Problem-solution fit and practical actionability |
| Evidence of Traction | 25% | r = 0.792 | User adoption, media coverage, and verifiable signals |
| Audience Reach & Impact | 20% | r = 0.734 | Size and real-world influence |
| Technical Innovation | 15% | r = 0.681 | Novelty and quality of implementation |
| Market Timing & Relevance | 10% | r = 0.667 | Competitive positioning and timeliness |
| Functional Completeness | 5% | r = 0.643 | Clarity, evidence, and thoughtfulness |
Proof of Usefulness: Why We’re Doing This
The web doesn’t need more software optimized for screenshots.
It needs tools that:
- Actually work after launch
- Earn their place through use
- Create value without hype
“The most exciting breakthroughs happen when teams leverage open web access to address real-world challenges. At Bright Data, we believe usefulness starts with connecting people and AI to the world’s live information—transforming ideas into impact.” — Or Lenchner, CEO of Bright Data
“Proof of usefulness in our world comes down to one thing: does your CMS help developers ship better and faster, or does it slow them down? Hype doesn’t build products. Real utility does. That’s the standard Storyblok is built to meet.” – Storyblock team
“As a manager of a developer relations organization, I see a lot of hackathons where the results are toys or novelties. By emphasizing usefulness, Hacker Noon forces participants to put on their product hats and really build something that’s going to help the end user.” Chuck Meyer, Sr Manager, Developer Relations at Algolia
That’s the whole thesis.
Why You Should Participate in Proof of Usefulness Hackathon (Even If You Don’t Win)
You’ll get:
- A free Proof of Usefulness evaluation
- An instant PoU score and report
- A ready-made blog post showcasing your work to global tech audiences
- Eligibility for free software worth $1500+ for every participant
- Eligibility for $100,000+ in prizes
- Global validation & promotion by HackerNoon
And if nothing else, you’ll walk away knowing where your project stands, in reality, not theory.
Submissions Are Open
If your product is live, useful, and ready to be judged on reality, not hype – this is for you.
Submit your project. Get your score. Prove it’s useful. Compete for $150K+.
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Submit your Project to Proof its Usefulness Now!
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Proof of Usefulness Hackathon: Become an Ecosystem Partner
If you support developers, educate tech talent, run a tech community, or create content for builders, become Proof of Usefulness Official Ecosystem Partner! Partners get:
- Official Recognition: Your logo and name featured on the main hackathon website as an official University, Community, Influencer, or Ecosystem Partner
- Earn Judge Status: Top referring partners may be selected as Official Judges, earning voting power and global recognition
- Empower Your Community: 100k+ in prizes & $1,000+ in software tools per participant – major startup-ready stacks from Bright Data, Neo4j, Storyblok, and Algolia
- Co-Branded Cross-Promotion: Get featured in Hackathon newsletters and other marketing materials
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Proof of Usefulness Hackathon is a global 6-month developer challenge designed to reward real-world utility projects and initiatives. With 150,000+ in cash prizes and software credits for winners and $1500+ worth of software and inventory for participants, this is undisputedly the biggest contest of the year. Learn more here.
Meet our sponsors:
Bright Data: Bright Data is the leading web data infrastructure company, empowering over 20,000 organizations with ethical, scalable access to real-time public web information. From startups to industry leaders, we deliver the datasets that fuel AI innovation and real-world impact. Ready to unlock the web? Learn more at brightdata.com.
Neo4j: GraphRAG combines retrieval-augmented generation with graph-native context, allowing LLMs to reason over structured relationships instead of just documents. With Neo4j, you can build GraphRAG pipelines that connect your data and surface clearer insights. Learn more.
Storyblock: Storyblok is a headless CMS built for developers who want clean architecture and full control. Structure your content once, connect it anywhere, and keep your front end truly independent. API-first. AI-ready. Framework-agnostic. Future-proof. Start for free.
Algolia: Algolia provides a managed retrieval layer that lets developers quickly build web search and intelligent AI agents. Learn more.
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