Pi Hacks is a 24-hour, university-wide hackathon hosted by Kappa Theta Pi, the University of Michigan's premier technology fraternity, bringing together 250 of the university’s most driven students across computer science, engineering, data science, design, business, and beyond.

 

In partnership with Red Bull, Pi Hacks is designed to be an interdisciplinary build experience where students collaborate to create impactful, real-world solutions in a high-energy, fast-paced environment.

 

This year’s hackathon features three core tracks:

  • Education (EdTech): Build tools that improve access to learning, enhance educational experiences, or support students and educators.
  • FinTech / Business Technology: Develop solutions in finance, analytics, marketplaces, or tools that improve how businesses operate.
  • Healthcare / HealthTech: Create technologies that improve healthcare access, patient outcomes, or overall well-being.

 

Participants will have 24 hours to ideate, design, and build a project from scratch, culminating in a live demo session judged by faculty from the University of Michigan's School of Information, and industry professionals.

 

What makes Pi Hacks special:

  • A focus on interdisciplinary collaboration across technical and non-technical fields
  • Opportunities to connect with faculty and industry judges
  • A curated, high-quality experience with a limited cohort of 250 participants
  • Support throughout the event, including mentorship, workshops, and resources

 

We’re excited to bring together a community of builders, thinkers, and creators to turn ideas into reality, all in one weekend.

Requirements

To be considered for judging, each team must submit their project on Devpost before the deadline and also submit to Red Bull Basement.

Your submission should clearly communicate what you built and how it works. Please include the following:

  • Project description: A clear explanation of your project, including the problem you are solving and your approach

  • Track selection: Indicate which track your project falls under (Education, FinTech/Business Tech, or Healthcare/HealthTech)

  • Project link (required): A link to your project, such as a GitHub repository, deployed application, or any platform where your project is hosted

  • Additional materials (optional but encouraged):

    • Slide deck / presentation

    • Screenshots or diagrams

    • Documentation

Teams will present their projects live to judges during the demo session, so submissions should support and complement your presentation.

 

Submissions will be evaluated based on impact, technical execution, creativity, and usability, so make sure your materials clearly highlight these aspects of your project.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$1,500 in prizes
1st Place Award - Healthcare
$500 in cash
1 winner

1st Place Award - Education
$500 in cash
1 winner

1st Place Award - FinTech
$500 in cash
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Karitk Sundaram

Karitk Sundaram

James Rampton

James Rampton

Jonathan Hawley

Jonathan Hawley

Judging Criteria

  • Judging Criteria
    Projects will be evaluated by faculty and industry judges based on a holistic rubric that considers problem definition, innovation, technical execution, user experience, impact, and communication.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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