Hackathon ideas

Michele Erba

Hackathon Expert

Introduction
Hackathon project ideas in the Energy field
Hackathon project ideas in the Social Issues field
Hackathon project ideas in the EdTech field
Hackathon project ideas in the Bitcoin field
Hackathon project ideas in the Space field
Hackathon project ideas in the Blockchain field
Hackathon project ideas in the Business and Startup field
Hackathon project ideas in the Environment and Sustainability field
Hackathon project ideas in the Cybersecurity field
Conclusions

1. Introduction

Will you participate in a hackathon soon?

Do you need inspiration to come up with a compelling idea?

This article is for you.

We will provide you with real case examples of project ideas delivered in hackathons hosted on Eventornado, categorized by hackathon macro topics.

However, we recommend you read this article first in case you're not familiar with hackathons.

Have a good read!

2. Hackathon project ideas in the Energy field

Autonomous wastewater heat energy reuse system with self-cleaning heat exchanger powered by renewable energy for apartment buildings.
Heat exchanger to capture the energy from the hot flues escaping the chimney and use them to heat the room.
Heat storage barrel that can store excess or cheap electric energy as heat for later release into living rooms, with a very low heat loss over time allowing choosing when to buy or use energy from different sources.
Smart power socket to help minimize energy costs.

3. Hackathon project ideas in the Social Issues field

Development of a policy for youth migrants/refugees to participate in active political life, taking into account the need to ensure meaningful participation of youth migrants and refugees in decision-making processes.
Creation of a PDF document with comprehensive information that a young migrant might need, such as any dangers to watch out for, accommodation, where to find language courses, most useful phrases, local jokes, etc.
Provide language and cultural training to young migrants, which can help them better communicate and understand their new surroundings.
Creating solutions for addressing unemployment among young people in Europe such as investing in education and training, encouraging entrepreneurship, supporting the transition from school to work, and providing job search assistance

4. Hackathon project ideas in the EdTech field

An innovative ecosystem designed to optimize and accelerate learners' path to success within the IT industry through a workspace simulator.
A programming learning platform for classroom use that helps bridge the digital divide and youth unemployment through intergenerational learning and skills development.
A memory techniques-based platform, where different associations for memorizing something (e.g. German vocabulary, national capitals, Latin plant names) meet.
An educational ecosystem that offers tools and resources created on the principle of visual simplification for professional development, team empowerment, time management, and effective leadership for education leaders.

5. Hackathon project ideas in the Bitcoin field

A solution that uses Bitcoin Lightning for fast, low-cost remittances. Senders remit Bitcoin, receivers get local fiat instantly. Leverages Lightning's potential to revolutionize global payments.
A solution to enable seamless trade and investment. Leveraging Bitcoin's liquidity and Taproot Assets, cutting out intermediaries and reducing transaction costs.
A platform that automates the process of saving Bitcoin into self-custodial wallets.
A solution to empower users to earn Bitcoin through ad clicks and views. Leveraging Lightning Network, it creates a micropayment-based ad platform.

6. Hackathon project ideas in the Space field

Developing a Space Debris Collecting Robot (SDCR) prototype. Reusing collected materials for scientific research and industry.
Offer the service of a "garage" space station able to store fuel and equipment to extend the lifespan of orbiting satellites. A mobile spacecraft would carry the fuel and equipment to fix satellites in their orbit.
An innovative way to locate the space and aerial vehicles using radio frequency transmitters. The solution consists of a platform-as-a-service business model and allows space agencies to seamlessly track space vehicles.
An open-sourced watchdog project which aims to pull back the veil on corporate misdeeds around the world. All monitoring revolves around environmentally damaging practices (e.g. chemical manufacturers dumping chemicals in rivers).

7. Hackathon project ideas in the Blockchain field

To use distributed ledger technology based on the Ethereum network to create tamper-proof certificates in non-transferable NFT format.
A project aiming to use Soulbound NFTs (EIP-4671) to verify and authenticate educational certificates.
A blockchain-based application where experts, professionals, content creators, and universities could upload study material and content. Students could learn the courses they prefer and are passionate about.
A synergetic reputation engine for loan security that is decentralized, permissionless, trustless, pseudonymous, and open, It offers a global protection community for credit security. Instead of a few companies determining one global credit score, credit scores are calculated pseudonymously based on volume histories between individuals or groups of creditors and debtors.

8. Hackathon project ideas in the Business and Startup field

A carpooling platform to reduce traffic and pollution. Share rides for cheaper costs, environmental benefits, and improved quality of life.
A group motivation app. Join or create groups to achieve goals together. Daily tasks, progress sharing, and community support for increased motivation.
An all-in-one platform, helping people from all levels to join the tech industry by outmapping their current skills, interests, and talents and giving them the tools, such as online courses, roadmaps, and mentorship (all within the platform) to reach their career in the tech industry.
A YouTube-style platform where you can watch any lesson anytime from the top schools. With a quick camera and audio recording setup, any regular lesson can be captured and put on a platform for anyone to watch.
A web-based software for organizing in-person boot camp events for gaming/esports and software development teams.
A mapping tool for supermarkets to easily find products without wasting any time.
A cutting-edge facial recognition technology that enables you to access buildings, and validate memberships and loyalty programs.
A Product Review Aggregator bringing all reviews onto one platform and making it easy for people to make smarter decisions when purchasing products, including a useful search feature, filtering, specifications comparison, and more.
A project to provide a service for ultra-fast image delivery in web browsers

9. Hackathon project ideas in the Environment and Sustainability field

Farming seaweed to create a dry raw material to be added to livestock feed. The main goal is to reduce greenhouse gasses, provide a stable cash flow to fish farms, and conserve the oceans.
A service to caterers and the food service, providing an innovative badge/certification system for restaurants to encourage sustainability practices and minimize food waste.
A switchboard to connect farmers with expert consultants who can help them become more productive and financially sustainable. The model is inspired by the circular economy.

10. Hackathon project ideas in the Cybersecurity field

A Safari web extension for iOS/iPadOS mobile users for detection and blocking of sensitive data transmission. The extension analyzes the data streams in real-time on the client side and blocks malicious activity based on behavioral analysis.
A digital radar system placed in a browser extension to:
- Warn users if the webpage they are on is potentially malicious, contains misleading data, or is known to be an unreliable source.
- Notify the user if any keywords listed on the page relate to specific disinformation campaigns.
- Give the user an overview of the current state of the web, eg. ongoing info-warfare and cyber security events
- Connect anonymized data from all the extension units
An automated security assessment tool for Agile teams. Swift audits, vulnerability scanning, and actionable checklists for compliant software development.
An instant emergency situation control room, which allows fast evaluation of risk level and collecting insights from affected stakeholders to ignite countermeasures.
A SaaS/Self-Hosted software that helps with implementing and maintaining the identity of IoT devices. The platform helps administrators manage IoT devices, creating groups and policies to maintain security within IoT ecosystems like car fleets or industrial IoT.