Impact Tokyo Hackathon 2026: AI for Global Good

IMPACT TOKYO: AI FOR GLOBAL GOOD Build with Purpose. Code with Vibe. Impact the World. Event Overview Impact Tokyo is a global-impact hackathon hosted in Tokyo that brings together builders, designers, researchers, and changemakers to solve real societal problems using AI, automation, and human-centered technology. This is not just a coding competition. It is a problem-first, impact-driven buildathon where teams design solutions that can realistically be deployed, scaled, and used by people—locally in Japan and globally. Participants are encouraged to use vibe coding: fast prototyping, creative experimentation, AI-assisted development, and collaborative building—without overengineering, without bureaucracy. Tokyo represents precision, discipline, and innovation. This hackathon blends that with global empathy and bold experimentation. Core Theme AI That Serves Humanity Participants will build AI-powered solutions that address real, measurable problems, aligned with global challenges and Japan-specific contexts. Problem Tracks 1. Aging Society & Care Tech (Tokyo Focus) Japan faces one of the world’s fastest-aging populations. Build AI tools for: Elderly care assistanceHealth monitoring and early risk detectionLoneliness reduction and mental wellbeingCaregiver support and workload reduction Goal: Improve quality of life while respecting dignity and autonomy. 2. Smart Cities & Urban Resilience Tokyo is a global model for urban living—but challenges remain. Build solutions for: Disaster preparedness and response (earthquakes, floods)Public transport optimizationUrban accessibility and mobilityEnergy efficiency and sustainability Goal: Make cities safer, smarter, and more inclusive. 3. Education, Skills & Workforce of the Future The future of work is changing faster than education systems. Build AI systems for: Personalized learning and upskillingCareer guidance and job matchingLanguage and cross-cultural learningBridging global opportunity gaps Goal: Enable lifelong learning and equal access to opportunity. 4. Human-Centered AI & Ethics As AI scales, trust and responsibility matter. Build tools for: AI transparency and explainabilityBias detection and fairness auditingPrivacy-first data systemsResponsible AI governance Goal: Ensure AI empowers people instead of flattening them. 5. Open Impact Track (Wildcard) Have a strong problem not listed above? If it: Solves a real societal issueUses AI meaningfullyHas a clear impact path You are welcome to pitch and build it. What Makes This Hackathon Different Impact > Hype Teams are evaluated on real-world usefulness, not flashy demos.Vibe Coding Friendly Use AI copilots, LLMs, APIs, low-code tools, or custom models—whatever helps you build fast and think clearly.Global + Tokyo Context Solutions should work locally and scale globally.Interdisciplinary Teams Developers, designers, business thinkers, researchers, and storytellers are all equally valued. Deliverables Each team will submit: A working prototype (web, app, system, or demo)A clear problem statement and target usersImpact explanation (who benefits, how, and why it matters)AI architecture overview (simple and honest)Deployment or scalability vision Judging Criteria Problem Relevance & Social ImpactEffectiveness of AI Usage (not forced, not shallow)Human-Centered DesignTechnical Feasibility & ScalabilityClarity of Vision & Storytelling Prizepool 🥇 Champion Team ¥15,000 Amazon Gift Card $300 Alibaba Cloud credits 🥈 1st runner-up Team ¥10,000 Amazon Gift Card $200 Alibaba Cloud credits 🥉 2nd runner-up Team ¥5,000 Amazon Gift Card $200 Alibaba Cloud credits Participant Benefits $10 AI Coding Plan Lite on Alibaba$10 Alibaba Cloud – Model Studio API & Cloud Services 1-Month Lovable Pro1-Month n8n Cloud Pro More Benefits Direct Mentorship from investors & startup foundersOpportunity to Pitch in front of VCs Official Certificate of Participation Featured Project Spotlight (selected teams) Internship & Collaboration Consideration Access to Cognisor AI Builder Community (post-event networking) Who Should Join Students and researchersStartup founders and early buildersDesigners and product thinkersAI engineers and automation specialistsAnyone who believes technology should serve people No prior hackathon experience required—only curiosity and intent. If you have any questions feel free to message our organizers : Farhan Morshed https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhan-morshed?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios Irfan Faisal https://www.linkedin.com/in/faisal-irfan-13417nf/ Organizers Cognisor CreatorLabo A co-creation group of entrepreneurs and creators. We're dedicated to fostering innovation and developing the next generation of leaders in entrepreneurship in Japan. Let's Validate. Build. Impact. Website: https://luma.com/creatorlabo Tokyo Design Japan’s ultimate product design community for hands-on learning, AI-native practice, and real-world collaboration. Website: https://www.meetup.com/tokyo-design-career/ TIU Impact Next TIU Impact Next is the next evolution of student innovation and impact at Tokyo International University. We empower thinkers, creators, and leaders to take their ideas from concept to global impact. Website: https://www.tiuimpactnext.com/ Venue Partner Antler Antler is one of the most active early-stage investors globally. The firm leads in ‘Day Zero’ investing, an approach to venture capital focused on partnering with founders pre-launch. Antler systematically removes capital and network constraints for early-stage technology entrepreneurs by providing co-founder matching, deep business model validation, initial capital, expansion support, and follow-on funding. Sponsors Lovable A popular AI-powered development platform used to build full-stack web applications and a quality of being endearing or easy to love Website: https://lovable.dev/ n8n A low-code workflow automation platform that enables technical teams to connect applications, APIs, and data sources through a visual, node-based interface. Website: https://n8n.io/ Brainbox Brainbox is an online learning platform focused on personal and professional development through courses that draw on neuroscience, human behavior, and leadership theory. It offers programs designed to help individuals and business professionals increase their competencies in areas such as leadership, communication, decision-making, and human-centered business practices. Partners & Supporters TedxInnovation U TEDxInnovationU 2026 — Intergenerational Innovation is our blueprint for bridging generations through storytelling, mentorship, and bold ideas rooted in Tokyo's innovation ecosystem. Website: https://www.tedxinnovationu.com/ Build Club Build Club is a free, global community where people learn, build, and navigate the AI era together—powered by real-world insights from their enterprise AI platform, Solaris. Venture Cafe Tokyo Venture Café Tokyo brings innovators together through various programs and events, centered on its flagship Thursday Gathering, held every Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It also offers a corporate membership program called Captains of Innovation, which uses its expertise and global network to deliver highly customized programs tailored to each member company’s needs and accelerate corporate innovation. Summys Ventures Summys Ventures is dedicated to fostering innovation and growth in Southeast Asian startups, especially in Malaysia. Its initiatives include facilitating Japanese business partnerships with low-cost conference exhibitions and staff training, web system development support from a team of over 40 engineers in Vietnam, startup pitch events connecting founders to Japanese corporations and VCs, a developing investment incubation scheme, and open innovation assistance through multilingual teams in Tokyo and Malaysia for co-creation with Japanese firms. Poland-Japan Foundation The Poland-Japan Foundation (FPJ) was established in 2023, at a time of global change and political upheaval. Many important issues such as the questioning of the role of democracy and the current world order came to the forefront. Worldwide concerns about migration, economic instability, and the impact of artificial intelligence on our lives dominated the headlines. The Foundation was established in response to the growing interest of entrepreneurs and public institutions from Poland and Japan in the field of multidimensional activities including business, science, culture, education and inter-institutional exchange. Founder Institute Japan The Founder Institute is the world's top program for transforming ideas into fundable startups and scaling them into global businesses. Since 2009, its structured accelerator programs—like the core FI accelerator for idea/pre-seed founders, advanced Founder Lab access, and investor matching via the FI Venture Network—have equipped alumni with essential direction and networks, resulting in over $1.5 billion raised across 200+ cities and 6 continents. Pulsar Innovations Pulsar Innovations is a bilingual, globally minded ecosystem builder and startup community based in Japan. Website www.pulsarinnovations.co IVS Vibe Coders Tokyo A community of learning and sharing for folks in Tokyo who love experimenting with vibe coding or have a cool project to share. Meetup group: https://luma.com/vibecoderstokyo?k=c Netlink Ujjibon UjjibonBD (or Ujjibon) is Bangladesh's leading career counseling and community platform, focused on empowering youth through personalized guidance, AI-powered job matching, skill development programs, resume building, and job placement services with an 85% success rate for over 5,000 students. Drink Partner Cotti Coffee (日本語) IMPACT TOKYO：AI FOR GLOBAL GOOD 目的を持ってつくる。バイブでコードする。世界にインパクトを。 イベント概要 Impact Tokyo は、東京を拠点に開催される グローバル・インパクト志向のハッカソン です。 ビルダー、デザイナー、研究者、チェンジメーカーが集い、AI・自動化・人間中心のテクノロジーを活用して、現実社会の課題に挑みます。 これは単なるコーディングコンテストではありません。 問題起点・インパクト重視のビルドアソンとして、 「実際に使われる」「現場に導入できる」「スケール可能」なソリューションを設計・構築します。 対象は日本国内だけでなく、グローバル社会です。 参加者は Vibe Coding を歓迎します。 高速プロトタイピング、創造的な実験、AI支援開発、協働的なビルディング。 過剰設計なし、無駄な手続きなし。 東京が持つ「精密さ・規律・革新性」と、 グローバルな共感力と大胆な実験精神を融合させるハッカソンです。 コアテーマ 人類に仕えるAI 参加者は、実在する・測定可能な課題に対して、 AIを意味ある形で活用したソリューションを構築します。 テーマは グローバル課題 と 日本特有の文脈 の両方に根ざしています。 課題トラック 1. 高齢化社会 & ケアテック（東京フォーカス） 日本は世界でも最速レベルで高齢化が進む国です。 以下のようなAIソリューションを構築してください： 高齢者ケア支援健康モニタリング・早期リスク検知孤独の軽減・メンタルウェルビーイング介護者の負担軽減・業務支援 ゴール： 尊厳と自立を尊重しながら、生活の質を向上させる。 2. スマートシティ & 都市レジリエンス 東京は世界有数の都市モデルですが、課題も存在します。 以下の分野に挑戦してください： 災害対策・緊急対応（地震・洪水など）公共交通の最適化都市アクセシビリティ・モビリティエネルギー効率・持続可能性 ゴール： より安全で、賢く、包摂的な都市をつくる。 3. 教育・スキル・未来の働き方 仕事の未来は、教育制度よりも速く変化しています。 以下のAIシステムを構築してください： パーソナライズ学習・リスキリングキャリアガイダンス・職業マッチング言語学習・異文化理解グローバルな機会格差の解消 ゴール： 生涯学習と公平な機会へのアクセスを実現する。 4. 人間中心AI & 倫理 AIが拡大するほど、信頼と責任が重要になります。 以下の分野に取り組んでください： AIの透明性・説明可能性バイアス検出・公平性監査プライバシー重視のデータ設計責任あるAIガバナンス ゴール： 人を押しつぶすAIではなく、人を支えるAIを実現する。 5. オープン・インパクトトラック（自由枠） 上記に当てはまらない課題でも、 実社会の問題を解決するAIを本質的に活用している明確なインパクトの道筋がある のであれば、自由に提案・開発可能です。 このハッカソンが特別な理由 インパクト重視、流行重視ではない 派手なデモより、実社会での有用性を評価します。Vibe Coding 歓迎 AIコパイロット、LLM、API、ローコード、独自モデルなど 「速く・賢くつくる」手段はすべてOK。グローバル × 東京文脈 ローカルで機能し、グローバルに展開できる設計を重視。学際的チーム 開発者、デザイナー、ビジネス、研究、ストーリーテラー すべてが同じ価値を持ちます。 提出物 各チームは以下を提出します： 動作するプロトタイプ（Web App / システム デモ）明確な課題定義とターゲットユーザーインパクト説明（誰に、どう役立つか、なぜ重要か）AI構成の概要（シンプルかつ正直に）展開・スケーラビリティのビジョン 審査基準 課題の妥当性・社会的インパクトAI活用の適切さ（無理に使っていないか）人間中心の設計技術的実現性・拡張性ビジョンとストーリーテリングの明確さ 参加対象 学生・研究者スタートアップ創業者・初期ビルダーデザイナー・プロダクト志向の人AIエンジニア・自動化スペシャリスト「テクノロジーは人のためにある」と信じるすべての人 ハッカソン未経験でも問題ありません。必要なのは 好奇心と本気の意思 だけです。