LotusHacks x HackHarvard x GenAI Fund Vietnam Hackathon

🚀 Build Something Real in 36 Hours LotusHacks x HackHarvard x GenAI Fund Vietnam is where builders come to spend one weekend building something real. Over 36 hours in Ho Chi Minh City, AI builders, engineers, students, founders, designers, and curious makers will come together to prototype bold ideas, meet strong teammates, learn from mentors, and ship fast. Whether you are here to launch your first hackathon project, explore a new AI workflow, or push an idea further with the right people around you, this is designed to be one of the most exciting builder weekends in Vietnam. ⚡ In person. High energy. Build-first. No passive watching. No online mode. Just a room full of people making things. 📍 What This Hackathon Is About LotusHacks x HackHarvard x GenAI Fund Vietnam is a 36-hour, in-person hackathon in Ho Chi Minh City for builders who want to create, learn, and ship alongside a strong community. Organized by LotusHacks, GenAI Fund, and HackHarvard, the event brings together hackers, creators, and builders for one focused weekend of collaboration, experimentation, and rapid prototyping. 🏫 Event format This is an on-campus experience only. There is no online participation for hackers, and all participants joining as Hackers must be physically present. 🎟️ Ticket types You can join under different ticket types depending on your role: Hacker — for participants competing in the hackathonGuest — for visitors who want to experience the event without competingJudge / Mentor — for invited judges and mentorsMedia — for press and media attendees 📌 Important noteIf you are joining as a Hacker, physical attendance and post-registration confirmation matter, because team formation, judging eligibility, and logistics planning all depend on it. 👥 Who Should Join This hackathon is designed for a broad builder community. 💡 You should join if you are: an AI builder experimenting with new tools, agents, models, or workflowsa software engineer who wants to build fast and test ideas in a live environmenta student looking to learn, ship something real, and meet other ambitious buildersa founder or indie hacker exploring a product idea, new use case, or prototypea designer, product thinker, researcher, or operator who wants to contribute to a teama first-time hacker who is curious, serious, and ready to learn by doing 🙌 You do not need to have everything figured out You do not need to arrive with a polished idea, a full team, or years of technical experience. What matters more is that you are willing to: show upcollaboratelearn quicklycontribute meaningfullyspend the weekend building ✨ If you have been wanting to stop just reading about AI and actually make something with it, this is for you. 🔥 Why It’s Worth Your Weekend Because a great hackathon is not just about winning. It is about what can happen when the right people, tools, and energy come together in one room for one focused weekend. 🎯 What you can get out of it At LotusHacks x HackHarvard x GenAI Fund Vietnam, you get the chance to: turn an idea into a working prototype in 36 hoursmeet teammates, mentors, and builders you would not normally meet onlineget unstuck faster with live feedback and supportexplore real-world use cases across multiple tracksbuild something that could become a portfolio piece, a new product direction, or the start of something bigger This is the kind of event where you can come in with an idea, a skill, or just curiosity — and leave with momentum, connections, and something real to show for it. ⚡ If you have been waiting for the right weekend to build, learn fast, and be surrounded by people doing the same, this is it. 🛠️ What You Can Build You can build across a range of tracks that reflect real opportunities in AI, products, and society. 🧭 Main tracks Social and Mobility by TascoEnterprise by TinyFishConsumer and Technology by AWSEdTech by ETEST 💭 No idea yet? That’s okay You can come in with your own idea, join a team around someone else’s idea, or figure out what to build during the event. The goal is not to overthink it. The goal is to pick a direction, form the right team, and start building. 🏅 Bonus upside If your project also fits a sponsor challenge, you may have the chance to compete for additional sponsor-track awards as well. 🎁 What You Get as a Hacker This is more than a weekend of building. It is a chance to learn fast, meet the right people, and make the most of a high-energy in-person environment. ✅ As a Hacker, you get access to: 36 hours to build in person with a large community of buildersWorkshops and mentorship from industry leaders in Vietnam and Southeast AsiaFree food, drinks, and swag throughout the event, with Halal options providedSponsor perks and partner support available during the hackathonThe chance to demo your work, compete for prizes, and get recognized by sponsors and organizersA stronger portfolio story from building something real in a live hackathon settingNew teammates, collaborators, and builder connections you are unlikely to meet in a normal online setting 🎉 Extra perks Depending on your project and participation, there may also be additional tools, credits, or partner perks made available through sponsoring partners during the event. 💥 The biggest value, though, is hard to put in a bullet: it is the momentum that comes from spending a full weekend around people who are all there to build. 🏆 What You Can Win There is over 250 million VND in confirmed prizes, plus sponsor awards, participant perks, platform credits, tools, and a potential FastTrack AI Accelerator opportunity for selected top teams. Taken together, the total upside can be framed as up to $1M+ USD in potential value — but importantly, that includes a mix of cash, credits, tools, ecosystem support, and accelerator-related benefits, not just direct cash payouts. 🥇 Main hackathon awards Teams will first compete in the main hackathon through the core judging flow: Top 20 semifinalistsTop 10 finalistsTop 3 overall winners The confirmed main awards include: 1st Place — 50M VND cash, OpenAI credits, Redis credits, JigsawStack credit, ElevenLabs rewards, Exa credits, and a sponsored Apple Mac Mini2nd Place — 35M VND cash, OpenAI credits, and JigsawStack credits3rd Place — 20M VND cash and OpenAI credits Teams ranked 4th–5th and 6th–10th also receive additional cash awards and sponsor-supported rewards. 🧩 Track winners Projects should align with at least one main track, and each track may have its own winning team. Track winners are designed to recognize the strongest projects within specific categories, and may overlap with Top 10 finalists or Top 3 winners. 🎯 Sponsor awards In addition to the main competition, selected sponsors will recognize projects that make strong use of their technologies or align closely with their goals. Confirmed sponsor awards include rewards from partners such as: ReplitHacker Residency GroupElevenLabsJigsawStack These awards may include: cash prizesproduct creditspaid experiencesexclusive swagspecial sponsor recognition 🎁 Perks for participants Not everything is limited to winners. Some sponsor benefits are available more broadly to participants during the hackathon, including selected credits, tools, and builder perks from partners such as: OpenAILovableExaZillizn8nOpenRouterTraeElevenLabsJigsawStackand other ecosystem partners There are also builder benefits such as the Notion for Startups Program, which may offer additional value to eligible teams. 🚀 FastTrack AI Accelerator opportunity For the strongest teams, the upside may go beyond hackathon weekend. The Top 3 teams will also be considered for the FastTrack AI Accelerator Program by GenAI Fund. Selected teams may receive: technical mentorshipstartup development supportand up to $1M in GPU and compute credits through the accelerator pathway 📌 Important noteThis is not an automatic cash prize, and final selection is determined after the hackathon. But it does mean the hackathon can create real follow-on opportunities for teams with strong potential. ✅ Prize eligibility To stay eligible for judging, prizes, and sponsor awards: register under the correct ticket typejoin as a Hacker if you want to competebe physically present at the eventcomplete your team / track registration properlyensure all team members hold accepted Hacker tickets 📍 The short version: build something strong, choose the right track, use the right tools where relevant, and make sure your team is properly registered. 🤝 How Teams Work Everyone joins the event through an individual registration first. If you are participating in the hackathon, choose the Hacker ticket. After your registration is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email from Luma with the team and track registration form. 📩 Important note If your team leader has already filled in the form on behalf of your team, you do not need to submit it again. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Team rules You may join solo or as a team of up to 4If you already have teammates, each member must register individually and hold an accepted Hacker ticketIf you do not have a team yet, you can still register first and form or join a team laterTeams that want to compete must complete the required team and track registration form 🔎 Looking for a team? If you want to join a team or form a team, please: complete the team and track registration formjoin the Discord community link shared after registration The organizing committee will help participants connect and form teams through Discord before the event where possible. You may also form a team on the event day. 📍 Attendance and eligibility This is an in-person hackathon only for Hackers. There is no online participation for competing teams, and all Hackers must be physically present on campus. Because team coordination, judging, food, swag, and event logistics all depend on accurate planning, Hackers should register only if they genuinely plan to attend and build. ⚠️ A few important things to know Hacker capacity is limited, with space for approximately 200 teamsHackers must confirm physical attendanceTo compete, you must complete the required steps after registrationTeams need properly registered members to remain eligibleParticipants are expected to stay engaged through the event to remain eligible for prizes and recognition If any team member does not have an accepted Hacker ticket, that person will not be eligible to participate as part of the team. To keep things fair and organized, only properly registered Hacker participants and eligible teams will be considered for judging, prizes, and sponsor awards. ✅ The main thing to remember: Register individually first. Then check your Luma confirmation email for the next steps. If you are joining as a Hacker, complete your team setup properly so we can confirm your participation, track, and logistics. ✅ Ready to Join? If you are ready to build, choose the ticket type that fits your role and register early. 🎟️ Ticket types Hacker — for participants joining the hackathonGuest — for visitors who want to experience the event without competingJudge / Mentor — for invited judges and mentorsMedia — for press and media attendees 🪜 If you are joining as a Hacker, here is what to do next: Register individually on LumaCheck your Luma confirmation emailComplete the team and track registration form to confirm your participationIf you are looking for teammates, join the Discord community link shared after registration 📩 Important noteIf your team leader has already submitted the form for your team, you do not need to submit it again.⚠️ Before you registerHackers should register only if they genuinely plan to attend, since participation is in person only and space is limited to approximately 200 teams. 🚀 Come build with us in Ho Chi Minh City for 36 hours of ideas, execution, and real builder energy. ❓FAQ 👋 Who can join LotusHacks x HackHarvard x GenAI Fund Vietnam? The event is open to a broad builder community, including AI builders, software engineers, students, founders, indie hackers, designers, researchers, operators, and curious makers who want to build and learn. 🧠 Do I need coding experience to join? No. You do not need prior coding experience to join. Non-developers, first-time hackers, and enthusiastic builders are welcome, as long as you are ready to contribute meaningfully and collaborate with others. 📍 Is this event online or in person? This is an in-person event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There is no online participation for Hackers. 🤝 Can I join without a team? Yes. You can register individually first and form or join a team later. 👥 How many people can be on a team? Teams can have up to 4 members. 📝 Do all team members need to register individually? Yes. Every team member must register individually and hold an accepted Hacker ticket to be eligible to participate as part of the team. 📩 How do I confirm my participation after registering? After your registration is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email from Luma with the team and track registration form. If your team leader has already filled in the form on behalf of your team, you do not need to submit it again. 🔎 What should I do if I am looking for teammates? Please complete the team and track registration form and join the Discord community link shared after registration. The organizing committee will help participants connect and form teams through Discord before the event where possible. You may also form a team on the event day. 🎟️ What ticket type should I choose? Hacker — if you want to participate in the hackathonGuest — if you want to visit but not competeJudge / Mentor — if you are attending as an invited judge or mentorMedia — if you are attending as press or media 🏆 How do prizes work? There is over 250 million VND in confirmed prizes, along with sponsor awards, participant perks, tools, credits, and potential follow-on opportunities for selected teams. Projects compete through the main hackathon and may also qualify for selected sponsor awards depending on the tools, themes, or sponsor criteria involved. ⏳ Do I need to stay engaged through the event to remain eligible? Yes. Participants are expected to stay engaged through the event to remain eligible for prizes, recognition, and other opportunities tied to participation. 🚧 Is space limited? Yes. Hacker capacity is limited to approximately 200 teams, so early registration is encouraged.