Stanford x DeepMind Hackathon: Build with Google Gemini

Win up to $5M in Seed Funding | July 19th, 10am-6pm PT

Join GDG Stanford for an elite hackathon where you'll build cutting-edge projects with Google Gemini & earn 30-minute VC pitch meetings with top-tier investors.

The Prize

Top teams will be judged by representatives from Stanford, Google, & multiple venture capital funds. Winners earn direct pitch access to VCs writing $500K-$5M seed checks, plus GCP credits sponsored by DeepMind:

In-Person Track: Share of $15K in GCP credits

Online Track: Share of $5K in GCP credits

Investment not guaranteed. Prize is pitch access only. Winning teams gain meeting access but must earn investment through their pitch & business fundamentals.

Judging Panel

Jian Moon - Investor @ Menlo VC

Vikram Venkat - Investor @ Cota Capital

Kabir Sial - Investor @ Emergence Capital

Kavon Badie - Investor @ Mighty Capital

Vinod Joseph - Investor @ Samsung Next

Celestine Schnugg - General Partner @ Boom Capital

Anitha Vadavatha -Managing Partner @ AB Plus Ventures

Leonard Lee - Head of Accelerator @ 500 Global

Anne Dwane - General Partner @ Village Global

Prof. Nikesh Kotecha - Head of Data Science @ Stanford Health Care

Denis Belyavsky - Founder @ Scrappy Founders

Remi Kaito - Co-Founder @ Arcade AI

Jesse Tang - Co-Organizer; Arcade AI

Amit Vadi - DeepMind

Ivan Leo - DeepMind

Event Schedule

10:00 AM - Registration & Breakfast - Light refreshments & networking with fellow builders

10:30 AM - Opening Ceremony & Rules Briefing - Official rules, competition format

11:30 AM - Hacking Begins! - 3-hour intensive build sprint starts

2:30 PM - Submission Deadline (Hard Stop) - All submissions must be completed

2:30 PM - Late Lunch - Sandwiches/beverages & networking with fellow builders

3:30 PM - Semi-Finalists Announced - Top teams selected for live pitches

4:00 PM - Live Finals Presentations - Top teams pitch on stage (5 min pitch + 5 min Q&A)

5:30 PM - Winners Announced - Grand prize winners revealed

6:00 PM - Event Wrap-Up

Online Track

Can't make it to Stanford? We've got you covered.

We've added an Online Track for remote participants:

No live streaming or video conferencing - work on your own schedule

Submission deadline: End of day, July 19th

Same deliverables as in-person participants

Judging based on traction - same conditions as Phase 2 (7-day social engagement tracking)

Prize pool: $5K in GCP credits for Online Track winners

VC pitch access for top submissions

Build with Gemini, ship a prototype, post your demo, & let your network do the talking. Top submissions get 30-minute meetings with funds.

Submission Requirements

Each team must submit by 2:30 PM sharp:

One-Pager - Document describing your team & idea

Hosted Prototype - Working demo link (via Google AI Studio & Google Cloud Run)

2-Minute Video - Team introduction & elevator pitch

1-Minute Video - Prototype demo (Playcast)

Code Repository - Link via Google AI Studio sharing mechanics

Data Usage & Judging Consent: By submitting your prototype playcast, you authorize organizers to use your submission in paid social ads (e.g., Facebook). Real-world performance metrics (CPM, CTR, CPC, etc.) will be collected & used as core market validation data for Phase 2 (post-event) judging. You may opt out by notifying organizers prior to submission; data sharing with sponsors & investors is a condition of participation.

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated on:

Technical Feasibility - Does it actually work?

Innovation & Novelty - Is the approach creative or clever?

Real-World Applicability - Would people genuinely use it?

Market Potential & Fundability - Could this become venture-backable?

Go-to-Market Traction - Social engagement on your demo video (likes, shares, views)

Social Engagement Component

Your demo YouTube video must be shared publicly. Engagement counts toward your score:

Phase 1: Engagement tracked during the hackathon (5 PM deadline)

Phase 2: Continued tracking for 2 weeks post-event (viral reach + playcast metrics)

Competition Format

Semi-Finals: All submissions undergo asynchronous review by the judging panel.

Finals: Top teams advance to live presentations:

10 minutes per team (5 min pitch + 5 min Q&A)

Present on stage to the full panel of VCs & special guests

Winners announced at 5:30 PM

Whether you're a solo developer, have a team, or are already building a startup (some invited participants are at Series A stage), this event offers a unique opportunity to showcase your work to decision-makers at leading venture funds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I pitch an existing startup? A: Absolutely! If you win, you can pitch either your hackathon project OR your existing company during the 30-minute VC meetings.

Q: What's the team size limit? A: Up to 4 people.

Q: Can I participate solo? A: Yes.

Q: Can I participate remotely? A: Yes! The Online Track has the same deliverables, with submissions due by end of day, July 19th. No live streaming-judging is based on 7-day social engagement (Phase 2 conditions). Online Track has a $5K GCP credits prize pool.

Q: When do VC meetings happen? A: Winners will schedule 30-minute pitch meetings with selected funds after the event.

Q: What should I bring? A: Laptop, charger, & your best ideas!

What You'll Win

Grand Prize

A 30-minute private pitch meeting with selected funds from our judging panel, where you can pitch your hackathon project or your existing startup.