Welcome to KODA Hacks 2026! Everything you need to get started, build confidently, and submit a strong project is right here.

 

Getting Started

 

No-code / Low-code

  • Momen — Hackathon sponsor; build full-stack apps without heavy coding

  • Figma — UI/UX design and prototyping

  • Bubble — Visual web app builder

Coding

  • GitHub — Version control and collaboration

  • Replit — Browser-based IDE, great for quick prototypes

  • Vercel / Netlify — Free frontend hosting

Data & Finance APIs
AI & ML

  • OpenAI API — GPT models for NLP and chat

  • OpenRouter — Single API to access models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and more; great for comparing models or keeping costs flexible

  • Vercel AI SDK — Open-source toolkit for building AI-powered apps with streaming, tool calling, and multi-model support; pairs well with Next.js

  • Hugging Face — Open-source models and datasets

  • Google Colab — Free GPU notebooks for ML work

Vibe Coding Stack

New to building full-stack apps fast? This combination covers everything — frontend, auth, and backend database — with minimal configuration so you can focus on your idea.

  • React — The industry-standard library for building user interfaces. Component-based, well-documented, and works with every tool in this stack.

  • Clerk — Drop-in authentication for React apps. Handles sign-up, sign-in, social logins, and user management in minutes. No auth logic to write yourself.

  • Convex — A reactive backend-as-a-service that replaces your database, server functions, and real-time sync in one. Write TypeScript functions that run server-side; your React components subscribe to live data automatically.

Together, these three give you a production-ready full-stack app with auth and a live database — all in TypeScript, all beginner-friendly. Check out the Convex + Clerk integration guide to wire them up in under 30 minutes.

 

Learning Resources

Financial Literacy Foundations
Fintech & Economics
Building for Impact

 

Submission Tips

Video (required)

  • Keep it 1–2 minutes; 3 minutes is stretching it but should be fine

  • Open with the problem you're solving — make it concrete and relatable

  • Demo your project live and don't just talk over slides

  • Close with an impact statement: who does this help and how?

Project write-up 

  • Use the Devpost description to explain your inspiration, how it works, and what you built it with

  • Include a link to your GitHub repo, live demo, or prototype

  • Mention any and all challenges you faced and what you'd build next

 

FAQ

  • Who can participate? Students ages 13 and up from any country (standard exceptions apply).
  • Can I work solo? Yes. Solo submissions are welcome. Teams of up to 4 are recommended.
  • Can I use a project I started before? Yes, prior work is permitted as long as the majority of development happens during the hackathon window. Be transparent in your write-up.
  • What if I don't know how to code? That's fine — design-only and concept submissions are accepted. Use tools like Figma or Momen to build without code.
  • When will winners be announced? Winners will be announced on TBD. All participants will be notified via Devpost and Discord.

Still have questions? Email the organizers or post in the #help channel on Discord.