Sept 4–6, 2026  ·  STARTPLATZ Cologne

Build your
AI prototype
in 48 hours.

The AI Coding Hackathon September 2026 — four tracks, your team, one weekend. Learn from the best, code with state-of-the-art tools, present your results.

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Hours
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Get your ticket — from €36 Join as volunteer
Presented by
48h
Hackathon duration
4
Focused tracks
150
Participants
4th
Edition of the series
90 €
Ticket (from €36)

What is the Hackathon?

48 hours. One team. One prototype.

The AI Coding Hackathon is the most intensive way to bring AI-assisted development from theory into practice. You choose a track, form a team and build a working AI prototype together — with real data, modern tools like Claude Code, Cursor, n8n and Base44, and direct support from experienced mentors.

What you need

💻 Your own laptop · 🧠 Basics with AI tools · 🔥 Motivation

What you get in return ↓

Working AI prototype
Workshops & deep dives
Experts on site
Catering Fri–Sun
150 AI builders from DACH
No coding background needed
No idea? Find a team on site
48h full-throttle energy
Network & peer sparring

The four tracks

Choose your track.
Build your prototype.

Not every AI builder has the same interests or skill level — that's why there are four tracks with different focuses. Find the track that matches your idea and experience: each track has its own owner and specialized mentors. You sign up for a track at registration — on Sunday every team pitches within its track.

Track 01 ★ Main Track

AI Builder

From idea to a working prototype in 48 hours.

Presented by Base44

With Claude Code, Cursor and n8n you'll build a working MVP with real data.

For: Developers, Vibe-coders, n8n builders, Product people

Track Owner
Ben Sufiani
Ben Sufiani
Pirate Skills

Mentors: to be announced

Choose track →
Track 02

AI Glasses

XR, AR and extended reality — AI in physical space.

You'll build applications for smart glasses, AR headsets or mixed reality devices.

For: XR developers, Computer vision, Hardware enthusiasts, Spatial AI

Track Owner
TR
Thomas Riedel
XR Expert

Mentors: to be announced

Choose track →
Track 03

AI for
Enterprise

Integrating AI into businesses — secure and scalable.

RAG on internal data, LLM integration into enterprise software, workflow automation.

For: Enterprise devs, IT leads, Business analysts, Innovation teams

Track Owner
SN
Stephan Noller
Enterprise AI

Mentors: to be announced

Choose track →
Track 04

Harness
Engineering

Build your own agent harnesses — from automation to custom tooling.

You'll develop custom agent harnesses for real workflows and tool integrations.

For: Automation engineers, Process owners, Tool builders, LLM integrators

Track Owner
Andre Machon
Andre Machon
FlowCon AI

Mentors: to be announced

Choose track →

You choose your track at registration. Track changes are possible on request.

Register & choose track Join as volunteer

Programme

Three days. Full throttle.

48 hours non-stop — workshops, mentor sessions, hacking and demo pitches.

Friday
September 4
16:30
Doors Open
Check-in, explore the space
17:00
Kick-off & Intro
Schedule, north star, tracks
18:00
Team Building
Pitch ideas, find your team
19:00
Dinner
20:00
Hack All Night
Saturday
September 5
09:00
Breakfast
10:00
Deep-Dive Sessions
One deep dive per track
All day
Hacking + Mentor Support
Check-ins t=6h/24h, architecture office hours, integration hour
18:00
Dinner
21:00
Hack All Night
Sunday
September 6
09:00
Breakfast
09–13h
Final Sprint
Last 4 hours — everything on completion
13:00
Lunch & Break
14–16h
🏆 Demos & Pitches
Every track presents. Jury feedback, awards.

24/7 access — you can work through the night at STARTPLATZ.

Sponsoring

Become a hackathon sponsor.

The AI Coding Hackathon reaches 150 AI builders, developers and founders from the DACH region — up close, over a full weekend. As a sponsor you reach a highly motivated, tech-savvy audience right at the source.

Whether as a track sponsor with your own thematic focus or as an overall sponsor of the series — reach out, we'll find the right format.

Become a sponsor — get in touch

Tickets

Secure your spot.

150 spots. Limited. Here's how booking works.

There is one registration — not separate ticket links. Register below and you'll be redirected to our secure checkout (Stripe). There you can optionally enter a discount code to get one of the reduced prices below — without a code you pay the standard price.

Early Bird
−30%
With code EARLYBIRD — while available
  • Full 48h access
  • Catering Fri–Sun
  • All track sessions
  • Mentor support
Student
44
With code BASE44STUDENT — students only
  • Full 48h access
  • Catering Fri–Sun
  • All track sessions
  • Mentor support

No ticket budget? Become a volunteer.

As a volunteer you're in for free and support us with setup, breakdown and running the event. Apply via the link — we'll get back to you.

Apply as volunteer

All prices excl. VAT

📅 When: 04.09.2026 16:30 to 06.09.2026 16:00 (Mehrtages-Event)
📍 Where: Köln
💰 Fee: 90,00 € excl. VAT
Please provide your phone number so we can reach you in case of changes.
The standard price is 90€

Getting there

Find your way to us.

📍
STARTPLATZ Cologne
Cologne's startup and coworking hub
Address

Im Mediapark 5, 3rd floor, Cologne/Bonn room
50670 Cologne, Germany

Event hours

Friday 4:30 PM – Sunday 4:00 PM

Getting here

🚇 S-Bahn Hansaring · Bus 140 Christophstraße/Mediapark

🚗 Media Park parking garage available

FAQ

Common questions.

No. You can come alone — teams form at the kick-off on Friday evening. Most participants come solo and find a team on site that matches their idea and track.
Choose the track that best matches your idea or interests. AI Builder is the broadest track — ideal if you don't have a specific direction yet. You can switch tracks after registration on request.
You should have basic knowledge of programming and ideally 3–5 months of experience with AI tools. You don't need to be a senior developer — AI tools level the playing field a lot. What matters is the willingness to work and learn intensively.
Yes. STARTPLATZ is open and accessible all weekend. No sleeping spots, but workspaces all night long. Many teams hack into the early hours.
Included in the ticket: Full event access Fri–Sun, catering (Fri dinner, Sat breakfast + dinner, Sun breakfast + lunch), drinks throughout, all track sessions and workshops, mentor access, demo pitch on Sunday.
Base44 is the main sponsor of the Hackathon September 2026. Base44 is a platform for AI-assisted prototyping and product development. Base44's tools and patterns are part of the hackathon curriculum.

Die Referenten & Partner

Lorenz Gräf

Lorenz Gräf
Ben Sufiani

Ben Sufiani
Jeronim Morina

Jeronim Morina
🇩🇪 DE | 🇬🇧 EN