RSVP: https://luma.com/y8k57glvWin up to $5M in Seed Funding | February 1st, 10am–6pm PTJoin GDG Stanford for an elite ...
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RSVP: https://luma.com/y8k57glv
Win up to $5M in Seed Funding | February 1st, 10am–6pm PT
Join GDG Stanford for an elite hackathon where you'll build cutting-edge projects with Google Gemini and earn 30-minute VC pitch meetings with top-tier investors.
Top teams will be judged by representatives from Stanford, Google, and 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 $80K in GCP credits
Online Track: Share of $20K in GCP credits
Investment not guaranteed. Prize is pitch access only. Winning teams gain meeting access but must earn investment through their pitch and business fundamentals.
We're honored to have an incredible panel of judges and investors:
DeepMind
Amit Vadi – Head of Community, Google DeepMind
Paige Bailey – AI Dev Rel Lead, Google DeepMind
Joana Carrasqueira – Sr Manager, Google DeepMind
Thorsten Schaeff – Engineer, Google DeepMind
Stanford
Prof. Garry Nolan – Stanford
Prof. Nikesh Kotecha – Stanford
Taarush Gover – Stanford BASES
Naji Barnes-McFarlane – VC Partnerships, Google Cloud
Francis Ma – Senior Director of Product, Google
Venture Capital & Investors
Utkarsh Bajpai – Investor, General Catalyst
Kunaal Patel – Investor, Acrew Capital
Nikul Bhatt – Investor, KFC Ventures
David Chi – Managing Partner, Beta Capital
Amir Kabir – Founding & Managing Partner, Overlook Ventures
Ramya Iyer – Investment Fellow, Entrepreneurs First
Juhana Peltomaa – a16z Scout
Anitha Vadavatha – Founder & Managing Partner, AB Plus Ventures
Hongkyu Choi – Partner, Springcamp VC
Diego Vargas – Investor, NXTP Ventures
Neda Emami – Investor, Bay Angels
Santiago Zavala – Managing Partner, 500 Global
Maxim Karoubi – Investor, NextGen Ventures Partners
Anne Dwane – Partner, Village Global
Vicky Kuang – Investor, Draper Associates
Leonid Litvak – Partner, Angelneers
Andrew Allen – Executive Chairman, Peptone
Denis Belyavsky – 12SF
Time
Activity
10:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast – Light refreshments and networking with fellow builders
10:30 AM
Opening Ceremony & Rules Briefing – Official rules, competition format, and optional VC investment thesis talks
11:00 AM
Speaker Session – Co-founder of DeepWriterAI on turning high-stakes questions into insights with modern AI
11:30 AM
Hacking Begins! – 3-hour intensive build sprint starts
2:30 PM
Submission Deadline (Hard Stop) – All submissions must be completed
3:30 PM
Semi-Finalists Announced – Top teams selected for live pitches
4:00 PM
Live Finals Presentations – Top 6 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
Can't make it to Stanford on Feb 1st? 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, February 1st
Same deliverables as in-person participants
Judging based on traction – same conditions as Phase 2 (7-day social engagement tracking)
Prize pool: $20K in GCP credits for Online Track winners
VC pitch access for top submissions
Build with Gemini, ship a prototype, post your demo, and let your network do the talking. Top submissions get 30-minute meetings with funds.
Each team must submit by 2:30 PM sharp:
One-Pager – Document describing your team and idea
Hosted Prototype – A working demo link (via Google AI Studio & Google Cloud Run)
3-Minute YouTube Video – Demo of your prototype (plus optional team introduction)
Code Repository – Link to code via Google AI Studio sharing mechanics
Projects will be evaluated on:
Technical Feasibility – Does it actually work? Is it functional?
Innovation & Novelty – Is the approach creative, unique, or clever?
Real-World Applicability – Would people genuinely use this solution?
Market Potential & Fundability – Could this become a viable, venture-backable company?
Go-to-Market Traction – Social engagement on your demo video (likes, shares, views)
Social Engagement Component
Your 3-minute demo YouTube video must be shared publicly! Social engagement counts toward your score:
Phase 1: Engagement tracked during the hackathon (5pm deadline)
Phase 2: Second chance – continued tracking for 7 days post-event (measuring viral reach and second/third-degree networks)
Semi-Finals
All submissions undergo asynchronous review by our judging panel. Judges score based on the criteria above.
Finals
Top 5 teams advance to live presentations:
10 minutes per team (5 min pitch + 5 min Q&A with judges)
Present on stage to the full panel of VCs and special guests
Winners announced at 5:30 PM
This hackathon is perfect for:
Builders with AI/ML experience or a passion for emerging technology
Founders exploring new startup ideas or validating concepts
Students & Developers eager to learn Google Gemini's coding capabilities
Existing Teams who want exposure to top-tier VCs
Fast Shippers ready to build and demo a working prototype in 3 hours
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.
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 Feb 1st. No live streaming—judging is based on 7-day social engagement (Phase 2 conditions). Online Track has a $20K 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, and your best ideas!
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.
