NOTE: Kindly read the full description below for more information on the hackathon and the link to register you or your team. To participate, you MUST RSVP and register for the hackathon on Kaggle with the link provided in the description below.

The next generation of open models is here. Welcome to the Gemma 4 Hackathon Sprint, a fast-paced, 1-day hybrid hackathon where you'll get hands-on with the most capable open models from Google DeepMind.

This hackathon is not about writing polished, production-ready code. It is a sprint to experiment, learn, break things, and build great solutions to real-world problems in just a few hours. You have access to the newly released Gemma 4 models. Team up, brainstorm a wild idea, hack a prototype, and pitch before the clock runs out. Bring your laptop, your boldest ideas, and let's build something amazing together!

The Build with Gemma: GDG Pwani Hackathon will be happening on the 31st of July 2026 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Mombasa, Kenya at Darul Salaam (House of Peace) hosted by the GDG Pwani Team.

What this hackathon is about

With the release of Gemma 4, a new family of open models is officially in your hands. Leverage local frontier intelligence, native function calling, and multimodal understanding to tackle core developer challenges.

We believe AI has the potential to streamline frontline systems across healthcare, farm advisories, pollution monitoring and more, many of which still run largely on paper registers and phone calls.

Build with Gemma: GDG Pwani hackathon asks builders to close that gap using Gemma as the actual engine that turns scattered, unstructured citizen input and fragmented public data into something an MP, a district health officer, or a farmer can act on today.

Three problem statements are open for this edition:

• Track 1 : People's Priorities - AI for Constituency Development Planning

• Track 2 : CleanAir & Clear Streets - Spotting and Fixing Local Pollution Hotspots

• Track 3 : Smart Health - AI-Driven Health Center & Supply Chain Management

TOTAL PRIZES AVAILABLE: $2000

We will have Podium Winners, awarding the top three teams across the three tracks. The Prize distribution will be as follows:

• First Prize: $800

• Second Prize: $650

• Third Prize: $550

COMPETITION TIMELINE

• Registration Opens: 10 July 2026

• Registration Closes: 30th July 2026, 11:59 PM EAT

• Hackathon Date: 31st July 2026

• Check-in & Registration: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

• Hacking Begins: 9:00 AM

• Project Submission Deadline: 4:30 PM

• Judging & Demo Sessions: 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM

• Closing Ceremony & Winner Announcement: 5:45 PM – 6:00 PM

RSVP for this event and Register for the Hackathon HERE (as an individual or a maximum of 2 individuals per group)