IDEASHACK 2026
- Online Sprint: April 24 - May 08, 2026
- Grand Finale: June 19, 2026 | Demo Day in Warsaw
IDEASHACK 2026 is a pan-European hybrid hackathon powered by the ELIAS project
(European Lighthouse of AI for Sustainability).
We bridge the gap between groundbreaking academic research and real-world business impact, bringing together innovative teams from across Europe.
Task
IDEASHACK's mission is to design a platform that bridges the gap between researchers and industry.
We need tools that can effectively „map” what happens in labs and universities to what businesses actually need. Help us turn scientific achievements into implementation-ready solutions by creating a smarter way to connect competencies with market opportunities.
Participants
We're looking for AI enthusiasts, start-up seekers, and bridge-builders between academia and business.
- Eligibility: Open to all individuals (including students, PhD candidates, professionals, innovators) residing in the EEA, Switzerland, or the UK.
- Capacity: To keep the experience high-quality, we are limiting the event to 20 teams.
All interested individuals are welcome to apply!
How to join?
- Build your squad: Teams should have between 2 and 5 participants.
- Individual action: Each member must fill out the registration form separately.
- Leading the way: Each team must designate one person as the Team Leader.
Prizes & Awards
Total Prize Pool: €12,000
- 🏆 1st Place: €5,000
- 🥈 2nd Place: €4,000
- 🥉 3rd Place: €3,000
Timeline
March 23 - April 19
Registration Window - Secure your spot!
April 20
Selection Day - Announcement of the 20 participating teams
April 24
Online Kick-off - Launching the challenge
April 27 - May 7
Mentoring Sessions - Polish your concepts with experts
May 8
Final Submission - The deadline! Send your solution before it's too late
May 15
The Big Reveal - Meet the Top 5 finalists heading to Warsaw
June 19
Grand Final & Demo Day - Live pitching in Warsaw and the official crowning of the winners!
Jury
The projects will be evaluated by a panel of high-caliber specialists from the AI, startup, and venture capital sectors. Drawing on decades of collective experience, they will evaluate every idea based on its originality, feasibility, and long-term impact.
Professor Tomasz Trzcinski, PhD DSc Eng.
IDEAS Research Institute
Tomasz Trzcinski obtained his PhD in machine vision at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in 2014, and a double master's degree at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and the Politecnico di Torino. He is a Full Professor at Warsaw University of Technology, where he leads a Computer Vision Lab. He was an Associate Professor at Jagiellonian University of Krakow in years 2020-2023, and a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University in 2017 and at Nanyang Technological University in 2019 and 2024. He led a research group „Zero-waste machine learning in computer vision” at IDEAS NCBR from 2022 till 2025. Previously, he worked at Google in 2013, Qualcomm in 2012 and Telefónica in 2010. He frequently serves as a reviewer and area chair in major computer science conferences (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, NeurIPS, ICML) and journals (TPAMI, IJCV, CVIU).
Mr. Ambassador Fabrice Filliez
Swiss Embassy in Poland
Marek Dziubinski
Medicalgorithmics S.A, Solvemed.ai, CodeScore.ai and DeepMarket.ai
Prominent entrepreneur and scientist who founded Medicalgorithmics S.A, CodeScore, Inc, DeepMarket.ai and co-founded Solvemed, Inc. to bridge the gap between AI research and global industry. With a Ph.D. in computer science, his expertise centers on Digital Signal Processing (DSP)-the mathematical analysis of real-world signals like heartbeats, pupillograms and financial trends.
Marcin Ledworowski
Accenture Poland
Senior Advisor and AI Lead at Accenture Polska with over 25 years of experience in finance and IT. As a former Board Member of Bank Pocztowy, he spearheaded digital innovation, including Poland's first biometric payment card. Previously held leadership roles at BIK Group and BIG InfoMonitor. Academic lecturer at Kozminski University, WSB University, and the French Management Institute. Co-founder of HomoDigital.pl and an expert in digital transformation and AI.
Paulina Skrzypinska
BNP Paribas Bank Polska
Chief Innovation Officer at BNP Paribas Bank Polska SA, Co-founder and Board Member of Endeavor Poland, and an alumna of the Leadership Academy for Poland. She supports innovative companies in their development and effective scaling. Regardless of her role or organization, she focuses on designing and implementing collaboration models with innovative enterprises, which she considers crucial for the future and economic growth of Poland and Europe. She is actively involved in shaping new policies and programs aimed at driving significant change in this field.
Szymon Czekajewski
EQUINIX
Director of Product Management at Equinix, where he focuses on developing technology products on a global scale. As a father of two and a dog owner, he perfectly understands both creative chaos and the fundamental need for simple, effective solutions. Expert in product strategy and global scaling.
Pawel Huras
Polish Development Fund
Pawel Huras is the Head of the Innovation Development Department at the Polish Development Fund (PFR), where he has spent years shaping the Polish innovation ecosystem by bridging strategic vision with operational excellence.
Paul is the co-creator of several landmark initiatives, including VC Connect-a program guiding startups from initial concept to deployment and investment-and IDA, an initiative focused on the adaptation of dual-use, breakthrough technologies for the defense sector. With extensive experience in incubation and acceleration, he specializes in connecting high-tech teams with venture capital and strategic corporate partners. His expertise lies in fostering synergies between technology, capital, and market needs to drive systemic growth.
Mentors
Participants will have the unique opportunity to work closely with our mentors. These experts will be available during specific time slots to offer strategic support, ensuring that your projects are not only groundbreaking but also ready for real-world application.
Mr. Ambassador Fabrice Filliez
Swiss Embassy in Poland
Karolina Kukiełka
Vastpoint Ventures
With years of early-stage investing across Europe, Karolina brings deep conviction and hands-on experience to the startups shaping tomorrow. At Vastpoint Ventures, she focuses on discovering and backing the most visionary founders building the future of deep tech.
Marcelina Firkowska
Foundation for Polish Science
Marcelina Firkowska is Head of Academic Entrepreneurship at the Foundation for Polish Science, where she supports researchers in turning scientific discoveries into real-world solutions. She leads a national deep-tech commercialization program helping interdisciplinary teams develop market-ready technologies. As a mentor, she helps teams identify market potential, shape commercialization strategies, and connect science with industry and investors. She is known for spotting blind spots and asking the tough questions that bring clarity and structure to complex ideas. She brings broad experience from the innovation ecosystem, including evaluating early-stage deep-tech projects and supporting international science-to-impact initiatives.
Konrad Patinski
IDEAS Research Institute
Member of the Data Privacy and Compliance Analyses team at IDEAS Research Institute, with several years of experience in analytics within the banking sector. AI Engineer specializing in LLM implementations across multiple domains, including media, healthcare, law, and industry. Winner of first place in the PORT Łukasiewicz's Neurohack 2025 hackathon.
Focused on supporting teams in translating ideas into practical, scalable solutions and navigating technical and product decisions.
Pratibha Jagnere
Pratihba Jagnere is a Cybersecurity expert and Data Analytics specialist at Google, where she focuses on Compliance products and cloud data management, with a particular emphasis on Dataplex. A dedicated Pythonista and active member of the tech community, she is a frequent speaker at PyCon, sharing discoveries in library ecosystems and software craftsmanship.
Daniel Szychowski
EQUINIX
Daniel Szychowski is a product leader with over 20 years of experience spanning roles as a developer, project, program, and product manager, team leader, and startup founder. He has honed his skills leading diverse teams, from agile startups to global corporations. For several years, he has been openly sharing his mistakes, failures, and insights on product management, inspiring others with the concept of product discovery as a vital precursor to building.
Michal Lechowski
Hard2beat
Michal Lechowski is a deep tech investor focused on robotics, hardware, and AI-driven systems. He brings a strong quantitative background and venture capital experience, supporting founders building scalable technologies with real-world impact.
Alongside his investment activities, Michal is pursuing doctoral research in startup valuation, focusing on quantitative methods for assessing risk and potential in early-stage ventures. His work aims to develop new frameworks for valuing startups in emerging markets, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.
Monika Standziak-Koresh
PARP
Monika Standziak-Koresh is a manager with over 20 years of experience in strategic project management, business transformation, and innovation in the public and energy sectors. She has led the design and implementation of solutions supporting digital transformation, service development, and process optimization. She has managed complex projects, including EU-funded initiatives, and strategic portfolios in innovation and technology.
She has developed collaboration models connecting corporations, public institutions, and the innovation ecosystem, working with universities and international partners. Currently, she supports startups and designs acceleration processes focused on technology commercialization.
Natalia Kupsik
Polish Development Fund
Natalia Kupsik is a Manager at the Innovation Ecosystem and Startup Development Office at PFR (Polish Development Fund). She is a seasoned expert in incubation, venture building, acceleration, and international cooperation within global startup ecosystems.
As a dedicated educator, Natalia regularly conducts workshops and academic lectures on innovation and startup entrepreneurship at leading Polish universities, including Warsaw University of Technology (PW), Kozminski University (ALK), and SWPS University. Her professional background is rooted in hands-on innovation: she is a laureate of numerous national and international startup competitions, with a particular focus on the Greentech and Legaltech industries. She brings a wealth of experience in bridging the gap between emerging technologies and market-ready business models.
Sponsors
Patrons
Media
