GDG Stanford Hackathon: Build with Google Gemini
🚀 Build with Google Gemini Hackathon
Win up to $5M in Seed Funding | November 15th, 10am–6pm*
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.
🏆 The Prize
Top teams will be judged by partners from 17 venture capital funds managing $119B+ who backed Google, SpaceX, and 200+ unicorns. Winners earn direct pitch access to VCs writing $500K–$5M seed checks.
👨⚖️ Our Judges
Mega Funds ($1B+ AUM)
Utkarsh Bajpai - General Catalyst ($40B AUM)
Janelle Teng – Bessemer Venture Partners ($37B AUM)
James Kaplan - NEA ($25B AUM)
Leigh Marie Braswell – Kleiner Perkins ($10B AUM)
Joff Redfern – Menlo Ventures ($5B AUM)
Crystal Liu - NVIDIA Ventures ($4.3B AUM)
Clayton Bryan - 500 Global ($2.5B AUM)
Vicky Kuang – Draper Associates ($2B AUM)
Aniket Kamthe – Nexus Venture Partners ($3B AUM)
Denise Teng - Gradient Ventures ($1B AUM)
Established Funds
Anne Dwane – Village Global
Shaurya Mehta – Workplay Ventures
Maxim Karoubi – NextGen VP
Minsoo Chi – Spider Capital
Roger Van Duinen – Cove Fund
Sri Rao – MCHN Ventures
Rob Smith – M13
Special Guests
Alisa Fortin - DeepMind
Zviad Kardava – Google
Prof. Nikesh Kotecha – Stanford
Prof. Garry Nolan - Stanford
Phd. Yury Goltsev - Stanford/Cellformatica
Darsh Mann - StartX
Bryann-Noel Revilla - Stanford ASES
Taarush Grover - Stanford BASES
Ishmeet Kaur - Apple
📅 Event Schedule
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
11:30 AM – Hacking Begins!
3-hour intensive build sprint starts now
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
📋 Submission Requirements
To compete, 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 YT Video – Demo of your prototype (plus optional team introduction)
Code Repository – Link to code via Google AI Studio sharing mechanics
⚖️ Judging Criteria
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 YT video has to 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)
🎯 Competition Format
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 full panel of VCs and special guests
Winners announced at 5:30 PM
👥 Who Should Attend
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.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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: 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!
🎁 What You'll Win
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.
These are the same VCs who have backed:
Google, SpaceX, Stripe, Airbnb
200+ unicorn companies
And are actively writing $500K–$5M seed checks
*Investment not guaranteed. Prize is pitch access only. Winning teams gain meeting access but must earn investment through their pitch and business fundamentals.