AI Agents Hackathon by Canastra & AWS
Join us in Belo Horizonte for a focused, in-person hackathon to build AI Agents.
A 1-day hackathon where builders, students, developers, and founders come together to build AI agents that solve real-world problems, featuring live demos, amazing prizes, and a direct bridge into the AI startup ecosystem, including a fast-track to the AI Residency by Canastra Ventures.
1. Capacity is limited (Up to 40 builders)
2. Applications are required
Who Should Apply
This is for builders who’ve shipped AI agents, tools, or strong side projects and want to build at the frontier. The hackathon is your entry into the Canastra Ventures ecosystem, connecting you with top builders and founders we back.
For ambitious, hands-on people serious about building what matters.
Schedule
☀️ 08h00 - Doors open & check-in
🎯 09h00 - Challenge briefing & rules
🛠️ 10h00 - Hacking begins
🍽️ 13h00 - Pizza lunch & networking
🔄 14h00 - Hacking continues + mentorship rounds
🎤 16h00 - Demo Day — project presentations
🏆 17h00 - Awards ceremony & closing
Theme: AI Agents for Workforce
It’s 2026. AI agents are becoming core infrastructure for how work gets done. Instead of tools, we now have autonomous systems handling tasks across teams, functions, and workflows.
This raises key questions:
How do agents integrate into existing workflows without breaking them?
How do we ensure reliability, accountability, and human oversight?
What’s the right interface between humans and multi-agent systems?
How do companies manage permissions, data access, and security at scale?
Some ideias:
Automate repetitive back-office tasks (ops, finance, HR)
Build copilots for high-leverage roles (sales, recruiting, engineering)
Enable coordination between multiple agents across a workflow
Replace legacy SaaS flows with agent-first experiences
Agents won’t just assist work, they’ll reshape how organizations operate. Focus on building systems that are useful, production-ready, and demoable.
Judges & Mentors
Caio Pereira: Co-founder & CTO at Allia, Ex-Director of Engineering at Sólides
Pedro Dias: Co-founder & Managing Partner at Canastra Ventures
Milena Maia: Co-founder & CRO at Tess
Leonardo Cruz: Managing Partner at Mergus Ventures
Gustavo Souza: Managing Partner at Saasholic
(New judges & mentors will be announced soon)
Price
🥇 1st place
R$1,000 in cash
US$10,000+ in credits (AWS, Replit)
Guaranteed spot in Matchmaking T4 by Canastra
1 month coworking at RAJA Hub
Guaranteed spot in Launch by Raja Hub
🥈 2nd place
US$5,000+ in credits (AWS, Replit)
Guaranteed spot in Matchmaking T4 by Canastra
🥉 3rd place
US$5,000+ in credits (AWS, Replit)
(Additional prizes may be unlocked as new partners join the AI Agents Hackathon)
Perks for All Participants
Every accepted participant gets access to tools to support their build from day one:
🔧 Replit — $20 in credits for every participant Build and deploy your agent directly on Replit during the hackathon. Teams will receive additional credits after formation.
🤖 Tess AI — 1 month free PRO plan trial Use Tess AI's full suite of +250 AI models throughout the hackathon and beyond. Ideal for market research, prototyping, building your agent, and putting together your pitch deck. Explore the PRO plan.
(Additional perks may be unlocked as new partners join the AI Agents Hackathon)
Hosts
Canastra Ventures: We support top Brazilian founders from day zero through our AI Residency, combining capital and a Silicon Valley mindset. Learn more here: https://www.canastra.ventures/air.
Amazon Web Services: is the cloud platform that enables companies of all sizes to build, scale, and innovate quickly and efficiently.
Sponsors and Partners
Replit: The collaborative browser-based IDE that lets you build, run, and deploy full-stack apps.
Tess AI: San Francisco-based autonomous agent platform founded by Brazilians, enabling no-code creation of AI agents powered by 250+ AI models.
Raja Hub: Mina s Gerais’ 1st private innovation hub.
Allia: Turning hiring into a predictable, AI-powered matching system.
(New sponsors & partners will be announced soon)
What to Bring
This is a hands-on, in-person build day. Come prepared:
Your laptop: mandatory. No machines provided on site.
Charger and adapters: it's a full day. Don't rely on available outlets.
Pre-configured accounts: GitHub, AWS, and any APIs you plan to use. There's no time for setup on the day.
Accepted participants will receive a preparation guide in the week of the event.
Selection & Format
Application-based: we review on a rolling basis.
Teams of up to 4 are welcome; solo builders can form teams on site.
In-person Demo Day is mandatory for all accepted participants.
If accepted, add Pedro Dias or Matheus Teixeira so we can give you access to the hackathon’s WhatsApp.
Why This Hackathon Exists
Belo Horizonte has world-class talent, but too often the center of gravity feels somewhere else. This is a deliberate step toward changing that.
• A curated room of top-tier builders
• Real products shipped in a single day
• A direct path into the AI ecosystem — including the AI Residency by Canastra Ventures
*By registering, you agree to share your data with Canastra Ventures, sponsors and our partners. Additionally, by registering, you authorize us to send you the latest news, company announcements, and other communications from Canastra Ventures and partners.