Stanford x DeepMind Hackathon: Build. Ship. Win up to $5M in Seed Funding*
🚀 Stanford x DeepMind Hackathon: Build with Google Gemini
Win up to $5M in Seed Funding | July 19th, 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.
🏆 The Prize
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 $15K in GCP credits
Online Track: Share of $5K 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.
👥 Judging Panel
Felix To — Investor @ NFX Fund
Jian Moon — Investor @ Menlo VC
Vikram Venkat — Investor @ Cota Capital
Kabir Sial — Investor @ Emergence Capital
Kavon Badie — Investor @ Mighty Capital
Vinod Joseph — Investor @ Samsung Next
Tessa Osborne — Investor @ Plug and Play
Nancy Wang — Partner @ Felicis; CTO @ 1Password
Celestine Schnugg — General Partner @ Boom Capital
Anitha Vadavatha — Managing Partner @ AB Plus Ventures
Leonard Lee — Head of Accelerator @ 500 Global
Iris Sun — Partner @ 500 Global
Angelica Parente, PhD — Partner @ Civilization Ventures
Morgan Blumberg — Partner @ M13
Anne Dwane — General Partner @ Village Global
Prof. Nikesh Kotecha — Head of Data Science @ Stanford Health Care
Denis Belyavsky — Founder @ 12 Scrappy Founders
Debojyoti (Debo) Dutta — Chief AI Officer @ Nutanix
Remi Kaito — Founder @ Arcade AI
Jesse Tang — Co-Organizer; Arcade AI
Amit Vadi — Co-Organizer; DeepMind
Ivan Leo — Co-Organizer; DeepMind
📅 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
11:30 AM — Hacking Begins! – 3-hour intensive build sprint starts
2:30 PM — Submission Deadline (Hard Stop) – All submissions must be completed
2:30 PM — Late Lunch – Sandwiches/beverages and networking with fellow builders
3:30 PM — Semi-Finalists Announced – Top teams selected for live pitches
4:00 PM — Live Finals Presentations – Top 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
🌐 Online Track
Can't make it to Stanford? 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, July 19th
Same deliverables as in-person participants
Judging based on traction – same conditions as Phase 2 (7-day social engagement tracking)
Prize pool: $5K 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.
📋 Submission Requirements
Each team must submit by 2:30 PM sharp:
One-Pager — Document describing your team and idea
Hosted Prototype — Working demo link (via Google AI Studio & Google Cloud Run)
2-Minute Video — Team introduction and elevator pitch
1-Minute Video — Prototype demo (Playcast)
Code Repository — Link via Google AI Studio sharing mechanics
Data Usage & Judging Consent: By submitting your prototype playcast, you authorize organizers to use your submission in paid social ads (e.g., Facebook). Real-world performance metrics (CPM, CTR, CPC, etc.) will be collected and used as core market validation data for Phase 2 (post-event) judging. You may opt out by notifying organizers prior to submission; data sharing with sponsors and investors is a condition of participation.
⚖️ Judging Criteria
Projects will be evaluated on:
Technical Feasibility — Does it actually work?
Innovation & Novelty — Is the approach creative or clever?
Real-World Applicability — Would people genuinely use it?
Market Potential & Fundability — Could this become venture-backable?
Go-to-Market Traction — Social engagement on your demo video (likes, shares, views)
Social Engagement Component
Your demo YouTube video must be shared publicly. Engagement counts toward your score:
Phase 1: Engagement tracked during the hackathon (5 PM deadline)
Phase 2: Continued tracking for 2 weeks post-event (viral reach + playcast metrics)
🎯 Competition Format
Semi-Finals: All submissions undergo asynchronous review by the judging panel.
Finals: Top teams advance to live presentations:
10 minutes per team (5 min pitch + 5 min Q&A)
Present on stage to the full panel of VCs and special guests
Winners announced at 5:30 PM
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: Can I participate remotely? A: Yes! The Online Track has the same deliverables, with submissions due by end of day, July 19th. No live streaming—judging is based on 7-day social engagement (Phase 2 conditions). Online Track has a $5K 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!
🎁 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.