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Impact Osaka 2026 Hackathon [Global Startup Expo 2026 - Side Event]
Impact Osaka Hackathon 2026
From Osaka to the World: AI for Real-World Impact
Create with ElevenLabs. Solve Real Problems. Bring Ideas to Life.
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (JST)
Location: Online | Join from Anywhere
About the Event
What if you could turn a solution to one of Osaka's biggest challenges into a compelling video using AI?
Impact Osaka Hackathon 2026 is an online creative hackathon bringing together students, developers, founders, designers, researchers, and creators from Japan and around the world.
Inspired by Global Startup EXPO 2026 and its theme "Deeptech — from breakthrough to industry," this hackathon challenges participants to identify real problems in Osaka, imagine solutions that could benefit communities and industries across Japan, and communicate their ideas through AI-generated videos.
Using the ElevenLabs API, participants will transform ideas into videos demonstrating how emerging technologies, AI, and innovative startups could address meaningful challenges.
You don't need to build an entire startup in one evening. You need to identify a real problem, propose a convincing solution, and make people understand its impact.
The Challenge: Build for Osaka, Impact Japan and Beyond
How can emerging technologies solve real problems in Osaka and create solutions that scale across Japan and the world?
Choose a challenge connected to Osaka or the wider Kansai region. Develop an innovative solution and use the ElevenLabs API to produce a video showing how your idea could become a real product, startup, service, or technological innovation.
Every project should demonstrate three things:
Start in Osaka: Identify a specific local problem or opportunity.
Scale across Japan: Explain how the solution could serve other Japanese cities, communities, or industries.
Think globally: Show the potential for broader adoption or impact beyond Japan.
Your video should communicate:
The Problem → The Solution → The Technology → The People → The Impact
Four Challenge Areas
01. Healthcare, Longevity & Biotechnology
Explore solutions that could improve elderly care, medical communication, preventive healthcare, patient experiences, or the practical adoption of new biotechnology.
02. AI, Robotics & the Future of Japanese Industry
Imagine solutions using artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, advanced computing, or intelligent business systems to improve how industries operate.
03. Smart Osaka: Mobility, Accessibility & Global Connectivity
Explore challenges involving urban mobility, tourism, accessibility, multilingual communication, transportation systems, and connected city services.
04. Sustainable Osaka: Clean Energy & Future Infrastructure
Explore how AI, clean energy innovation, fusion technologies, satellite data, advanced communications, and other emerging technologies could help Osaka and Japan prepare for future challenges.
These four areas are challenge inspirations, not separate competition tracks. Participants may combine technologies or propose other Osaka-focused solutions aligned with the event's theme.
The central objective is to move beyond imagining technology and show how it could create real value for people, businesses, or society.
One Track: AI Video for Real-World Impact
All participants compete in one unified challenge.
Create a compelling video using the ElevenLabs API to communicate a startup concept, technological solution, or social-impact idea rooted in Osaka, with potential applications across Japan and beyond.
You may use other AI tools for visuals, research, design, development, and editing. However, the final project must include meaningful use of the ElevenLabs API.
Participants may create startup concept videos, future-product demonstrations, solution explainers, or narrative videos showing how an innovation could improve people's lives.
Event Schedule
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | Japan Standard Time
5:00 – 5:30 PM: Opening Ceremony & Challenge Briefing
5:30 – 6:00 PM: Talk Session: Building Creative Experiences with ElevenLabs
6:00 – 7:30 PM: AI Video Building & Submission
7:30 – 8:30 PM: Online Showcase & Judging
8:30 – 9:00 PM: Prize Ceremony & Closing
Prizes
🏆Total Prize Pool : $1,194+ worth of Credits
Track 01 — Build a Working Autonomous Agent
Winner receives a 3-Month ElevenLabs Pro Plan
Track 02 — Visualize a New Business or Agentic Concept
Winner receives a 3-Month ElevenLabs Scale Plan
Two tracks. Two winners. Build something real.
Build with ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is supporting Impact Osaka as Prize and Credit Sponsor, giving participants opportunities to build with its voice and AI technologies.
Participants can explore:
Voice AI × AI Agents × Audio × Storytelling × Multilingual Experiences
ElevenLabs can be used in either direction: to build a working voice-enabled AI agent or to communicate and visualize a new business or agentic concept.
One winning project will be selected from each track.
🏆 Prize Pool
For each event: Overall Winner: 3 Month Pro Tier Best Project Built with ElevenLabs: 3 Month Scale Tier
What to Submit
Each individual or team must submit:
Final Video: An AI-created solution video, recommended duration 60–120 seconds.
Project Title: Name of your idea or solution.
Problem Statement: The specific issue your project addresses in Osaka or the Kansai region.
Impact & Scalability: How the solution could be applied in Osaka, expanded across Japan, and potentially adopted internationally.
Judging Criteria
Projects will be evaluated on five key dimensions:
Problem Relevance: Does the project address a meaningful challenge in Osaka or Kansai?
Innovation: Is the solution creative, differentiated, and connected to emerging technologies?
ElevenLabs Integration: Is the API used meaningfully and effectively?
Video Execution & Storytelling: Is the concept communicated clearly and convincingly?
Real-World Impact & Scalability: Could the solution be implemented in Osaka, expanded across Japan, and create value beyond the hackathon?
Who Can Join?
Open to students, developers, founders, designers, content creators, researchers, AI enthusiasts, and anyone interested in using technology for meaningful impact.
No prior hackathon experience is required.
Participate online from Osaka, anywhere in Japan, or around the world.
Why Join?
Explore real-world challenges in Osaka and Japan, learn from an AI-focused talk session, experiment with ElevenLabs technology, build alongside a global creative community, and showcase your solution to judges and fellow participants.
In just one evening, move from identifying a problem to creating and presenting an AI-powered vision for its solution.
No prior hackathon experience is required.
You don't need to know everything.
Bring your skills. Find your team. Build something real.
Impact Osaka 2026
Two Tracks. Two Winners. One Goal.
Turn AI ideas into real-world impact.
Organizers
Cognisor
Website : www.cognisorai.com
Co-Host
TIU Impact Next
Website : www.tiuimpactnext.com
Website : www.creatorscircuit.tech
Peer Portal
Website : www.peerportal.app
Credit Sponsors :
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is one of the world’s leading Voice AI platforms, helping builders create realistic voices, AI voice agents, multilingual audio, and voice powered applications.
Meet the Judges of Impact Osaka Hackathon 2026! ⚡
We’re proud to introduce our distinguished judging panel:
🎓 Dr. Priya Dubey — Assistant Professor, Tokyo International University
🚀 Sujan Sanku — Startup Mentor & Government Advisor
🎓 Paul Consalvi — Professor, University of Tokyo