Preply x Agora Hackathon: AI Agents for NextGen Language Learning

​Join Preply and Agora for a high-impact, 1.5-day hackathon at Preply’s Barcelona Office. We’re bringing together some of the city’s strongest engineering talent to build the next generation of AI-powered language learning using agent-based and real-time technologies.

​This is your opportunity to create solutions that help learners progress faster, understand their growth clearly, and speak with confidence in everyday situations.

​You’ll get hands-on access to technologies from Agora, OpenAI, AWS, Anam, and Thymia to prototype intelligent systems that push applied GenAI forward.

To kick off the evening, we've invited Max Hudlberger (Applied AI @ OpenAI) and Ben Weekes (Convo AI @ Agora), who will open the hackathon with a short keynote and stay for the discussion. Max will share how OpenAI's latest advancements in Codex and related tooling enable developers to build next-generation systems, while Ben will present Agora's conversational AI platform. Both Max and Ben will be around to join other mentors to answer questions, exchange ideas, and advise teams experimenting with agentic development.

​If you’re excited about building AI agents that actually change how people learn and communicate, this is your room! 🤝

​Who Should Apply

​We’re looking for:

• ​Senior Software Engineers (priority given to Barcelona-based engineers)

• ​AI / ML Engineers

• ​University students and junior engineers with strong technical fundamentals

• ​Preply team members

​If you’re into AI agents, real-time systems, or applied GenAI, you’ll fit right in.

​Prizes

​€17,500 Total Prize Pool

​🥇 1st Place: €10,000 + Fast-track interview with Preply
🥈 2nd Place: €5,000
🥉 3rd Place: €2,500

​Format & What’s Included

• ​Teams of 3–5 participants (formed on-site or registered as a team)

• ​Mentorship from engineers and technical leaders

• ​Project pitches and final demos

• ​Breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided

• ​Direct exposure to Preply’s engineering leadership

​Challenge Areas

​Teams can work across one or more of the following tracks:

​Visualizing Learning Progress
Make growth measurable — track skills, confidence, and progress in ways learners actually understand.

​Accelerating Learning with Agents
Build personalized practice systems with intelligent feedback and coordinated agent workflows.

​Live Learning & Real-Time Context
Design systems that learn from live conversations, media, or real-world scenarios.

​Have a bold idea that fits the theme? We want to see it.

​Technology & Partners

​Participants will receive limited complimentary access to partner platforms, including:

• ​Real-time audio and video streaming

• ​Speech-to-Text (STT) and Text-to-Speech (TTS)

• ​Large Language Models (LLMs)

• ​Avatars and multimodal AI

• ​Cloud infrastructure and agent tooling

​Here’s a quick overview of the schedule:

​Agenda

​Friday - 20th of March
• 5 PM – Kick-off by Preply & Agora, & keynote by Max Hudlberger (Applied AI @ OpenAI)
• 6–8 PM – Project pitches, team formation & mentoring
• 8–8:30 PM – Wrap-up & next-day overview

​Saturday - 21st of March
• 9–10 AM – Breakfast
• 10 AM – Kick-off
• 10 AM–4 PM – Hacking time (with lunch break)
• 4–6 PM – Presentations, awards & networking 🎉

​How to Apply

• ​Apply individually or with a team

• ​Applications are manually reviewed.

• ​Accepted participants will receive a confirmation email with next steps

​Apply Now

​Spots are limited to 50–75 participants.

​Bring your laptop and your ideas — we’ll handle the rest.

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