Algorism
Algorism · № 001
First principles, second nature.
Where this name comes from
Centuries before "algorithm" was a word in any language, a mathematician named al-Khwarizmi sat in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad and did something unusual: he didn't just solve problems, he wrote down the method for solving them, so that anyone, anywhere, could pick it up and solve the next one too. That method carried his name through centuries of translation: al-Khwarizmi became "algorism," and eventually, "algorithm."
Our community has always thought this way. In logic, in numbers, in systems, in the quiet discipline of breaking a hard problem into steps someone else could follow. Algorism is us returning to that instinct, with tools al-Khwarizmi never had and a problem set he never imagined, but the same first move: think from the ground up, then build.
What it is
A one-day, AI-native build day for the community. Every project runs on modern AI tooling as the baseline, not the differentiator. The tools are table stakes. What you do with them is the point.
Who's building
Algorism draws from the sharpest minds across the community: engineers and researchers from IITs and NITs, operators and strategists from IIMs and top B-schools in India and abroad, and builders from disciplines far beyond computer science, medicine, finance, agriculture, and health among them. The premise is simple: when the barrier to building collapses, the differentiator isn't who can code; it's who can think.
Two tracks. Pick one.
Ummah — build for the problems we face. Waqf transparency, inheritance and zakat tools, community infrastructure, and everything in between.
Open — build anything, AI-native by default, within Islamic principles.
The day
Registration from 7 am. Building starts 8:30 am, sharp. Four prayer breaks woven through the day, including a sermon at Zohar, "Hacking your way to Jannah". Submissions close 8 pm, finalists present that evening.
Fifteen hours. Four prayers. One build.
Full schedule shared with confirmed participants.Prizes
Up to ₹85,000 in prizes across tracks, plus recognition for our Women and Student builders. Beyond the cash, winners get direct access to the Crescent Ventures network, mentorship, and a seat at the table for what comes next.
Judged by
Khadim Batti (CEO, Whatfix), Mohammad Illiyaz (Director of Engineering, Razorpay), Lubna Ahmed (VP and Chief of Staff to the CEO), and Zahid Khan (GM and Director New Initiatives, Amazon)
The details
26 July 2026. Teams of up to three. A day built with everyone in mind, sisters included, with their own space to think, build, and belong. Dedicated recognition for our Women and Student builders alongside the open field.
In partnership with Whatfix.
FAQ
I'm not from a tech background. Is this for me?
Yes. That's the entire point of Algorism.
For most of computing history, having an idea and building it were two different skills. That gap closed recently, and most people haven't noticed yet. Today you describe what you want in plain English and AI tools build it. The scarce thing is no longer the code. It's knowing which problem is worth solving, and that comes from your life, your work, your community, not from a CS degree.
Doctor, teacher, lawyer, madrasa student, accountant: you see problems the engineers in the room have never encountered. That's not a handicap here. It's the thing we're short of.
I've never written a line of code. Can I really build something in one day?
Yes. You'll type what you want. The AI writes the code. You look at it, say what's wrong, it fixes it. That's the loop, closer to a conversation than to programming.
Two places to start, both worth the time before 26 July:
Replit AI Coding Masterclass: From Beginner to Expert in 37 Minutes — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pl8sPNNJqA
I Built & Launched a Mobile App in 30mins! (No Coding) | Replit Tutorial — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD223NhK6z0
Then come to the pre-hackathon AMA on 23 July with Faizan Hashmi (Associate Director, MoveInSync) and ask anything, including the questions you think are too basic. Especially those.
I don't have an idea yet. Should I still register?
Register now. Ideas come on the day, and the good ones often only show up once you're in the room talking to people.
If you want a head start: think about something that annoys you or someone you love. A thing your mother does by hand every week. A form your community fills out wrong every time. That's an idea. It doesn't have to sound impressive.
I don't have a team. Will I be sitting alone?
No. Plenty of people come solo and form teams on the day. Teams are up to three.
A non-technical person with a sharp problem is one of the most useful teammates in the room. Engineers arrive with skills and no problem to point them at. You're the other half of that.
What if I'm the least experienced person there?
Somebody has to be, and it's a much larger group than you'd think. The AMA exists for first-timers. Mentors are on the floor all day. Nobody is going to ask what language you code in.
The credentials in the room aren't a bar you have to clear. They're who you get to build alongside.
Hosted by Crescent Ventures