REGISTER FOR HACKOHI/O 2026: https://hack.osu.edu/2026

 

What is HackOHI/O?

HackOHI/O is a 24-hour hackathon that attracts over 800 participants annually for a full weekend of coding, learning, networking, and innovation. HackOHI/O gives students a unique, experiential-learning opportunity to build technology projects from scratch in a welcoming environment.

Teams can come with an idea themselves or can take inspiration from challenges presented by our supporting companies and organizations. After 24-hours of “hacking”, teams present their projects to industry experts and judges to get feedback and compete for prizes.

HackOHI/O is hosted by OHI/O, a student organization at The Ohio State University. OHI/O is dedicated to fostering tech culture at Ohio State and its surrounding communities in Central Ohio.

OHI/O is proud of the legacy HackOHI/O has created over the past 13 years at Ohio State. This year, HackOHI/O is opening its doors to professionals for the first time. If you're currently working in industry, this track lets you experience the energy of HackOHI/O alongside the student community, while competing in a space built just for you.

Professional teams take on the Build Anything challenge and are not permitted to participate in the company sponsored challenges. Professionals follow all standard HackOHI/O rules, and are judged only against other professional teams for their own dedicated prizes. Teams must be made up entirely of professionals — students currently enrolled in any college coursework are not eligible to join a professional team or compete in this track. Because part of what makes HackOHI/O special is the connections made on-site, professionals are strongly encouraged to attend in person for most of the Oct 24th.

Requirements

What to Build

Participants in the hackathon are expected to build a functional prototype or software solution that aligns with the theme of the event. Teams should aim to demonstrate innovation, creativity, communication, and impact. Projects can address challenges provided by sponsoring companies. Additionally, teams are encouraged to explore interdisciplinary approaches, combining knowledge from areas like engineering, humanities, or business to create unique and meaningful solutions.

What to Submit

  • Google Forms Submission (Not Devpost): All teams must submit their projects through a Google Forms link, which will be shared on the hackathon Discord. Do not submit your project on Devpost. Any submissions made on Devpost will not be considered for judging or prizes. Ensure that your submission includes:

    • A project title and description
    • A video demo (up to 3 minutes) showcasing the project’s features and functionality
    • A clear explanation of the problem being solved and how the solution addresses it
    • Any relevant technical documentation, code repositories (e.g., GitHub), or diagrams

  • Presentation: During the presentation portion, participants will share their pre-recorded video with a panel of judges and other participants in their assigned Zoom room. There will be no live demos; judges will base their feedback and scoring on the video shared and the Q&A session after the video is played. Judging will occur in two rounds. Each group will be assigned to either the first or second round, and the specific round assignment will be communicated on Discord.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

8 non-cash prizes
Apple iPad
1 winner

1st Place Prize

Sony XM6
1 winner

2nd Place Prize

Meta Quest 3S (128 GB)
1 winner

3rd Place Prize

Ninja CREAMi Deluxe Ice Cream & Frozen Treat Maker
1 winner

Raffle Prize

Keurig K-Express Single Server K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker
1 winner

Capstone Prize

Movo Dual Wireless Lavalier Microphone w/ Charging Case
1 winner

Most Social Prize

KODAK PIXPRO FZ45 16MP Digital Camera
1 winner

Most Original Prize

Keychron V6 Wired Custom Mechanical Keyboard
1 winner

Most Technical Prize

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

N/A

N/A

Judging Criteria

  • Innovation
    Challenge the norm by analyzing existing solutions through testing or research, then exploring ways to improve or reinvent.
  • Curiosity
    Being curious, ask questions that inspire growth and result in the artful application of scientific principles.
  • Communication
    Effectively communicating project concepts including a visual representation that explains the project's development process and purpose.
  • Project Breadth and Complexity
    Leveraging knowledge and skills from the humanities, engineering, and science to successfully make complex/nontrivial new innovations.
  • Impact
    The project seeks to provide a solution with potential social, economic/busines, environmental or other tangible value.
  • Growth Mindset
    Testing ideas, recognizing barriers or failures as important moments of feedback and pivoting accordingly.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

Invite others to compete

Hackathon sponsors

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.