AKI HACKS isn't just about building a project. It's about learning how to build something from nothing.
Work with people you've never met. Solve a real problem. Build a prototype. Think like a startup.
Kolkata, West Bengal 🇮🇳
October 2026 · Date — TBD · Venue — TBD
Greater Metropolitan Area
Exact venue will be officially unveiled to participants.
You're not just building a solution. You're building like a startup.
Participants receive real-world problems sourced from NGOs, foundations and partner organisations working with people with disabilities. The goal is not merely to submit code—the goal is to experience the earliest stages of building a startup from zero.
AKI HACKS will partner with NGOs and foundations to bring real-world accessibility problems to participants.
Partnership announcements coming soon.
Imagine you have an idea but no team.
Imagine your teammates have completely different skills.
Imagine you disagree about what to build.
Imagine you only have a few hours.
Imagine your first idea doesn't work.
Now build anyway.
You won't arrive with your existing friend group and build the project you've already planned. You'll meet new people, discover different skills, divide responsibilities, disagree, adapt, and build something together.
Communicate quickly with unfamiliar teammates.
Take ownership when the team needs direction.
Understand what should actually be built.
Make decisions with limited information and time.
Change direction when your first idea doesn't work.
Turn a problem into something people could actually use.
Mentors will be available throughout the experience to guide teams, challenge their assumptions and help them navigate the problems they encounter.
Host welcomes everyone. Covers event format, rules, random team system, judging, and submission criteria.
20 minutes dedicated to Innovation, Startups, Accessibility, Product building, Failure, and Problem solving.
NGO/foundation partners introduce real-world barriers, constraints, and opportunities faced by people with disabilities.
Meet people you didn't arrive with. Find out what they can do. Figure out what you can build together.
Idea → Prototype → Product. Navigate unclear concepts, disagreements, tech hurdles, scope changes, and time pressure.
Submit team roster, problem addressed, solution architecture, working prototype, and demo details.
Rigorous evaluation on merit, accessibility, and real startup execution viability.
Miro Meetups Kolkata became a two-day experience on March 23–24, 2026, across ZIOKS and Techno India University, bringing together 100+ student developers, creators, and innovators. The event focused on product-first thinking, structured ideation, collaboration, and real-world problem solving.
That experience showed us what Kolkata's builders can do when they come together. AKI HACKS is the next chapter.
The first AKI HACKS is planned for Kolkata this October. Now we're asking our community to unlock it.
Of course. 🎁
Of course. 🍱 Food will be provided during the event. There will not be a dedicated lunch break. Eat with your teammates while continuing the experience.
Yes. There will be more than 3 mentors available to guide participants.
No. You must work with randomly assigned teammates. This is a strict rule.
No. 🇮🇳 AKI HACKS is an India-based hackathon. Aki / 秋 means autumn in Japanese. We thought "Autumn Hacks" sounded a little boring, so we chose AKI HACKS.
Want to help build AKI HACKS from the inside? Volunteer / Core Team Applications forms releasing soon.
We're building the community around AKI HACKS and will open opportunities for volunteers and core-team contributors.
Have a question, partnership proposal, sponsorship inquiry, accessibility concern or just want to talk to us?
We couldn't name it Autumn Hacks, so we created AKI. Aki means autumn in Japanese.
And that's how AKI HACKS was born.
