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Berkeley x DeepMind Hackathon: Build. Ship. Pitch. Win.
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| With Amit Vadi (Head of Community, Google DeepMind), Joana Carrasqueira (Senior Manager, Google DeepMind), Naman Goyal (Researcher, Google DeepMind), Nancy Wang (Partner, Felicis), Anne Dwane (Founder & Partner, Village Global), Vig Sachidananda (Partner, Gradient Ventures), Andy Tang (Founding Partner, Draper Dragon), Shahram Seyedin-Noor (Founder & Managing Partner, Civilization Ventures), Celestine Schnugg (General Partner, Boom Capital), Derick En'Wezoh (Partner, Susa Ventures), Iris Sun (Partner, 500 Global). |
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Nov 14 (Sat) @ 10:00 AM
FREE
| | Venue, Cheit Lane, Berkeley
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Win up to $5M in Seed Funding | November 14th, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM PT*
In partnership with Haas AI Club & "Girls into VC" @ UC Berkeley
Join us for an elite hackathon where you'll build cutting-edge projects with Google Gemini & earn 30-minute pitch meetings with top-tier VCs.
The Prize
Top teams will be judged by representatives from Google, Berkeley, Stanford, & multiple venture capital funds.
Grand Prize - VC Pitch Access: A 30-minute private pitch meeting with selected funds from our judging panel - VCs writing 500K-5M seed checks. Pitch your hackathon project or your existing startup.
Google AI Studio Track (sponsored by DeepMind):
In-Person: share of $15K in GCP credits
Online: share of $5K in GCP credits
*Investment not guaranteed. The prize is pitch access only - winning teams gain meeting access but must earn investment through their pitch & business fundamentals.
Event Schedule
10:00 AM - Registration & Breakfast: light refreshments & networking with fellow builders
10:30 AM - Opening Ceremony & Rules Briefing: official rules & competition format
11:30 AM - Hacking Begins: 3-hour build sprint
2:30 PM - Submission Deadline (hard stop): all submissions must be in
2:30 PM - Late Lunch: sandwiches, beverages, & networking
3:30 PM - Semi-Finalists Announced: top teams selected for live pitches
4:00 PM - Live Finals: top teams pitch on stage (5-min pitch + 5-min Q&A)
5:30 PM - Winners Announced
6:00 PM - Event Wrap-Up
Meet the Judges
Google & Google DeepMind
Amit Vadi - Head of Community, Google DeepMind
Joana Carrasqueira - Senior Manager, Google DeepMind
Naman Goyal - Researcher, Google DeepMind
Venture Capital
Nancy Wang - Partner, Felicis
Anne Dwane - Co-Founder & Partner, Village Global
Vig Sachidananda, PhD - Partner, Gradient Ventures
Andy Tang - Founding Partner, Draper Dragon
Shahram Seyedin-Noor - Founder & Managing Partner, Civilization Ventures
Celestine Schnugg - General Partner, Boom Capital
Derick En'Wezoh, MD - Partner, Susa Ventures
Iris Sun - Partner, 500 Global
Ashtan Jordan - Principal, Precursor Ventures
Utkarsh Bajpai - Investor, General Catalyst
Tanya Jomaa - Investor, Redpoint Ventures
Tracy Liu - Investor, M12 (Microsoft's Venture Fund)
Tessa Osborne - Investor, Plug & Play
Berkeley & Stanford
Ben Fong - Berkeley SkyDeck
Devansh Shah - Haas AI Club @ Berkeley
Emile Shah - President, Girls into VC @ Berkeley
Prof. Nikesh Kotecha - Head of Data Science, Stanford Health Care
Online Track
Can't make it to campus? We've added an Online Track for remote participants:
No live streaming or video conferencing - work on your own schedule
Submission deadline: end of day, November 14
Same deliverables as in-person participants
Judging based on traction - same conditions as Phase 2 (7-day social engagement tracking)
Prize pool: $5K in GCP credits
VC pitch access for top submissions
Build with Gemini, ship a prototype, post your demo, & let your network do the talking. Top submissions get 30-minute meetings with funds.
Submission Requirements
All projects must use the Google Gemini model. Each team must submit the following by 2:30 PM sharp:
One-Pager for the team - Short plain text describing your team & your pedigree
One-Pager for the idea - Short plain text describing your idea & prototype
Hosted Prototype - Working demo link (via Google AI Studio & Google Cloud Run)
2-Minute Video - Team introduction & elevator pitch
1-Minute Video - Prototype demo (Playcast)
Code Repository - Link via Google AI Studio sharing
Data Usage & Judging Consent: By submitting your prototype Playcast, you authorize organizers to use your submission in paid social ads (e.g., Facebook). Real-world performance metrics (CPM, CTR, CPC, etc.) will be collected & used as core market validation data for Phase 2 (post-event) judging. You may opt out by notifying organizers prior to submission; data sharing with sponsors & investors is a condition of participation.
Judging Criteria
Technical Feasibility - Does it actually work?
Innovation & Novelty - Is the approach creative or clever?
Real-World Applicability - Would people genuinely use it?
Market Potential & Fundability - Could this become venture-backable?
Go-to-Market Traction - Social engagement on your demo video (likes, shares, views)
Social Engagement Component: Your demo YouTube video must be shared publicly. Engagement counts toward your score:
Phase 1 - Tracked during the hackathon (5:00 PM cutoff)
Phase 2 - Continued tracking for 2 weeks post-event (viral reach + Playcast metrics)
Competition Format
Semi-Finals: All submissions undergo asynchronous review by the judging panel.
Finals: Top teams advance to live presentations - 10 minutes per team (5-min pitch + 5-min Q&A) on stage before the full panel of VCs & special guests. Winners announced at 5:30 PM.
Whether you're a solo developer, have a team, or are already building a startup (some invited participants are at Series A stage), this event is a unique opportunity to showcase your work to decision-makers at leading venture funds.
FAQ
Can I pitch an existing startup? Absolutely! If you win, you can pitch either your hackathon project or your existing company during the 30-minute VC meetings.
What's the team size limit? Up to 5 people.
Can I participate solo? Yes.
Can I participate remotely? Yes! The Online Track has the same deliverables, with submissions due by end of day, November 14. No live streaming - judging is based on 7-day social engagement (Phase 2 conditions). The Online Track has a $5K GCP credits prize pool.
When do VC meetings happen? Winners will schedule 30-minute pitch meetings with selected funds after the event.
What should I bring? Laptop, charger, & your best ideas!
Age Requirement
This event is open to participants 18 years & older. Valid ID may be required for check-in.
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