About this opportunity
Orchestrate is HackerRank's AI agent hackathon, and the October Edition runs as a single 24 hour sprint. You get a real world problem at the start and spend the day designing, building and shipping an agent that solves it.
The rewards are practical: $1,200 for 1st place, $300 each for 2nd to 5th place, 10 HackerRank AI Mock Interview Credits for winners, a certificate of participation for everyone who completes, plus 1:1 conversations with industry experts and visibility with leading tech companies hiring on the platform. You can build with whatever you are comfortable with, whether that is Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or your own stack.
After you submit, there is a 30 minute AI Judge interview where you explain your architecture, decisions and trade offs, so the judging goes beyond a demo video. Entry is open to builders across experience levels, from students to experienced engineers, and globally; HackerRank's event page notes builders from around 50 countries have taken part.
The clock starts 24 October 2026 at 6:00pm IST, which is 12:30 GMT, and submissions close 25 October 2026 with results on 27 October 2026.
What you receive
- $1,200 for 1st place
- $300 each for 2nd to 5th place
- 10 HackerRank AI Mock Interview Credits
- Certificate of participation
- 1:1 conversations with industry experts and opportunities with leading tech companies
Who can apply
- Open to builders across experience levels, from students to experienced engineers
- Global participation; the event page notes builders from around 50 countries took part previously
- Any stack or tooling is allowed, including Claude Code, Cursor and Codex
How to apply
- Register on the HackerRank Orchestrate October Edition event page
- Build and ship your AI agent during the 24 hour window that starts 24 October 2026, 6:00pm IST
- Submit before the window closes on 25 October 2026, then complete the 30 minute AI Judge interview
- Results are published 27 October 2026
Selection process
- A 30 minute AI Judge interview after submission, where you explain your architecture, decisions and trade offs
- Results published 27 October 2026
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
How long is the hackathon?
24 hours, starting 24 October 2026 at 6:00pm IST (12:30 GMT).
What tools can I use?
Anything you are comfortable with, including Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or other stacks.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
