IMPORTANT: Thanks for your interest in the Proving Ground Hackathon! While you can register on Devpost, all participants must complete our application process to be eligible. After registering here, you'll receive an email with a link to our qualification form. Selected participants will be notified within 48 hours.
PROVING GROUND: AGENTIC STARTUP HACKATHON
May 16-18, 2025 | 500 Global, Palo Alto, CA
WELCOME TO THE PROVING GROUND
For enterprise professionals exploring startup ideas: You have domain expertise and technical skills, but limited time to test your concepts. Is your idea worth pursuing further? Could it become your next career move?
For committed founders with early projects: You've started building, but is your direction right? Are you solving a real problem? Is your solution fundable and scalable?
Most startups fail because they never validate early. This 72-hour sprint will pressure-test your AI-driven concept and give you clarity on your next strategic move.
WHY THIS MATTERS
99% of pitches get rejected—not because they're bad ideas, but because they lack proof
$250B wasted annually on startups that never validate product-market fit
900K+ tech layoffs since 2022 = Massive untapped builder potential
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
INNOVATORS TRACK
Perfect for: First-time founders and enterprise professionals exploring startup ideas
Deliverable: Working prototype + documented feedback from 3+ potential users
Outcome: Clear understanding of your next validation milestone and viability assessment
STARTUP TRACK
Perfect for: Committed founding teams with existing projects seeking acceleration
Deliverable: Key feature implementation + feedback from existing or potential customers
Outcome: Defined roadmap for what to build or validate next to reach funding milestones
COLLISIONS BY DESIGN
Team formation opportunities: Connect startup-curious talent with committed founders
Skill matching: Find the technical or domain expertise your project needs
Founder dating: Test compatibility with potential co-founders in a high-intensity environment
Career transitions: Enterprise professionals can explore joining existing startups
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
Tech Industry Professionals
Above legal age of majority in country of residence
Professionals/Post grads only
In-Person Attendance Requirement: This is an in-person event. Remote participation is permitted; however, each team must have at least one member physically present at the event to present their project.
EVENT SCHEDULE Friday, May 16th PRE-EVENT WORKSHOP
1:30 PM
PRE-EVENT WORKSHOP REGISTRATION
2:00 PM
Workshop: Building Reliable Agentic Systems and Agents
3:00 PM
10 minute break
4:00 PM
Main workshop ends
MAIN EVENT SCHEDULE DETAILS
Friday, May 16Hackathon, Day 1
6:00 PM
Registration & Reception
7:00 PM
Welcome: Hackathon Overview
7:10 PM
Make Agents Make Sense and Commerializing Them
7:35 PM:
Co-host presentations
Arize AI
SAP
8:15 PM:
Sponsor/Partner Pitches
Arize
Groq
South Bay GenAI Meet Up
8:55 PM
Team Formation
9:30 PM
Go home, get rest and be ready to go!
May 17Hackathon, Day 2
9:00 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM
Housekeeping
10:30 AM
Code/Hack
12:00 PM
Lunch
12:30 PM
Code/Hack
3:00 PM
Snack/Break
3:15 PM
Code/Hack
5:30 PM
Dinner
6:00 PM
Code/Hack
9:00 PM
End of Day
Sunday, May 18Hackathon, Day 3
10:30 AM
Code/Hack
11:00 AM
Code/Hack (Updates & Q&A)
12:00 PM
Lunch
12:30 PM
Code/Hack
3:00 PM
Submission Deadline
4:00 PM
Demos/Presentations
5:00 PM
Dinner/Judges deliberate
6:00 PM
Awards ceremony
7:00 PM
It's a Wrap
Ready to Prove Your Idea? This isn’t just another hackathon—it’s your proving ground to validate, refine, and stress-test your AI-driven concept. Spots are limited. Apply now to secure priority admission.
May 16, 2025 - May 18, 2025
FutureProof
400 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
$5,000