Zero One Hack Apply Now

Zero
One
Hack

36 hours of real model training, not prompt engineering.

Apply Now Become a Partner
Zero One Hack. May 29–31, 2026 · Vienna, Austria
HPEAI:AT42 ViennaWiener StadtwerkeAccentureStröckAlmdudlerRed BullLumosHPEAI:AT42 ViennaWiener StadtwerkeAccentureStröckAlmdudlerRed BullLumosHPEAI:AT42 ViennaWiener StadtwerkeAccentureStröckAlmdudlerRed BullLumosHPEAI:AT42 ViennaWiener StadtwerkeAccentureStröckAlmdudlerRed BullLumos
01

About the Hack

PRIZE POOL €10K+

Split across 3 tracks. €2,000 first, €1,000 second, €500 third.

BUILDERS 80+

A curated cohort of students and developers, application-based.

HOURS 36h

Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Build, train, ship, pitch.

Thesis
zero-one-hack.md
--- a/normal-ai-hackathon.md
+++ b/zero-one-hack.md
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
1-prompt engineering
2-LLM wrapper demos
3-API key speedruns
1+fine-tune on A100s
2+pre-train on Leonardo
3+deploy a real model
+3 additions −3 deletions 1 file changed
Programme
May 29

Friday

  1. 18:00 Registration
  2. 19:30 Kickoff
  3. 20:30 Case Reveal
  4. 22:00 Hack Begins
May 30

Saturday

  1. 11:00 Speaker Event
  2. 14:00 Mentoring Sessions
  3. 16:00 Panel Discussion
  4. 19:00 Social Activity
May 31

Sunday

  1. 10:00 Submission Due
  2. 13:00 Final Pitches
  3. 14:30 Networking
  4. 16:00 Event Closing
02

Apply

At a Glance
Team size
3 – 4 builders
Cost
Free to apply & attend
Eligibility
Students & developers
Invites
1 – 2 weeks before event
Until kickoff
—Days
—Hours
—Minutes
—Seconds
Apply via Luma
Application Pipeline
  1. 01
    Mid April 2026

    Early Access

    Waitlist-only invites. Join now to secure a place in line.

    Open
  2. 02
    End April 2026

    Public Launch

    Registrations open to all applicants.

    Soon
  3. 03
    Mid May 2026

    Selection

    Applications reviewed. Invites sent 1 – 2 weeks before the event.

    Locked
  4. 04
    May 29 – 31, 2026

    Hack Weekend

    80+ builders at the AI Factory, Vienna.

    Locked
03

Tracks

3 Tracks · Prize Pool €10K+
Track 01 · Industry · Operations

AI in Industry

Manufacturing, operations, and industrial systems.

Sponsor
Track 02 · Underwriting · Risk

AI in Insurance

Underwriting, claims, and risk modeling.

Sponsor
Track 03 · Banking · Finance

AI in Banking

Banking, fintech, and related financial services.

Sponsor
Speakers · Mentors

Speakers

Industry leaders and AI practitioners sharing insights during the opening, panel, and closing ceremonies.

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TBA

Mentors

Experienced founders and engineers available throughout the hackathon to help teams with technical and strategic challenges.

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TBA

Jury

A panel of experts from industry, academia, and startups evaluating final pitches on technical complexity, innovation, impact, and execution.

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TBA
04

Infrastructure

Computing Infrastructure
Training

Leonardo
Supercomputer

via AI:AT · 64 × NVIDIA A100

Pre-training and fine-tuning at cluster scale. 6 nodes, 64 NVIDIA A100 GPUs, ~4 TB aggregate VRAM. No shared queue, no lottery. Your team gets dedicated GPU time across the weekend.

Allocation Scheduled access · per team
Inference

HPE Private
Cloud AI

by HPE

Deploy your trained model on HPE's Private Cloud AI. Serve real inference traffic, hit real latency targets, run a live demo during your final pitch.

Allocation On-demand · shared pool
The Venue

AI:ATFactory

Austria's new AI hub in the 3rd district of Vienna.

01 Dedicated Working Spaces Team desks, power, whiteboards, and private rooms for deep work.
02 Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner Three full meals a day on-site. No off-site runs, no wasted hours.
03 Sleep On-Site Dedicated sleeping area. Crash whenever the model needs longer to train.
Vienna · 3rd District 48.1877° N · 16.4092° E
AI FACTORY AI:AT N
Karl-Farkas-Gasse 22 1 pin
05

Partners

MAIN · TRACK PARTNERS
? Track 01 · TBA
? Track 02 · TBA
? Track 03 · TBA
PARTNERS
HPE
AI:AT
42 Vienna
Lumos
Side · Food · Drinks
Wiener Stadtwerke
Accenture
Ströck
Almdudler
Red Bull
06

Become a Partner

FOR PARTNERS

Meet the builders.

80+ pre-vetted builders, 36 hours, European supercompute. Whether you want to sponsor a track, recruit talent, or back the weekend, reach out via the contact form below.

BUILDERS 80+
HOURS 36
TRACKS 3
Contact

Let's talk.

Interested in partnering, sponsoring, or recruiting from the room? Drop a short message and we'll reply with next steps.

Typically reply within 48 h
07

Organizers

Organized by

Lumos

Vienna's leading student organization in Data Science & AI. Bringing together students from TU Wien, WU, and Uni Wien since 2019 to learn, build, and collaborate with industry.

Active members 30+
Alumni 130+
Founded 2019
08

FAQ

Eligibility · Application
Do I need AI or ML experience?
Mixed skill levels are welcome. You should be comfortable writing code; deep ML expertise is not required. The strongest teams usually combine ML, engineering, and product profiles.
Can I apply solo or do I need a team?
Both are fine. Apply solo and we'll help match you with a team on-site, or apply as a formed team of 3 – 4 builders.
Do I have to be a student? Can internationals apply?
No student requirement — applications are open to students, developers, and researchers worldwide. You cover your own travel.
What happens after I apply?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Invites go out 1 – 2 weeks before the event with venue details and onboarding.
Rules · Judging
How will projects be judged?
Judging criteria will be announced with the track briefs. Expect a mix of technical depth, model quality, real-world impact, and the final pitch.
Can we use pre-trained or open-source models?
Yes — open-source models and public datasets are fair game. The point is what you build and train on top, not starting from zero. Track-specific rules will be shared at kickoff.
Do we have to submit a working model, or will a prototype do?
A real, trained model is the bar — this is a supercompute hackathon, not a demo day. A slide deck without a running model will not clear judging. A small model, fine-tuned on real data, with a live demo beats a big model that only half-runs.
Is there a code of conduct?
Yes. All participants follow a code of conduct that keeps the venue inclusive, respectful, and harassment-free. The full document is shared with every invite.
Logistics
What should I bring?
Laptop, charger, and a valid ID. Power, WiFi, GPU access, and meals are provided. Bring a change of clothes and a sleeping bag if you plan to crash on-site.
What language is the event in?
English. Kickoff, mentoring, and final pitches run in English so international teams can fully participate.
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
Yes — vegetarian, vegan, and common allergen options are part of the standard catering. Specify your needs on the application.
How do I get to the venue?
AI Factory (AI:AT), Karl-Farkas-Gasse 22, 1030 Vienna. Reachable by U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and tram. Directions are included with your invite.