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Zero
One
Hack

36 hours of real model training, not prompt engineering.

Zero One Hack. May 29–31, 2026 · Vienna, Austria
InfineonHPEAI:AT42 ViennaEWORLovableWiener StadtwerkeAccentureStröckAlmdudlerRed BullLumosInfineonHPEAI:AT42 ViennaEWORLovableWiener StadtwerkeAccentureStröckAlmdudlerRed BullLumosInfineonHPEAI:AT42 ViennaEWORLovableWiener StadtwerkeAccentureStröckAlmdudlerRed BullLumosInfineonHPEAI:AT42 ViennaEWORLovableWiener 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
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+++ 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 closed. Public applications now open.

    Closed
  2. 02
    End April 2026

    Public Launch

    Applications open to all builders. Apply via Luma.

    Open
  3. 03
    Mid May 2026

    Selection

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

    Soon
  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.

Partner Infineon
Track 02 · Underwriting · Risk

AI in Insurance

Underwriting, claims, and risk modeling.

Partner ? TBA · Reveal soon
Track 03 · Domain reveal soon

AI in ?

Track theme and partner reveal coming soon.

Partner ? TBA · Reveal soon
Speakers · Mentors

Speakers

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

?
?
?
TBA

Mentors

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

?
?
?
TBA

Jury

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

?
?
?
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 for when the model needs longer to train.
Vienna · 3rd District 48.1877° N · 16.4092° E
AI FACTORY AI:AT N
Karl-Farkas-Gasse 22 Open in Maps
05

Partners

MAIN · TRACK PARTNERS
Infineon Track 01 · AI in Industry
? TBA Track 02 · AI in Insurance
? TBA Track 03 · Domain TBA
PARTNERS
HPE
AI:AT
42 Vienna
Lumos
Community & Compute Partners
EWOR
Lovable
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 partner on 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 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.