01 · Team up
Two complementary minds.
Engineering, mathematics, computer science, data and design students. Teammates can come from different departments or universities.
An annual hackathon by Solvex · First edition
DUO48
Two minds. 48 hours. Make it work.
Find your teammate. Take on a challenge. Turn an idea into something people can actually use.
Save the date
26–28 February 2027
Friday 18:00 → Sunday 18:00 · Istanbul time (UTC+3)
Venue and format to be announced. Team applications open later.
Add to calendar02people per team
48hours to build
01working project
The format
A weekend to build. A project to stand behind.
DUO48 brings university students together in teams of two. Pick a challenge revealed at kickoff, build a working solution and show the jury what it does in a live demo.
02 · Build
Use the tools. Own the thinking.
AI assistants and coding tools are welcome. Explain your contribution, test your output and be ready to show how it works.
03 · Show it
A working demo wins attention.
Focus on one useful flow. Show the problem, the working solution and the evidence behind your decisions.
Three challenge themes
Real problems. Room for your approach.
Themes preview the direction. Exact briefs, sample data and submission rules will be released for the edition.
Lift
Make business grow.
Help a business sell more or give its customers a better experience.
Radar
Make teams work better.
Improve coordination, make workloads clearer or help a team decide better.
AI Studio
Build something useful.
Use AI to solve a specific everyday problem with an application people can use.
Growth Lab sets the opening frame: understand the problem, challenge your assumptions and choose what is worth building.
The proposed 48-hour flow
From brief to live demo.
00–06h
Find the problem
Challenge reveal, team planning and a first prototype.
06–24h
Make it work
Build the core flow and talk your approach through with mentors.
24h
Show your progress
A midpoint check: what works, and what needs focus?
24–44h
Make it better
Test, refine and prepare a clear demonstration.
44–48h
Take the stage
Final submission, live demos, judging and the winner announcement.
48 hours is the event window, not an expectation to work without sleep. The confirmed programme includes breaks and time to rest.
What the jury will look for
Proof over polish.
Proposed scoring for the first edition. Final criteria and the jury are published before applications open.
- 35%Working solution
- 25%Fit to the problem
- 20%Technical approach & validation
- 10%User experience
- 10%Live demo
The grand prize
Build for the win. Leave with something real.
The first-edition prize package is being defined and will be announced before team applications open. We are exploring a cash prize, an edition trophy and follow-on mentoring — planned, not yet confirmed.
Your project remains yours. Any later collaboration with Solvex would be agreed separately.
Before you team up
A few things to know.
Who is it for?+
University students from relevant technical and creative disciplines. Full eligibility rules will be announced with the first edition.
Do we apply as a duo?+
Yes — teams of exactly two. For now, you can ask for updates on your own, without a confirmed teammate.
When and where is it?+
26–28 February 2027, Friday 18:00 to Sunday 18:00 (Istanbul time, UTC+3). The venue and format are announced before team applications open.
Are applications open?+
Not yet. This page collects update requests only. Fees (if any), capacity, selection rules and the full terms are published before applications open.
Can we use AI tools?+
Yes. Be open about your tools and third-party components, and be able to explain and validate your solution. Detailed rules come with the challenge briefs.
First edition · 26–28 February 2027
Your next build starts with two.
Get notified when the venue, prize and team applications are announced. This is a request for updates, not a reserved place or a competition entry.