Hack Harvard
HackHarvard is a student-run, non-profit organization that hosts an annual 36-hour undergraduate hackathon at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, drawing over 500 participants globally for its 10th edition in October 2026. Revenue is sponsorship-driven, with international chapters in China, India, and Vietnam.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hack Harvard does
HackHarvard is a student-organized annual hackathon hosted at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2016, the event convenes over 500 undergraduate students from around the world for a 36-hour in-person build cycle, with the 2026 edition (the 10th anniversary) scheduled for October 16-18. The organization's core product is the HackHarvard hackathon itself, supported by an online application portal (portal.hackharvard.io) and a public website (hackharvard.io) that serves as the primary information hub. The organization maintains international chapters in China, India, and Vietnam and operates under the Major League Hacking (MLH) umbrella for the 2026 season.
The business model is sponsorship-driven. Corporate sponsors fund the event in exchange for brand visibility, recruiting access to undergraduate engineering talent, and engagement with the developer community. The event is free to attend for selected participants, and no pricing is disclosed. The customer base is two-sided: undergraduate students (the participant/user segment, described as a horizontal persona targeting all experience levels) and corporate sponsors (the revenue segment). No revenue figures, funding rounds, headcount-to-revenue ratios, or financial statements are disclosed.
From a technology standpoint, HackHarvard operates with no proprietary technology platform. The underlying infrastructure is a public-facing website and a self-serve application portal, with no APIs, SDKs, integrations, or mobile applications disclosed. The organization maintains no certifications, patents, trademarks, or regulatory filings relevant to commercial AI or data operations. Management is non-disclosed; the only contact of record is a general team email at [email protected], consistent with a student-run organizational structure.
Hack Harvard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hack Harvard
- Legal name
- HackHarvard
- Website
- https://hackharvard.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HackHarvard is a student-run, non-profit organization that hosts an annual 36-hour undergraduate hackathon at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, drawing over 500 participants globally for its 10th edition in October 2026. Revenue is sponsorship-driven, with international chapters in China, India, and Vietnam.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hack Harvard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Events / Hackathons
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Computer Training (611420)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coding, Game Design & Computer Science Camps (EDAMALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB)
Keywords
Where Hack Harvard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hack Harvard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorship Revenue: Hackathons typically operate on sponsorship models where companies sponsor the event in exchange for brand visibility, recruiting access to talented students, and engagement with the developer community. HackHarvard likely relies on corporate sponsors to fund operations, prizes, and event logistics.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Hack Harvard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HackHarvard organizes and hosts an annual 36-hour undergraduate hackathon at Harvard University, bringing together over 500 students from around the world to build technology projects, learn new skills, and collaborate. The event is hosted by the HackHarvard Undergraduate Hackathon student organization and operates with corporate sponsorship; the 2026 edition (10th anniversary) is scheduled for October 16-18 in Cambridge, MA.
Product overview
Hack Harvard is a single annual event — a 36-hour undergraduate hackathon hosted at Harvard University. The core offering is the HackHarvard hackathon itself, where students collaborate to build innovative projects over a weekend. The 2026 edition (the 10th anniversary) is scheduled for October 16-18 in Cambridge, MA, with over 500 student participants expected.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HackHarvard 2026 An annual 36-hour undergraduate hackathon hosted at Harvard University where over 500 students from around the world gather to build, learn, and create with cutting-edge technologies. The 2026 edition marks the 10th anniversary and takes place October 16-18 in Cambridge, MA; participants apply through the online portal and attend free of charge.
Companies that use Hack Harvard
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Hack Harvard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hack Harvard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Hack Harvard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HackMIT: HackMIT is the premier undergraduate hackathon at MIT, directly comparable to HackHarvard in format (36-hour, in-person, undergraduate-focused, ~500+ attendees, sponsorship-driven). Both compete for the same pool of Northeast talent, tech sponsors, and MLH affiliation.
- HackPrinceton: HackPrinceton is Princeton University's flagship hackathon, directly comparable in format, sponsorship model, and Ivy-caliber applicant targeting. It is an MLH-affiliated event in the same competitive set.
- Cal Hacks: Cal Hacks is UC Berkeley's flagship hackathon with similar format, sponsorship profile, and undergraduate audience. It is comparable in mission (innovation meets community) and competes for West Coast and international applicants.
- MHacks: MHacks is the University of Michigan's flagship hackathon, with a similar 36-hour format, sponsorship model, and undergraduate-targeting approach. It is one of the largest and longest-running collegiate hackathons (10+ years), comparable in operational maturity.
- PennApps: PennApps is one of the oldest and largest collegiate hackathons (University of Pennsylvania), with a similar 36–48 hour format, undergraduate focus, and major tech sponsorship. It competes directly with HackHarvard for participants and corporate sponsors.
- TreeHacks (Stanford): TreeHacks is Stanford's flagship hackathon, comparable in scale (500+ attendees), premium sponsorship ecosystem, and Ivy-plus-caliber participant base. It is a direct competitor for top-tier undergraduate talent and corporate sponsors.
- Hack the North (University of Waterloo): Canada's biggest hackathon, Hack the North attracts thousands of students globally with a comparable sponsorship-driven, multi-day undergraduate format. It overlaps directly with HackHarvard's international applicant pool and sponsor roster.
- LA Hacks: LA Hacks is UCLA's flagship hackathon with a similar format, scale, and sponsorship profile. It competes for the same undergraduate demo pool and corporate sponsors active in the collegiate hackathon ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Major League Hacking (MLH): MLH is the official student hackathon league that HackHarvard is affiliated with via the MLH trust badge. While HackHarvard is a single flagship event, MLH operates the broader network of collegiate hackathons, providing season-wide infrastructure, sponsorship aggregation, and standardization that directly supports HackHarvard's operations.
Others
- Devpost (formerly ChallengePost): Devpost is the dominant platform for hosting online hackathons and submitting projects. While not a competitor event, it is the infrastructure layer that HackHarvard's participants use to register, submit, and showcase projects, making it a comparable ecosystem participant.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hack Harvard social profiles
Digital presenceHack Harvard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hack Harvard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hack Harvard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hack Harvard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hack Harvard
What does Hack Harvard do?
HackHarvard organizes and hosts an annual 36-hour undergraduate hackathon at Harvard University, bringing together over 500 students from around the world to build technology projects, learn new skills, and collaborate. The event is hosted by the HackHarvard Undergraduate Hackathon student organization and operates with corporate sponsorship; the 2026 edition (10th anniversary) is scheduled for October 16-18 in Cambridge, MA.
Is Hack Harvard a public or private company?
Hack Harvard is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Hack Harvard founded?
Hack Harvard was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hack Harvard based?
Hack Harvard is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hack Harvard make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship Revenue.
Who are Hack Harvard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HackMIT, HackPrinceton, Cal Hacks, MHacks, PennApps, TreeHacks (Stanford), Hack the North (University of Waterloo) and LA Hacks. Major League Hacking (MLH) is listed as a broad incumbent. Devpost (formerly ChallengePost) is listed as an others.
Does Hack Harvard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hack Harvard.
What industry is Hack Harvard in?
Hack Harvard's product category is Education Events / Hackathons. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMALAD, Coding, Game Design & Computer Science Camps, with a secondary code of EDAMALAB, Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies). Its NAICS code is 61142.