Proving Ground Agentic Hackathon | May 16 - 18, 2025
Where the Startup-Curious and Startup-Serious Build What's Next
RSVP & REGISTRATION
Show your intent to participate by RSVPing on our Meetup page. Complete your registration on Devpost to secure your spot.
- RSVP NOW - here on Meetup.
- Secure your spot by registering on DevPost: https://agentic-rag-a-thon.devpost.com/
**Note: free pre-hackathon workshop w/Proving Ground included on DevPost Registration page.
WHY THIS MATTERS
- 99% of pitches get rejected—not because they're bad ideas, but because founders lack proof
- The gap between your idea and funding isn't skill—it's validation
- Walk away with clarity: Know exactly what to do next, whether it's build, pivot, or seek funding
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
- Full-time founders: Accelerate your validation process and refine your product direction
- Startup-curious professionals: Test your ideas without immediately quitting your day job
- Technical talent: Whether you're all-in or exploring options, build with cutting-edge AI tools
- Domain experts: Leverage your industry knowledge in a structured validation environment
THE PROVING GROUND ADVANTAGE
- First sprint mindset: Intensive 72-hour validation with clear outcomes
- Outcome focused: Leave with a clear roadmap for what to prove next
- Build in public: Get immediate feedback on your core assumptions
- Cutting-edge tech stack: Access to enterprise-grade AI infrastructure from leading providers
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
CROSS-TRACK COLLABORATION
- 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
FEATURED AI TECH STACK
- Enterprise-grade infrastructure: Build on the same tools powering industry leaders
- Technical workshops: Learn how to integrate and leverage sponsored AI technologies
- API credits & resources: Exclusive access to premium tiers of partner platforms
- Technical mentors: On-site engineers from our tech partners to help you implement fast
WEEKEND BREAKDOWN
- Friday: Opening keynote, AI stack tutorials, tech sponsor demos, team formation
- Saturday-Sunday: Build, test, validate, refine with hands-on mentor support
- Prizes: $5,000 cash + partner API credits + technical mentorship opportunities
POST-EVENT SUPPORT
- Accelerator office hours
- Founder lunch & learns
- Technical mentorship opportunities
- Guidance on next validation steps
HOW WE SELECT PARTICIPANTS
- Balanced mix of full-time founders and enterprise professionals with domain expertise
- Technical capability and validation readiness
- Ideas with clear validation hypotheses
- Decisions within 48 hours of application
## APPLY NOW – LIMITED SPOTS
Secure your spot by registering on DevPost: https://agentic-rag-a-thon.devpost.com/
