Where teams
Build. Win. Repeat.
Discover hackathons, form teams, build projects, and win prizes across Africa. The platform organizers trust and builders love.
We are in good company
There's a Hackathon Here for You
Whether you're shipping your first side project or your fifth funded startup.
Compete
Join hackathons built for African problem statements — Fintech, AgriTech, HealthTech, and more.
Build
Form a team, get mentored by industry experts, and ship something real in 24–48 hours.
Win
Win cash prizes, cloud credits, and recognition. Prizes paid to mobile money or bank.
View ongoing hackathons
Tear off a ticket, form a team, and start building.
In-Person, Virtual, or Hybrid.
Hakanow handles all three without you needing three different tools.
Build together, in one room.
Nothing beats the energy of a packed venue. Teams form organically, ideas collide faster, and the community bonds that form last years beyond the hackathon.
- Venue management and attendee check-in
- On-site team formation tools
- Real-time leaderboard and judging display
- Hardware and lab resource tracking
3×
higher retention vs virtual
No borders. Global talent.
Run a hackathon that draws builders from Accra to Nairobi to Lagos — all in one place. Async-friendly workflows mean participants can contribute across time zones without friction.
- Async submission windows spanning time zones
- Video pitch submission and review tools
- Discord and Slack integration for teams
- Global participant analytics
12+
countries in avg virtual event
The best of both worlds.
A physical venue anchors the experience while remote participants join seamlessly. Judges can score submissions from anywhere. Winners join the closing ceremony via live stream.
- Unified submission queue for in-person and remote
- Live-streamed judging panel with remote access
- Mixed-mode team formation
- Split prize pool management
2.4×
larger participant pool
The Full Stack for Running Great Hackathons
From sponsor CRM to judge scoring to prize coordination — everything in one dashboard.
- Sponsor CRM: track outreach from Identified → Confirmed → Delivered
- Judging system: custom rubrics, weighted scoring, conflict-of-interest flags
- Prize coordination: end-to-end tracking from assignment to winner confirmation
From Discovery to Prize in Four Steps
Discover, register and team up, build and submit, then win and get paid — the whole journey, guided end to end.
- Team formation: skill-based matching, join requests, and a public builder board
- Live agenda: format-aware schedules with Zoom links or room assignments
- Analytics & reports: post-event PDF summaries for sponsors, auto-generated
Builders and organizers speak for themselves
“Hakanow made it easy to run our 300-person hackathon. The judging system saved us at least two days of manual work.”
Ama Serwaa 🇬🇭
Head of Community, Paystack
“I'd never won a hackathon before. The team formation board helped me find the right co-builders. We won first place.”
Emeka Nwosu 🇳🇬
Backend Engineer
“The prize coordination flow is brilliant. Winners confirmed receipt in 48 hours — no chasing, no spreadsheets.”
Wanjiru K. 🇰🇪
Hackathon Organizer
“Judging 60 submissions used to be chaos. The weighted rubrics kept every judge consistent and fair.”
Kofi Mensah 🇬🇭
Lead Judge, MEST
“We onboarded sponsors in a day. The CRM pipeline meant nothing slipped through the cracks.”
Chidinma Okafor 🇳🇬
Partnerships Lead
“The live agenda with room assignments kept 500 hackers moving without a single 'where do I go?' message.”
Brian Otieno 🇰🇪
Event Ops
“As a first-time organiser, the DRAFT-to-RESULTS flow guided me the whole way. Zero guesswork.”
Fatou Diallo 🇸🇳
Community Organizer
“Our winners got paid without a single spreadsheet. The confirmation trail is exactly what sponsors wanted.”
Aya Koffi 🇨🇮
Program Manager
Your next hackathon
starts here.
Whether you're building or organising — Hakanow is where it happens.