First Cohort · Asia's Career OS Hackathon Cohort 1 closed · Cohort 2 opens 2027
Cohort 1 Closed · Cohort 2 Opens 2027

Build Asia's Career OS with AI. Ship in 28 days.

Talentbank is building Asia's Career OS, the layer that connects 10,000 employers with the next million graduates. You get 28 days, your tools, AI on tap, and the chance to build the version we actually ship.

RM 100K
Prize Pool
28
Build Days
1
Career OS
AI
Native

Everything on this page describes the First Cohort. The prize pool, timeline, and modules may change for the Cohort 2 edition.

hackathon.config
Compulsory Module
Career OS / Career Marketplace
Approach
Open stack. AI welcome.
Build Phase
4 Weeks
Reference Build
Internal prototype · Unlocked at shortlist
Adoption Pool
Two tiers
Awarded only for exceptional work · Talentbank's discretion
Cohort 1 closed · Register for Cohort 2 (2027)
🌍
This is not just for software developers. We welcome accounting, business, engineering, design, medicine and any other background. AI tools have made shipping a software product accessible to anyone who can think clearly. Don't self-deselect.
Aged 18+ APAC region Any background
The Challenge

One module. Your way.

You are challenged to build a better job platform than what exists today. Create a prototype with core jobsite features, then introduce meaningful functions that make your solution stand out.

Structure
1 Compulsory Module
Build Phase
4 Weeks
Team Size
1 to 4 members
Team Formation
Mix universities & organisations
Tech Stack
Open. AI tools welcome.
Adoption Pool
Two tiers · Discretionary
Deliverable
Full code + docs + live demo
Standard
Production-ready only
Required · All Teams
Career Marketplace
Build the platform that connects employers and candidates across Asia. Cover both sides, how employers find and engage talent, how candidates discover and grow in careers. Architecture, UX, stack, your call.
15
13 – 17
Student
Discover paths. Choose streams, colleges, early skills.
20
18 – 22
Young Adult
Build portfolios, land internships, connect with alumni.
30
23 – 34
Early Career
Land the right first job. Know your market value. Track your trajectory.
40
35 – 44
Mid-Career
See your most likely next moves. Close skill gaps before they matter.
50
45 – 54
Senior Career
Pivot into leadership, advisory, or new industries. Mentor the next cohort.
60+
55+
Executive & Beyond
Board roles, consultancy, graceful wind-down. Your experience becomes the next generation's shortcut.
01 · Discovery
The right match at the right time.
Help candidates find roles and employers find talent, beyond keyword matching.
02 · Growth
The skill before you need it.
Surface skill gaps, learning paths, and moves that compound value over time.
03 · Progression
The move informed, not guessed.
Map likely trajectories. Help users decide at the right moment, with real signal.
04 · Feedback
The loop that builds trust.
Close the gap between applications, interviews, and outcomes, both sides.
Where to Aim

18 challenge modules we'd love to see.

First Cohort teams built their prototypes around these modules.

01
Career Path Navigator
02
Living Portfolio
03
AI Career Coach
04
Fair Pay Engine
05
Life Chapter Designer
06
Your Own Track
01
Smart Talent Matching
02
Talent Retention Signals
03
Talent Re-Engagement
04
Onboarding Success Predictor
05
Workforce Resilience Planner
06
Your Own Track
01
Lifelong Outcome Loop
02
Future-State Curriculum Engine
03
Adaptive Readiness Profile
04
Live Internship Marketplace
05
Lifelong Learning Wallet
06
Your Own Track
Prize Pool
Up to RM 100,000
≈ USD 23K · SGD 30K · IDR 350M
First Cohort · Podium + Adoption Pool · Awarded for exceptional work only
The Adoption Pool ceiling represents the maximum we may award. Actual amounts depend on the quality of submissions.
🏆 Champion
RM 10,000
🥈 1st Runner Up
RM 6,000
🥉 2nd Runner Up
RM 4,000
What Top 10 Finalists actually get
"Top 10 Finalist, Talentbank First Cohort Tech Hackathon 2026" on your CV, plus:
Benefit 01
Priority Talentbank Interview
Benefit 02
Partner Employer Referrals
Benefit 03
Public Careers Page Feature
Benefit 04
Media Coverage
Benefit 05
CEO-Signed Certificate
Adoption Pool
Two Tiers

Negotiated 1-to-1 after the Finale via signed Adoption Agreement. Per-team maximums shown below, actual awards depend on the strength of submissions. We may award nothing in a tier if no submission meets the bar.

Tier 1
Code Adoption
Up to RM 25,000/team
Your code is deployed into Talentbank's production stack. Use AI and any tools or stack you like. Triggered when code passes our 4-gate review: stack compatibility, code quality, clean provenance, and basic test coverage.
Paid in milestones · 10% sign / 20% review / 20% handover acceptance / 20% integration / 30% live
Tier 2
Strategic Adoption
Up to RM 10,000/team
Your work shapes our roadmap, concept, design, architecture, or specific features influence what Talentbank ships, even if we rebuild on our stack. The default tier when Code Adoption isn't feasible.
Paid 50% on Adoption Agreement signing / 50% on first integration milestone
Your code stays yours.
You retain full ownership of every line you ship. Adoption is opt-in and negotiated 1-to-1 via a signed Adoption Agreement, published before the submission deadline so you know the terms before you build.
All amounts are per-team maximums. Adoption is offered solely at Talentbank's discretion via signed Adoption Agreement, and only when work meets our bar. See terms for full details.
What Teams Build

Two distinct deliverables, two distinct stages.

Stage 1 · Intent Form
Idea & Vision
  • Prototype link / clickable interactive prototype
  • Proposal or concept brief
  • Supporting materials — pictures, videos, decks
  • Module preferences for the Career OS
Stage 2 · Build Phase
Production-Ready Product
  • Working code — submitted and version-controlled
  • Implemented Career OS modules
  • Production-ready build, not a prototype
  • Documentation and walkthrough for judges
Powered by

Asia's Talent Ecosystem.

From the Premier Digital Tech Institutions network to the GDG chapters and student tech clubs across every major university in Malaysia, the First Cohort runs on the strength of an aligned ecosystem. They're not promoters. They're the institutions and communities who'll have a graduate at the finale, a friend in the running, a story to tell their juniors.

TECH EDUCATION PARTNERS

Where the talent comes from. Coding schools and innovation labs that train future-ready software engineers and back the startup ecosystem.

University Computing Faculties & Schools
UM · Faculty of Computer Science & IT UTM · Faculty of Computing APU · School of Computing Sunway · School of Computing & AI MMU · Faculty of Computing & Informatics Taylor's · School of Computer Science Monash Malaysia · School of IT UTAR · Faculty of ICT HELP · Faculty of Computing & Digital Tech UCSI · Faculty of Engineering & Tech UniKL MIIT MSU · FISE Heriot-Watt Malaysia · Math & CS + more across PDTI network
EDUCATION & CAREER NETWORK PARTNERS

The networks that move talent. Career centre networks, HR communities, and employability bodies that connect graduates to industry across the region.

Run a tech club, society, or developer community?
We're reaching out to communities directly. If you haven't heard from us yet, this is the open door, put your community forward and we'll be in touch within a week.
About Talentbank

The infrastructure behind Malaysia's career market.

Founded in 2010, Talentbank is the authority on graduate employability and employer benchmarking in Malaysia.

We run five flagship programmes that shape how Malaysia's career market operates, all supported by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Human Resources.

Programme 01
Graduates' Choice Award

APAC's largest student-driven employer benchmark, run since 2010. Over 1,000,000 student votes accumulated.

Programme 02
Graduate Employability Award

A prestigious recognition awarded to universities that produce highly employable graduates.

Programme 03
Talentbank Career Fair

Malaysia's most comprehensive career discovery event, connecting job seekers with over 100 employers.

Programme 04
National Career Fair

A national-level career discovery event that brings together leading employer brands offering diverse roles.

1M+
Cumulative Votes
100+
Universities
10,000+
Hiring Companies
50+
Career Fairs / Year
15
Years

Investor in Asia's career infrastructure?

BH
Ben Ho
CEO & Founder
Talentbank
"

For 16 years, Talentbank has been working to make careers more visible, through awards, fairs, research, and partnerships with the people who hire Asia's graduates. Now we're building something bigger: Career OS, the platform that will guide professionals from their first profile at 16 to their final pivot at 65.

This First Cohort hackathon is how we're finding the people to build it with us. We don't want hired hands. We want partners, engineers, product thinkers, AI-native builders who see what we see: that career navigation is fundamentally broken across Asia, and the people best placed to fix it are the next generation of builders themselves.

If you're reading this and thinking "this matters", register. We'll meet you with the same seriousness you bring.

The Panel
Shapers of the Future of Work

Who's at the table.

The Panel is a coalition of founders, strategy leaders, technologists and educators, shaping the next decade of work in Asia. Together, they decide which builders earn the right to influence Talentbank's Career OS that will run the region's career market.

Ben Ho
Chief Executive Officer
Talentbank
Tong Li Kiat
Director of Employer Liaison
Talentbank
Fadil Abd Rahim
Director of Graduate Employability & Government Affairs
Talentbank
Lee Sheng Chun
IT Project Manager
Talentbank
Fan Sin Ning
UI/UX Designer
Talentbank
Albert Quek
Deputy Director of Alumni Engagement, Career & Entrepreneurship Development
Multimedia University
Professor Dr. Azizah Omar
Director of Student Development Affairs & Alumni Division
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Dr. Becky Low
Founder & President
Be Glow Consultancy
Dr. Bibi Intan Suraya Murat
Head of Graduate Employability & Senior Lecturer
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Professor Madya ChM. Dr. Che Rozid Mamat
Director of Strategy, Risk & Ranking
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Dr. Christina SS Ooi
Board Member · Council Member · Adjunct Lecturer · Speaker · Mentor · Published Author
Professor Ehsan Mesbahi
Chief Executive Officer & Provost
University of Southampton Malaysia
Hafiz Syed Ashir Hassan
Data Engineer
Omnicom
Jack Shiels
CEO & Founder
shiels.ai
Janice Low
Former Head of Talent Attraction
Maybank
Kevin Khoo
Freelance, Independent Consultant · Author in Progress
Ku Sim Ling
AuntyHR
Cursors Choice Network (M) Sdn Bhd
Mark Leow
Managing Director
Verity Intelligence Sdn Bhd
Pui Wah Loh
Former Director of Career & Attachment Office
Nanyang Technological University
Raja Edriana Baizura
Head of Career Services
Taylor’s University
Rao Murugesh
Founder
AImacha Consultancy
Dr. Rosaria Mita Amalia
President
Indonesia Career Center Network
Sheila Bala
Head of Talent Acquisition
Standard Chartered Bank
Dr. Teddy Indira Budiwan, S.Psi., M.M.
Secretary General
Indonesia Career Center Network
Yeap Eu Juan
Director & Founder
Swimin12 Swim School
Yvonne Tan
Former Chief People Officer, Southeast Asia
Dentsu
Are you shaping the future of work in Asia?
If you're a founder, technologist, educator, policy voice, or industry leader whose work touches the next decade of careers, we're listening. Nominate yourself for the Panel and join the coalition shaping the Career OS.
Mentors

Guides for the build phase.

Mentors work alongside teams through the build phase, offering direction, honest feedback, and a steady hand when it counts.

Aaron Yong
AI Human Architect
Botlab Foundry
Allan Lau
Digital Transformation & Sustainability Strategist
Bizsphere Sdn Bhd
Alvin Lim
CTO
Mampu AI
Arsalan Ahmed
Assistant Professor · Subject Area Lead in Economics · AI Champion (smbs)
University of Southampton
Dr. Becky Low
Founder & President
Be Glow Consultancy
Celine Tay
Principle Consultant & Professional
Agile Terraforming Consultancy
Christina Chia
CEO
Blaze Tech Sdn Bhd
Dr. Christina SS Ooi
Board Member · Council Member · Adjunct Lecturer · Speaker · Mentor · Published Author
Christine Ong
Talent Acquisition Partner
CBRE Asia Pacific Business Services Sdn Bhd
Crystal Lwi
CTO
AIngineer
Deena Marikan
Senior Manager Talent Acquisition
HCLTech
Dorothy Ho
HR Manager
Tica Climate Solutions Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Ella Aziz
Senior Talent Acquisition
Toyota Malaysia
Hasnaa Nadirah
HR Manager
Wawasan Cojaya Sdn Bhd
Hilary Ng
General Manager
The BrandLaureate
Imran Haroon
Creative Art Director · Brand Consultant · Google AI Educator
Jason Chiu Han Shen
Software Engineer
Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet)
Jason W
Founder & Director
UpGrowth HR Sdn Bhd
Ts. Johan Donough
Head of Partnerships & Community
Tupai AI (AI Teacher Sdn Bhd)
Joshua Yeoh
Managing Director, A28 Global
A28 Global Sdn Bhd
Keith Tan
Founder & Lead Trainer
Excelerate Edventures Enterprise
Kelvin T
Product Manager
Ant International
Kiran Seth
Senior Lecturer
Sunway TES CAE · Sunway College
Kuek Shu Yi
Founder
KPL Corporate Advisory Sdn Bhd
LENAghaz
Professional Catalyst in Creative Intelligence & Transformational Thinking · Innovation Leadership & Organisational Development
LENAghaz EnergyLab
Lim Cheng Hong
Co-Founder · Demand Generation Rep Intern
ForwardBridge · Amazon Web Services
Mahesh Kumar
Principal Engineer
TM Research & Development
Mardhiah binti Bahrom
Coach
Freelance
Moriah Lee
Recruitment & Employer Branding Manager
GLM IHM Sdn Bhd
Muhammad Yamin Hasninlayali
HR Manager
FAR Capital Sdn Bhd
Nadira binti Faisal Riza
HR Officer
Global Water Consultants
Nasrin Azar
Assistant Professor in Accounting
University of Southampton Malaysia
Natalie Leong
Business Strategy Manager
PA Recruitment (KL) Sdn. Bhd.
Paktam Nizam Ahmad
HR Manager & Career Coach
Great Mentor Solutions
Rahida Abdul Rahman
Senior Lecturer
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Rao Murugesh
Founder
AImacha Consultancy
Sandra Tai
Positive Psychology Coach
The Brewing Space
Sebastian Tai Jian Haw
Regional Digital Transformation & eCommerce Leader
Digital Commerce & Transformation Advisory
Seethalakshmi Ramasami
Head of Student Life & Academic Affairs
University of Southampton Malaysia
Shanthi Samy
Founder
Cosmic Training & Consultancy Enterprise
Shirley Chang
Head of HR Employee Experience
Alliance Precast Industries Sdn Bhd
Simon Lau
Assistant Professor
University of Nottingham Malaysia
Datin Soheir
Advisor
Hong Leong Foundation
Stephanie
Senior Director, Group Wholesale Banking
Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad
Syafeeq Zaki
Managing Director
Gravitas Digital (m) Sdn Bhd
Travis Low
COO
Ansheng
Tung An Gie
Principal
MAHSA Avenue International College
Umar Razzaq
Director Internationalization & T&D
TJS Worldwide
Vinod Jeyapalan
Solutions Specialist · Data & AI Engineering
Noventiq
Wee Meng Huat
Assistant Talent Management Manager
Wawasan Dengkil Sdn Bhd
WK Chow
General Manager
Zofar Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Sdn Bhd
Yee Jun E
Finance Manager
Shopee Mobile Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Zaiton Abdullah
Principal Consultant
Z.a. Talent Academy
The Employer Network

10,000+ employers across MNCs, GLCs, and Large Local Organisations.

Talentbank's network spans multinationals, Government-Linked Companies, and Large Local Organisations actively hiring across Asia Pacific.

YTL Corporation
Johnson & Johnson
JPMorgan
TCS
AIA Malaysia
Airbnb
AmBank
IJM Corporation
Mydin
Sime Darby
Coolblog
Qualcomm
CIMB Group
Infosys
MRT Corp
Prudential Malaysia
Microsoft
Petronas
UEM Group
Uber
Gas Malaysia
Allianz Malaysia
Tenaga Nasional
Amazon
Wipro
WCT Holdings
KWAP
Mah Sing Group
Sunway Group
foodpanda
KPJ Healthcare
KK Super Mart
Apple
Gamuda
Roche
Standard Chartered
CelcomDigi
SAP
Star Media Group
AstraZeneca
P&G
Intel
TM ONE
Petronas Dagangan
LinkedIn
Bank Negara Malaysia
Malaysia Airlines
MISC Berhad
Capgemini
FELDA
YTL Corporation
Johnson & Johnson
JPMorgan
TCS
AIA Malaysia
Airbnb
AmBank
IJM Corporation
Mydin
Sime Darby
Coolblog
Qualcomm
CIMB Group
Infosys
MRT Corp
Prudential Malaysia
Microsoft
Petronas
DHL
Merck
HP
Permodalan Nasional Berhad
Maersk
Tiktok
Khazanah Nasional
RHB Bank
Mr DIY
DBS
Public Bank
Boustead Holdings
Spotify
Siemens
Pfizer
LBS Bina
IBM
TNB Genco
Astro Malaysia
Unilever
Pantai Hospitals
Old Town White Coffee
Eco World
MMC Corporation
Senheng
Bank Rakyat
HSBC
AirAsia
HCL
Berjaya Corp
PwC
OCBC
Great Eastern
IOI Group
Reckitt
Cognizant
Petronas Chemicals
Maybank
Pos Malaysia
Etiqa
Genting Group
Kuala Lumpur Kepong
Axiata Group
ZUS Coffee
FGV Holdings
NVIDIA
Bank Islam
Prasarana
Media Prima
Bursa Malaysia
DHL
Merck
HP
Permodalan Nasional Berhad
Maersk
Tiktok
Khazanah Nasional
RHB Bank
Mr DIY
DBS
Public Bank
Boustead Holdings
Spotify
Siemens
Pfizer
LBS Bina
IBM
TNB Genco
Dell
Bosch
Kraft Heinz
LTAT
Tabung Haji
Bank of America
IHH Healthcare
McKinsey
Hong Leong Group
Salesforce
FedEx
Lazada
Telekom Malaysia
Accenture
Petronas Gas
Citi
EPF Malaysia
Coca-Cola
Tropicana
PepsiCo
Bain
Colgate-Palmolive
BCG
Oracle
Nestle
Maxis
MUI Group
Harvey Norman Malaysia
Goldman Sachs
Aeon Malaysia
Hong Leong Bank
RHB Insurance
Morgan Stanley
Google
Halliburton
PLUS Malaysia
GSK
Sime Darby Plantation
L'Oreal
Ramsay Sime Darby
SP Setia
Grab
Sanofi
Cisco
EY
KPMG
MAHB
DXC Technology
Tealive
Lenovo
Dell
Bosch
Kraft Heinz
LTAT
Tabung Haji
Bank of America
IHH Healthcare
McKinsey
Hong Leong Group
Salesforce
FedEx
Lazada
Telekom Malaysia
Accenture
Petronas Gas
Citi
EPF Malaysia
Coca-Cola
The University Network

100+ universities. Endorsed by the people who teach Asia's next generation.

For 8 consecutive years, Talentbank has run the Graduates' Choice Award. Over 1,000,000 votes accumulated since 2010 from Malaysia's full network of public and private universities. Names below are illustrative.

Multimedia University
Swinburne University Sarawak
Universiti Teknologi MARA
KDU University College
Kolej Universiti Islam
Universiti Sains Malaysia
International Medical University
Universiti Pertahanan Nasional
Linton University
Sentral College
University of Southampton Malaysia
Malaysia University of Science
Asia Pacific University
Cyberjaya University Medical
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Xiamen University Malaysia
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Universiti Tenaga Nasional
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Methodist Pilley Institute
Universiti Malaysia Pahang
Universiti Malaysia Perlis
University of Cyberjaya
Multimedia University
Swinburne University Sarawak
Universiti Teknologi MARA
KDU University College
Kolej Universiti Islam
Universiti Sains Malaysia
International Medical University
Universiti Pertahanan Nasional
Linton University
Sentral College
University of Southampton Malaysia
Malaysia University of Science
INTI International University
University of Nottingham Malaysia
MAHSA University
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Albukhary International
Geomatika University
Universiti Malaya
Taylor's University
SEGi University
Sunway University
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin
Open University Malaysia
Monash University Malaysia
Limkokwing University
Newcastle University Medicine
Lincoln University College
HELP University
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Berjaya University
DRB-HICOM University
KPJ Healthcare University
City University Malaysia
INTI International University
University of Nottingham Malaysia
MAHSA University
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Albukhary International
Geomatika University
Universiti Malaya
Taylor's University
SEGi University
Sunway University
Quest International University
Raffles University
Universiti Teknikal Melaka
Asia e University
International Islamic University
Malaysian Allied Health Sciences
Nilai University
Asia School of Business
Insaniah University
Wawasan Open University
Asia Metropolitan University
Perdana University
UCSI University
AIMST University
UNITAR International
UOW Malaysia KDU
Management & Science University
Curtin University Malaysia
Tunku Abdul Rahman UMT
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
University of Reading Malaysia
Universiti Utara Malaysia
Putra Business School
Quest International University
Raffles University
Universiti Teknikal Melaka
Asia e University
International Islamic University
Malaysian Allied Health Sciences
Nilai University
Asia School of Business
Insaniah University
Wawasan Open University
Asia Metropolitan University
Perdana University
The Ecosystem Advantage

Talentbank has the ecosystem, connections, and resources to build this with you.

10,000+
Employers
100+
Universities
Ministry
Partnerships
Built Fast
Shipped Consistently
FAQ

Good Questions

Answers grouped by phase. If yours isn't here, drop us a note, we reply within 2 working days.

Who can enter the First Cohort?+
Open to anyone aged 18 and above, residing in the APAC region (incl. Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, ASEAN, India, China), from any background. Computing, accounting, business, engineering, design, medicine, finance, law, education, marketing, or any other field. AI tools have made shipping software accessible to anyone who can think clearly and direct AI well. Students, young adults, working professionals, career switchers, all welcome.
Is there a registration fee?+
No. Participation is free. You just need an idea, a willingness to ship, and access to AI tools you can direct well.
I'm not a developer. Can I still participate?+
Yes, and we want you here. AI tools like Cursor, Claude, v0, Bolt have made shipping software accessible to non-developers. We score taste, problem insight, and AI craft, not hand-typed code. Apply solo or pair with someone technical. Your domain perspective is an asset.
Can I participate solo or do I need a team?+
Either works. You can register as a solo participant, or as a team of up to 4. Team members don't need to be from the same university, company, or country — mix freely across institutions and across APAC.

If you register solo, you stay solo. We don't assign you to a team or match you with strangers — solo entries compete on equal footing with team entries.
When does registration open and close?+
Registration for Cohort 1 is now closed. Cohort 2 opens in 2027 — register now to join the list and we'll notify you the moment applications open.
What's the Intent Form?+
A short form, sent to you by email after registration, covering your team, your prior shipped work, what you'll build for the hackathon, and your commitment to the timeline. It's how we confirm cohort fit before the Build Phase. Lighter than a full proposal — your code is what we judge later.
How many teams will be in the First Cohort?+
We accept as many teams as meet the cohort fit bar. Practically, we expect 30–60 teams to enter the Build Phase from the First Cohort.
When do I find out if I've been accepted?+
Within 7 days of submitting your Intent Form. Accepted teams are notified by email and receive Reference Build access, the workshop invite, and the Final Kit. Teams not progressing this round are also notified, with an invitation to apply for Cohort 2.
What am I actually building?+
The Career OS, Talentbank's compulsory module, which connects candidates and employers across Asia. How you build it is up to you: your architecture, your UX, your tech stack.
Can I use AI tools to build?+
Yes. This is an AI-native hackathon. Cursor, Claude, Copilot, v0, Bolt, Replit Agent, whatever you want. At submission, you'll declare which tools you used and roughly how. Judging scores taste, integration, and output quality, not hand-typed code.
What does "production-ready" actually mean?+
Clean, documented, tested, and directly integrable without significant rework. A live demo URL is required. If the code couldn't survive our engineers' code review, it isn't production-ready.
Are there workshops I can attend?+
Yes. Two optional 90-minute workshops during the build phase: a System Design deep-dive and a Production-Grade Code session. Both hybrid, live in Kuala Lumpur and streamed globally.
How is the final submission evaluated?+
Five criteria weighted for an AI-native build: Product & UX Thinking (30%), System Design & Integration (25%), Completeness (20%), AI Craft (15%), Code Quality (10%). Two independent reviewers score each submission. Averages are moderated by the panel.
Who makes it to the Top 10 Finalists?+
The 10 teams with the strongest combined scores across all five criteria. The Top 3 among them are named Champion, 1st Runner Up, and 2nd Runner Up, sharing the RM 20,000 cash pool. The remaining 7 are First Cohort Finalists.
What do Top 10 Finalists get if they don't win cash?+
Fast-tracked interviews with Talentbank and our partner employer network (MNCs, GLCs, Large Local Organisations), public profile on the Talentbank Careers page, media feature (press release + LinkedIn), CEO-signed certificate, and priority for any Adoption Pool deal.
When is the Grand Finale?+
Tentatively scheduled for 22 August 2026. The format and structure of the Grand Finale will be revealed to the Top 10 Finalists closer to the date, with enough time to prepare.
Who owns the code I build?+
You do. Talentbank's review licence expires 90 days after the Grand Finale if no Intent to Adopt is issued. Nothing gets deployed or commercialised without a signed agreement.
What is the Adoption Pool?+
Reserved for teams whose work Talentbank adopts. Two tiers, both at Talentbank's discretion: Code Adoption (up to RM 25K/team, your code deploys directly) and Strategic Adoption (up to RM 10K/team, your concept shapes our roadmap, we rebuild on our stack). Deals are negotiated 1-to-1 after the Finale via signed Adoption Agreement. Any team, Top 10 or not, with adoptable work is eligible. We may award nothing in a tier if no submission meets the bar.
What happens to my IP when my work is adopted?+
On signing the Adoption Agreement, full IP of the adopted work transfers to Talentbank. You retain portfolio-level acknowledgement ("worked on Career OS at Talentbank Tech Hackathon 2026") but cannot reuse the specific code or concept elsewhere. Read the Adoption Agreement in full.
Am I guaranteed a Talentbank job?+
No. Being a Finalist gives you priority for a Talentbank interview, not a job offer. Interviews and employment offers are at Talentbank's discretion and follow separate employment terms negotiated in good faith.
Still have a question?
Email us directly and we'll come back to you within 2 working days.
Register

Convince our lead developers you're the new team members.

Cohort 1 is now closed. You can still register for Cohort 2, which opens in 2027. Sign up now and you'll be first to hear when applications open.

A reminder: everything here describes the First Cohort. The prize pool, timeline, and modules may change for the Cohort 2 edition.

Website
www.techhackathon.com
Cohort 1 Registration
Closed
Cohort 2 Registration
Opens 2027
Prize Pool
Up to RM 100,000
Build Duration
4 Weeks
Team Size
1–4 Members
Team Formation
Mix universities & organisations
WhatsApp
Email
ask@techhackathon.com
Registration for Cohort 1 closed
But the story isn't over. Cohort 2 lands in 2027. Register your interest now and you'll be first through the door when applications open.
Hiring is facilitated by Talentbank's network of 10,000+ companies. We make warm introductions; you remain free to talk to anyone.
Your data is handled in line with Malaysia's PDPA 2010. See our Terms & Conditions.
Grand Finale 2026

First Cohort Winners

The teams who built the strongest job platforms in the inaugural Talentbank Tech Hackathon, judged at the Grand Finale on 22 August 2026.

Champion team GongBaiWan 1st Place
Champion · RM 10,000
GongBaiWan
Tung An Gie
Mentored byTung An Gie
1st runner-up team Notts-Hackers 2nd Place
1st Runner-Up · RM 6,000
Notts-Hackers
2nd runner-up team J2CH 3rd Place
2nd Runner-Up · RM 4,000
J2CH
Mahesh Kumar
Mentored byMahesh Kumar
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