Arizona AI hackathon · Phoenix · Feb 6–7, 2027
Founder Weekend
Build an AI company in one weekend. Ship it by Sunday, then pitch it to judges, employers and investors.
When
February 6–7, 2027
Where
Phoenix, Arizona
Entry
Free · teams of 1–4
Prizes
Cash prizes and awards
Why a weekend
You've had the idea for months. AI made building it cheap. What's missing is a deadline, a team and a room that expects you to ship.
Founder Weekend gives you all three, and puts the people who hire and invest in the front row.
What you leave with
Prize pool
Cash prizes for the top teams, decided by the judges on Sunday.
Venture capitalists
Investors in the room for Sunday's pitches. Five minutes in front of people who write checks.
Employer network
Hiring managers from Phoenix companies watch you build and pitch. Your weekend is your interview.
Certificates
Every team that submits gets a verifiable certificate to share on LinkedIn.
Mentors
Founders, engineers and marketers on the floor all weekend to unblock you.
Your pitch, recorded
Walk away with a filmed five-minute pitch you can send to customers and investors.
How teams are judged
Six criteria, each scored from 1 to 10. Pitches run five minutes.
- 01
Craftsmanship
Product quality · Attention to detail · It works when we click it
1–10 - 02
Opportunity size
How big the market is · How painful the problem is
1–10 - 03
Market fit
Founder–market fit · Traction and product–market signal
1–10 - 04
Scalability
Unit economics · Tech stack · Ability to bootstrap
1–10 - 05
The pitch
Stays within five minutes · Clarity · Energy
1–10 - 06
Go-to-market
Surface: marketing site and socials · Growth strategy
1–10
The weekend
Saturday, Feb 6
9 AM–6 PM
Kickoff, team formation and a full day of building with mentors in the room.
Sunday, Feb 7
9 AM–4 PM
Final push, submissions close at noon, five-minute pitches after lunch, then awards.
Arizona time. Submissions close at 12:00 PM MST, Sunday Feb 7.
Who's building
0
Teams registered
0
Participants
0
Projects submitted
Register now and your team is the first one on this list.
Hosts and judges
Santos Hernandez
Host and judge
Dan Kite
Host and judge
Mentors and volunteers
Mentor
Spend a few hours on the floor with teams. Founders, engineers, designers, marketers and operators all have something a team needs by Saturday afternoon.
Volunteer
Run check-in, shoot photos and video, or keep the pitch schedule on time. You get a front-row seat to every pitch.
FAQ
Who can join Founder Weekend?
Anyone in Arizona or willing to travel to Phoenix. Founders, developers, designers, marketers and students all compete on equal footing. There is no application and no selection.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. Founder Weekend is free to enter, with no application and no selection round.
Do I need a team or an idea?
No. Come solo and form a team at Saturday's kickoff, or register a team of up to four now. Bring an idea if you have one; we will help you find one if you don't.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Today's AI tools let anyone ship a working product. Teams also need someone who can sell, design and pitch, and those skills are judged too.
Can I bring something I've already started?
Yes. Existing projects are welcome. Judges score what the company is by Sunday, so show what you shipped during the weekend.
Who owns what we build?
You do. Your team keeps full ownership of the code, the brand and the company.
How is it judged?
Judges score six criteria from 1 to 10: craftsmanship, opportunity size, market fit, scalability, the pitch and go-to-market. Pitches run five minutes, and going over costs points.
What should I bring?
A laptop, a charger, and accounts for the AI tools you like to use. We provide the room, Wi-Fi and power.
Can I mentor, judge, sponsor or volunteer instead?
Yes. Sign in and request the role from your dashboard, or ask in the Ship AI Discord.
Build an AI company. Ship it by Sunday.
Free. Teams of 1–4. Phoenix, February 6–7, 2027.