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IBM Bob 2.0 Hackathon
Your code meets your new AI dev partner.
💻 Online Hackathon | ⏳ Build: 48 hours | 📅 September 25–27, 2026
The official IBM Bob 2.0 hackathon. Build what's next in AI-assisted development, alongside the developers and experts shaping it.
⭐ Get help from experts throughout the event
🤝 Join a team or build solo
💰 Prize pool: $12,000
🧑🏻💻 Register before the Kick-Off Stream to start building with Bob.
Don't Miss the Deadline
September 24th, 2026
10:00 PM CEST / 4:00 PM ET
Registrations will close at this time. After the deadline, no new participants will be able to enroll or be approved for the hackathon.
Thank you for your understanding.
Back for Another Hack — Meet IBM Bob 2.0
After the success of our IBM Bob hackathon in May, we're hosting a challenge around Bob 2.0 — an upgraded AI-powered development partner designed to help developers work with real systems, not just code snippets.
Bob 2.0 operates with full repository context, allowing developers to understand how software is structured, reason through logic, and navigate complex codebases more effectively than ever before.
It supports practical development tasks and helps builders at any skill level move from idea to implementation with greater clarity and confidence.
This second hackathon is your chance to put the latest version of Bob to work on a real project and see how it fits into your workflow.
Build with purpose using IBM Bob 2.0
Create a solution that improves a specific developer workflow, such as onboarding, debugging, code review, testing, application maintenance, or release and deployment processes.
Start by clearly defining a problem where time, effort, or errors are too high today. Then, using IBM Bob 2.0, build a working prototype on a real or sample project that demonstrates a full solution to improve the specified workflow.
Leverage features like Agent mode, parallel tasks, subagents, and document understanding to manage and improve multiple steps, not just assist with coding. Clearly demonstrate impact by showing how your solution increases productivity, reduces manual effort, errors, and rework, or significantly shortens the time required to complete tasks.
START THE HACKATHON HERE!
Follow these steps to get set up, choose your problem, build your solution, and submit your project.
Join or form a team.
Check the dashboard or lablab.ai Discord to find teammates.
Set up your IBM Bob 2.0 account.
Check your email for the invite to get Bob and follow the hackathon guide for steps to set it up.
Read the challenge statement.
The challenge is broad so you have room to be creative. Read the challenge statement above before choosing what to build.
Choose a problem to solve.
Write out your unique problem statement. Think of something that takes too much time or effort or creates too many errors today. The hackathon guide has examples to inspire you.
Review the hackathon deliverables.
Before you start building, understand what you'll be expected to turn in. Review the What to submit section and leave enough time to prepare all required assets before the deadline.
Build your prototype solution.
Use IBM Bob 2.0 to build a new project that demonstrates your unique, creative solution to the problem you defined. The hackathon guide has tips, resources, and instructions.
Get help in Discord.
Mentors are available in the lablab.ai Discord to answer questions and help you during the hackathon.
Submit all deliverables before the deadline.
Follow the submission steps here to submit your project before the hackathon closes on September 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET.
IBM Bob 2.0
IBM Bob 2.0 is an AI-powered development partner that works directly with your codebase, helping you build and improve software with real context.
It is designed to support developers across everyday workflows, allowing you to apply AI within your own project rather than working in isolation.
Access to Technology
Participants will receive access to IBM Bob 2.0 at the start of the hackathon.
Please Note
- Access is provided specifically for the duration of the event.
- Usage is limited and should be managed throughout the build.
- Participants are expected to actively use IBM Bob as part of their solution.
IBM Bob 2.0 Hackathon Guide
Follow the official hackathon guide to set up IBM Bob 2.0 and review the instructions and resources you will need during the hackathon.
Open IBM Bob 2.0 Hackathon Guide →🏆 Prizes
🥇 1st Place
$5,000
🥈 2nd Place
$3,000
🥉 3rd Place
$2,000
🎁 Participant Rewards
20 participants will each receive $100 for completing both of the following requirements:
Please note: Participation in lablab.ai hackathons is voluntary. Prizes and opportunities depend on eligibility, availability, and third-party sponsors, for whom lablab.ai is not responsible. Hackathon rules, prizes, and terms may change or be canceled at our discretion. Submissions must be original and MIT-compliant. Prize distribution may take up to 90 days.
What to submit?
Submit your project through the lablab.ai platform before the deadline. Make sure all fields and required deliverables below are completed.
📋 Basic Information
- Project Title
- Short Description
- Long Description
- IBM Bob Usage Statement
- Technology & Category Tags
💻 Application & Code
- Public Code Repository
- IBM Bob Task Session Summary Screenshots
- Demo Application Platform
- Application URL
📸 Media & Presentation
- Cover Image
- Video Demonstration
- Slide Presentation
Important Requirements
• Written statements: Complete both the Problem & Solution Statement and IBM Bob Usage Statement. Each must be 500 words or less.
• IBM Bob evidence: Your repository must include the code/files where IBM Bob assisted, plus IBM Bob task session summary screenshots from each team member.
• Repository access: Make sure your code repository is publicly accessible.
• Video: Your video demonstration must be 3 minutes or less, with at least 90 seconds showing your solution in action.
Deliverable Details
🎥 Video Demonstration of the Team's Solution
Upload an MP4 video demonstration of your solution through the submission form. Three minutes is the maximum length. Judges will not watch more than 3 minutes of your video.
Briefly introduce the specific issue you are looking to improve or address, but leave at least 90 seconds to show your solution in action, on screen, and demonstrate how it works.
Clearly demonstrate how you utilized IBM Bob in your solution. Include narration to describe what you are demonstrating.
Creativity is encouraged! The judges will see lots of screen-sharing videos, so think about how your video will stand out and catch the judges' attention with a compelling, high-quality presentation.
📝 Long Description — Problem & Solution Statement (500 words or less)
Use the Long Description field to describe your project in 500 words or less.
Include the specific problem or challenge that your solution is designed to address.
Describe what your solution is, including its target users, how they would interact with the solution, and why the solution is creative and unique.
Provide clear details on how your project effectively and efficiently addresses the stated issue in a new way the judges have never seen before.
🤖 IBM Bob Usage Statement (500 words or less)
In 500 words or less, provide clear and specific details on how and where your team used IBM Bob to build your project. Be specific about how IBM Bob contributed throughout the development of your solution.
If applicable, also describe how your project uses IBM watsonx.ai or IBM watsonx Orchestrate.
💻 Code Repository & IBM Bob Task Session Summary Screenshots
Any code or files you created for the project, including those where IBM Bob assisted in the development, should be uploaded and organized in a GitHub repository (or another source control system such as GitLab or Bitbucket) for your project.
- Share a publicly accessible link to your repository.
- Your repository must also include each team member's screenshots of IBM Bob task session summaries for your project. The hackathon guide, which will be available when the hackathon begins, will include step-by-step instructions on how to capture these.
- Participants may use the GitHub IBM Hackathon repository template for their project. Refer to the quickstart instructions to learn how to use the template.
- The template includes ".gitignore" and ".bobignore" files to help prevent the accidental exposure of credentials and other sensitive information.
Important: If IBM Cloud credentials (API keys, passwords, or other sensitive secrets) are detected in your repository through IBM security monitoring, your IBM Cloud account may be suspended immediately. To avoid account suspension during the hackathon, do not expose any IBM Cloud credentials in your repository, especially within code files. Use the provided repository template, as it includes safeguards designed to help prevent accidental credential exposure.
For general lablab.ai submission guidance, please visit Submission Guidelines.
Judging Criteria
Projects are evaluated by our judges using the criteria below.
Application of Technology
How complete and well thought-out the project is, with a clear application of IBM Bob 2.0.
Presentation
The clarity and effectiveness of the project presentation.
Business Value
The impact and practical value, considering how effectively the solution addresses a high priority issue.
Originality
The uniqueness and creativity of the solution and the approach in applying IBM Bob 2.0 to address the stated issue.
Hackathon Details
Everything you need to know before you register and start building.
🗓️ Where and when
The hackathon is fully online, running Friday to Sunday, September 25–27, 2026. It will take place on the lablab.ai platform and lablab.ai Discord server.
🦸 Who can join?
We welcome participants with a strong interest in AI. While prior experience can be helpful, this challenge is designed for those ready to engage with AI in meaningful and practical ways.
😅 What about teams?
If you don't have a team, don't worry! Connect with other participants from all over the world on our dashboard or Discord server to find teammates and bounce around ideas.
🛠️ How to participate
The hackathon takes place online on the lablab.ai platform and lablab.ai Discord server. Click the Enroll button on this page to register.
Note: This is the second IBM Bob Hackathon, now running on Bob 2.0. Registration and access details will be confirmed as the event date approaches.
Event Schedule
- To be announced
Next Hackathon
AMD AI League
Starts Sep 1, 2026