The 2026 ASUS UGen AI League Innovation Hackathon is inviting participants worldwide to build AI projects, with total prizes of over USD 20,000. The competition is organized by ASUS, with Intel and Hailo as co-organizers. The Stage I submission period runs until October 14 at 17:00 (Taipei time), and the event runs through December 2026.
Participants aged 18 or older from any country can take part, individually or in teams of up to five. Teams choose one of three themes: Creator AI (such as real-time image processing and rendering), Workplace AI (such as hard-hat detection and visual quality inspection), or Everyday AI (such as child and pet behavior detection and posture monitoring).
Each team also picks one of two tracks, called Battlefields. In Battlefield Lightning, which focuses on lightweight computing, each shortlisted team receives one ASUS UGen300 AI accelerator in M.2 or USB form to use during development, and it is theirs to keep after the competition. In Battlefield Thunderstorm, which focuses on high-performance development, the organizer provides a virtual machine for development and validation, and onsite teams can also book a test room at ASUS Headquarters.
Teams also choose how they take part in the finals. Global Online Track teams are judged remotely, while Onsite Track teams must present in person at ASUS Headquarters in Taipei on December 19.
Registration opened on September 4, and technical briefing webinars were held on September 30. The first-stage submission is a proposal deck of up to 20 pages and a demo video of up to three minutes. Twenty teams will be shortlisted, ten per Battlefield, and announced on October 26, when UGen300 shipments begin. Stage II development runs from November 6, and the finals and awards ceremony take place on December 19. The champion prize is USD 4,500 in Lightning and USD 5,000 in Thunderstorm, with additional awards of USD 1,500 to USD 1,700 and a bonus for winning onsite teams.
Details and submission are available on the official event page: ASUS UGen AI League Innovation Hackathon
