Welcome to Canada's biggest hackathon
This September, join 1,000+ hackers from around the world for a hackathon like no other. Discover a community of like-minded hackers, connect with world-class mentors, and build because you love to build. At Hack the North 11, you're in for a great time with engaging workshops, fun activities, and the chance to network with the most exciting companies in tech!
Not from Waterloo? We cover food, travel expenses, and lodging so you can focus on turning your dreams into reality.
You belong in tech
Getting into tech can be hard—we're here to make that easier! Hack the North is dedicated to building an inclusive experience for attendees from across the globe. We strive to foster a space where everyone feels welcome to pursue their dreams and create something they're proud of.
year we had...
Canada's
hackathon!
Join a global community
Connect with curious and creative students from schools across the globe. Chat with industry leaders, sponsors, and mentors and open your mind to endless possibilities. We welcome hackers of all experience levels to collaborate and build something they are proud of.
Create something amazing!
Get inspired and build! Don’t have the resources you need to make your project come to life? We’re here to help! We provide workshops, mentorship, and the tech you need all in one place, so you can focus on hacking!
Make lasting memories
Take a break from hacking and enjoy fun activities planned just for you! From therapy dogs, to cup stacking, to karaoke, and more—we make sure that every hacker has the chance to work hard and play hard.
Dream
and build
Every year, we strive to support hackers around the world to create something amazing!
Check out some of the incredible projects that have come to life at Hack the North:
PROJECT 3
PROJECT 2
PROJECT 1
Create
memories
Since 2014, Hack the North has empowered students of all levels to take their ideas to the next level by fostering a community of learning, mentorship, and fun.
Milind Kumar
Undergraduate Hacker
Hack the North is not just for building projects that will change the world, but for building relationships that will change your world. The friendships I now have because of Hack the North will last a lifetime, and it was the long nights, poutine chats, and Jenga competitions that were catalysts to make them happen. Thanks Hack the North for being an event to not only hack, but a place to enjoy a snack, race geese around a track, and meet lifelong friends who will always have your back.
Get
by industry leaders
industry leaders
Every year, leaders in the tech industry join Hack the North to speak, judge, and
mentor hackers. Stay tuned for the list of this year's speakers, coming soon.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Lucy Guo
Keynote Speaker
We're excited to announce that our keynote speaker for Hack the North 2024 is Lucy Guo! Lucy is the founder of Passes, a platform that builds tools to help creators monetize and become entrepreneurs. They've recently raised $40 million to bring this to life and have creators such as Shaq, Livvy Dunne, Huddy, and more. Before that, she co-founded Scale AI, a company now valued at $13.8 billion. Lucy was also featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list and was a Thiel Fellow after studying computer science and HCI at Carnegie Mellon. We can't wait for her to share her amazing journey and insights with us!
Judges
Co-founder, Boardy AI
Software Engineer, Warp
Director, Velocity
Co-founder & CEO, Voiceflow
Co-founder & GP, 1517 Fund
Co-founder & CEO, Forethought AI
Co-founder, Athos
Manager of Technical Staff, Cohere
VP of Machine Learning, Signal 1
Co-founder, Super.com
Founder, Zube
Software Engineer, Coinbase
Member of Technical Staff, Endex
Sr. Director of Data and Technology, Rewriting the Code
Founding CTO, Index Exchange
Co-founder & GP, 1517 Fund
CTO, EnPowered
Executive VP, StartupSoft.com
Partner, Cherubic Ventures
Co-founder & CEO, MedMe Health
Co-founder & CEO, Guardrail.ai
Founder & CEO, Fleet
Sr. Manager of Startups Solutions Architecture, AWS
Head of Engineering, ChatGPT, OpenAI
Data Analyst, Rewriting the Code
Head of Product, Notable
Serial Entrepreneur & Investor, MaRS & Communitech
Co-founder, Outdid.io
Our partner since 2014, Waterloo Engineering continues to support Hack the North to build a creative, diverse, and unique experience for hackers. The University of Waterloo is home to Canada's largest engineering school — a pipeline for engineering talent for the world's leading companies.
Ranked among the top 50 engineering schools in the world, the school's reputation for excellence is built on the foundation of co-op education and a bold history of innovation.
Our partner since 2014, Waterloo Engineering continues to support Hack the North to build a creative, diverse, and unique experience for hackers. The University of Waterloo is home to Canada's largest engineering school — a pipeline for engineering talent for the world's leading companies.
Ranked among the top 50 engineering schools in the world, the school's reputation for excellence is built on the foundation of co-op education and a bold history of innovation.
Sponsor a
weekend
Our sponsors make it possible for us to unite prospective developers, designers, and builders from across the globe. Hackers make meaningful connections with our sponsors beyond just the hackathon weekend. Stay tuned as we confirm more sponsors for Hack the North 2024!
Want to help make this event a reality? Email us at sponsor@hackthenorth.com.
You may know that RBC is Canada's largest bank, with 98,000+ employees and 17 million clients globally. But did you know we are also one of Canada's largest tech employers? With over 10,000 employees, our technologists apply imagination, insight, and cutting-edge technology to ensure our clients thrive and communities prosper.
Tech @ RBC offers hundreds of student and new grad roles, with opportunities to learn, grow, and work purposefully.
From Developers to Data Scientists, from Cyber Threat Hunters to AI and ML Specialists, we inspire the next generation of brilliant minds to be the future of tech.
If you want to explore a broad range of exciting technology career paths, click below to view our Student Co-Op and New Graduate full-time job opportunities.
...and more to come
Our partners
asked questions
What is Hack the North?
Hack the North is Canada’s biggest hackathon, where 1,000+ students of different skill levels come together from around the world to experiment and create unique software or hardware projects from scratch. We empower and enable teams to make something great in only 36 hours by providing an abundance of resources like workshops, mentors, sponsors, and hardware.
Who can participate?
Students of any education level from anywhere in the world are eligible to apply for Hack the North! All attendees must be 13 years or older to participate.
What if I’ve never been to a hackathon before?
Hack the North welcomes students of all skill levels. Many students attend Hack the North as their first hackathon, and they always have a blast! We’ll provide tech resources (including hardware), mentors, and workshops to help you with your project; hackathons can be a great place to learn new skills in a short amount of time. Just be eager to learn, and excited to meet lots of awesome people.
How many people can be on a team?
Hackers may form teams of up to 4 people. There are no restrictions for who they can be, so you can team up with hackers from any school, country, or experience level. Teams can be formed before or during the event at hackers’ own discretion.
When do hacker applications open?
Thanks for applying to Hack the North! Keep an eye on your inbox as we’ll be sending decisions in the coming weeks!
I’m not currently enrolled as a student, can I still attend Hack the North?
Hack the North is geared towards students who are interested in tech, but we also want to open the doors for anyone who wants to learn. If your situation falls within this category, please reach out to us at hello@hackthenorth.com and we can chat more regarding certain exemptions!
Will Hack the North 2024 happen in person or virtually?
Hack the North 2024 will be an in-person hackathon, hosted at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Stay tuned to hear the latest updates by following our social media channels (@hackthenorth), and signing up for our mailing list!
What if I want to join virtually?
Hack the North aims to provide participants with the best experience possible, and we strongly feel that an in-person event is the best way to empower our hackers to dream big and build. We will not be offering a virtual attendance option this year.
What kind of workshops, talks, and activities will there be?
Previously, we’ve held workshops and talks for a range of skill levels from beginner to advanced like Intro to React and Exploring and Wrangling Data with Pandas. Other workshops also explore various programming tools such as APIs, databases, and platforms. Activities like VR demos, meetups, and even karaoke happen throughout the weekend. Whether it’s for relaxation or health, novelty or competition, our team has something exciting prepared for you to enjoy!
How much does it cost to attend Hack the North?
Admission to Hack the North is completely free! We will also provide food and accommodation for the entire event, as well as all the resources and mentorship our hackers need to build something incredible.
What if I need to travel internationally to attend Hack the North?
Please note that visitor visa wait times may be as long as several months, depending on the country of departure. We recommend you apply for your visa, if required, immediately after receiving your acceptance to Hack the North. More information can be found on our Travel Guidelines page.
COVID-19: If you’re traveling to Hack the North from outside of Canada, you must follow the Government of Canada’s travel guidelines in order to attend. As of June 2023, the guidelines do not require any sort of pre-flight testing or proof of vaccination. However, please ensure that you are fully compliant with your home country’s COVID-19 guidelines in order to ensure a smooth trip. Hack the North will not reimburse any additional fees that event attendees incur due to COVID-19 related complications.
What are your COVID-19 regulations?
At this time, Hack the North does not have a COVID-19 policy. Taking your own health/safety precautions is recommended, but attendance at Hack the North is at your own risk.
Following the Government of Canada’s decision to remove all COVID-19 travel restrictions, Hack the North will not be enforcing any COVID-related restrictions or regulations at our event. In the event that the COVID-19 situation changes in our region, we will follow the Canadian and Ontario government guidelines and restrictions as necessary.
A small reserve of masks, hand sanitizer, and rapid tests will be available at the event.
We kindly ask that if you are feeling unwell, please do not attend the event for the safety of other hackers and guests.
Hey Hackers!
For the last 10 years, Hack the North has strived to create a space for students to build, connect, and learn. For our 11th iteration, we want to give hackers the opportunity to dream big and build whatever you can imagine! We’ll provide you with the best resources, activities, and learning opportunities, so you can focus on exploring and creating something amazing! Though we can’t give away too much yet, we can’t wait for you to see all the amazing activities, workshops, and speakers we have planned. We’re so excited to see all the amazing things you’ll create!
— Team Hack the North 💙
Made with 💙 in
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦
