Garaža | FinTech AI Hackathon
June 13–14, 2026
About Garaža
Garaža

FinTech
Hackathon

A 40-hour hackathon for builders and founders working at the intersection of AI and finance. June 13–14, 2026, Belgrade.

event_starts_at:
0 10 13 6 *
// About this hackathon

About

This is an in-person FinTech hackathon for builders and founders who want to work on real problems at the intersection of AI and finance. Finance touches every person and every economy, and most of it still runs on outdated infrastructure.

Every team works on the same challenge for 40 hours, with mentors from the industry. The challenge will be revealed on the day of the hackathon. We want to see teams with mixed backgrounds, combining finance knowledge with engineering skills.

// Event specifications
duration:
40
hours
teams:
10–12
pre-selected, 2–4 members each
location:
IN-PERSON
Palata Nauke, Kralja Milana 11, Belgrade
// Application requirements

Applications

deadline:
June 9, 2026
Applications close at 23:59 CET
eligibility_criteria:
Requirements
001:Teams can consist of 2–4 people
002:All team members must be under 26 years old
003:Teams must be able to travel to Belgrade, Serbia in person
004:Open to students, AI engineers, first-time founders, product managers, designers, and finance professionals from the Balkan region. We strongly encourage teams with mixed backgrounds, combining finance and engineering expertise.
// Submit your application
// Hackathon rewards

Rewards

cash_prizes:

Main Prizes

The top 3 teams will receive cash prizes in the form of grants to help them kickstart their projects.

first_place:
$5,000
second_place:
$3,000
third_place:
$2,000
// Hackathon is enabled by

Partners

main_partner:

Main Partner

SOKIN
special_partner:

Special Partner

Tenstorrent

Partners

Superteam Balkan
Inovo
Day One Capital
tech_partners:

Tech Partners

ElevenLabs
Google Cloud
Lovable
Cursor
community_partners:

Community Partners

Palata Nauke
Elektrotehnički Fakultet
Google Developer Group Belgrade
Netokracija
Digital Serbia Initiative
IRC FON
Računarski Fakultet
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ProtoNETF
Petnica
Web3 Kamp
Project Europe
// Frequently asked questions

FAQ

What type of project can we build?

Teams work on a shared FinTech challenge revealed on the day of the hackathon. We want to see solutions that tackle real problems at the intersection of AI and finance, products that can become real businesses targeting global markets.

Who keeps the rights to intellectual property of the project?

You keep all of the rights to the intellectual property of the project.

What if one team member is over 26 years old?

In that case, the team is not eligible for the hackathon. We require that all team members are under the age of 26 years. We will have leniency for edge cases where team members are turning or have just turned 26 years old.

Can I apply as an individual?

Unfortunately, no. The hackathon is intended for teams of 2–4 people. Our goal is to inspire young teams to tackle real FinTech challenges together.

Can we participate remotely?

No, the hackathon is in-person only. We require that all team members are able to travel to Belgrade, Serbia.

Will we get equipment for the hackathon?

You will need to bring your own laptop and any other equipment you need. We will provide food and drinks for the duration of the hackathon.

How are the main prizes distributed?

The main prizes will be distributed to teams via non-equity grants to legal entities. The main objective is to help teams kickstart their projects. If a team does not have a legal entity, we can provide the rewards in the form of in-app credits for building your projects.

How can we contact you regarding the hackathon?

For any remaining questions, you can contact us via email at george@garaza.org.