Archestra MCP Apps Hackathon — ₹2.1L Prize Pool, Online, No Code Needed — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a week-long online hackathon organised by Archestra, an open-source AI platform that lets people create apps by describing them in natural language. Participants pick a real workflow they handle regularly and build a working app through the platform's chat interface, connecting it to live tools and data using MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers. It is free to enter and runs entirely online.

The total prize pool is $2,250, which works out to roughly ₹2,07,000 at 92 INR/USD and is listed as up to ₹2.1L. It is divided into three awards: $1,000 for Most Useful App, $750 for Best Weird App, and $500 plus swag for Community Buzz.

Registration closes on July 31, 2026 through the official Unstop listing. The build window runs July 22–29, 2026, and on July 22 registrants receive the brief, quickstart guide and example apps. Submissions close on July 29, the public gallery opens on July 29–30, and winners are announced on August 4, 2026.

Anyone aged 18 or above, anywhere in the world, including Indian participants. Students, professionals, first-time builders and experienced developers are all welcome, and you can enter alone or as a team. There is no entry fee and no prior experience with Archestra is required.

Neither is necessary. Apps are assembled by describing them in chat rather than writing code, and the quickstart guide sent to registrants covers everything you need. Getting set up takes about 15 minutes with Docker and an LLM API key, and free API options are acceptable if you do not want to pay for one.

Entry is completely free, and this is a prize competition rather than an investment. No equity is taken, and there is nothing to repay — winners simply receive the cash prizes and, in the Community Buzz category, swag.

Four things: a video showing your app in action that is 20 seconds or shorter, the prompt you used to build it, the MCP servers it connects to, and a one-sentence description. All submissions are placed in a public gallery.

Registration happens through the official Archestra MCP Apps Hackathon page on Unstop, at https://unstop.com/hackathons/archestra-mcp-apps-hackathon-archestraai-1720070. The registration deadline is July 31, 2026.

Your app can hook into real tools through MCP servers. The examples named in the brief are GitHub, Jira and Slack, and there are more than 900 others available to connect to.

All entries are published in a public gallery on July 29–30, 2026, and the winners are announced on August 4, 2026. Prizes are handed out in three tracks — Most Useful App, Best Weird App and Community Buzz. For the Community Buzz award, you post your app publicly and tag @archestra_ai, and the post with the most likes wins.

The application deadline for Archestra MCP Apps Hackathon — ₹2.1L Prize Pool, Online, No Code Needed is Closed (31 Jul 2026). Deadlines can be revised, so reconfirm on the official source before applying.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Archestra MCP Apps Hackathon — ₹2.1L Prize Pool, Online, No Code Needed, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.