Port Mortem 2026 — Code Resurrection Hackathon (₹1.7L Prizes) — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a 72-hour online hackathon organised by Hackathon Raptors, built around AI-assisted software migration. Each participant or team takes a real open-source project and rewrites it in a different programming language, aiming to keep the original functionality intact while producing correct, well-engineered code.

The prize pool is worth up to ₹1.7L in total. It is split across five awards: $800 for the 1st Place Grand Prize, $400 for 2nd Place Runner-Up, $200 for 3rd Place, $100 for the Bug Catcher award and $300 for Community Choice.

No. Port Mortem 2026 is a competition, not an investment programme, so the rewards are cash prizes — there is no equity dilution and nothing to repay.

The event is open to all. Students, working professionals, researchers and software developers from any country can join, and there is no requirement tied to a particular college, employer, industry or company registration. Solo entrants are just as welcome as teams.

You can do either. Solo participation is allowed, and teams may have anywhere between 1 and 4 members. Team members can come from different colleges, universities, organisations or countries, and cross-disciplinary teams are permitted.

You pick one migration track for your project. The options are C → Rust, Zig → Rust, TypeScript → Go, Python → Rust, Go → Rust, JavaScript → Go, JavaScript → Rust, C → Zig, or the Open Pair track, which lets you move from any language to any language.

Registration opens on 29 June 2026. The hackathon begins on 31 July 2026 — the listed deadline day — and runs for 72 hours, with submissions due by 3 August 2026. Judging takes place from 3 to 13 August 2026, and winners are announced on 14 August 2026.

Yes. AI coding assistants and other developer tools are permitted, which fits the event's AI-assisted migration theme. All development, however, has to be completed within the official hackathon period.

Registration happens through the official event page on Unstop, where you can sign up individually or as a team. It is also worth joining the official Hackathon Raptors Discord server, which is used for announcements, rule clarifications and support during the event.

Judging happens between 3 and 13 August 2026, with results announced on 14 August 2026. Entries are evaluated on the quality of the migration — whether the ported code preserves the original project's functionality, whether it is correct in behaviour, and whether the engineering quality is up to standard.

The application deadline for Port Mortem 2026 — Code Resurrection Hackathon (₹1.7L Prizes) 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 Port Mortem 2026 — Code Resurrection Hackathon (₹1.7L Prizes), though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.