UnivaBio — Online Health & Social Good Hackathon 2026 — Frequently Asked Questions

UnivaBio is a hackathon run entirely online by BioCataalysis. Teams and solo participants work on projects at the intersection of healthcare and social welfare, drawing on biotechnology, data science or closely related approaches. The whole event is remote, and registration is handled through Devpost.

The hackathon window runs from 7 August 2026 to 17 September 2026. That closing date of 17 September 2026 is also the registration deadline, so both your registration and your project submission need to be in by then.

None in cash. The prize pool is listed at zero, so there is no monetary award attached to the event. One 1st Place winner receives a non-cash prize, and the organisers have said the details of that prize are still to be announced. Anyone who submits a project is also eligible for Devpost Achievements.

Anyone. There are no geographic restrictions and Indian individuals and teams can take part. Students, researchers, developers and entrepreneurs are all welcome, and no prior experience in biotechnology is required. You can enter alone or as part of a team of any size.

No. UnivaBio does not ask for company registration, DPIIT recognition or MSME status. It is an open hackathon rather than a government scheme or an investor programme, and the eligibility notes place no entity-type conditions on participants.

Not at all. UnivaBio is deliberately beginner-friendly, and the organisers encourage cross-disciplinary teams, so pairing technical skills with knowledge from another field is a perfectly valid way to enter.

Something with real-world application in health or social good. Biotechnology, data science and related fields are the likely building blocks, but the emphasis is on usefulness and impact rather than a prescribed technology. Specific tracks are not detailed in the available information.

Judges assess entries on five criteria: Idea & Innovation, Implementation, Health Impact & Rigor, Design & Usability, and Presentation. Expect to walk the judges through the code you wrote yourself, so make sure you can explain how your implementation works.

Register and submit your project through the official Devpost page at https://univabio.devpost.com/. Both registration and submission close on 17 September 2026.

No. This is a hackathon competition, not an investment programme, and no equity, stake or repayment is involved or mentioned. With a cash prize pool of zero, there is simply no funding component attached to the event.

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