Browny’s Hackathon
16 October 2026
- Scale up
- Investors and enablers
- Innovators
- Early/growth stage
Auckland Council is handing three of its hardest problems to 30 people for a day. Apply as an individual and we will put you in a team of five, with Council data and Council experts on hand. Prototypes are due at 5pm and pitched to the Mayor that evening. Applications close 9am, 30 September.
One day on three real Auckland problems.
Auckland Council is handing three of its hardest problems to the people who can build: transport, waste, and stormwater and water quality. These are problems Council teams are working on right now, and those teams are in the room with you on the day.
You will work with real Council data and the people who understand it. Your team will hand over a working prototype at 5pm, and that evening you will pitch it to the Mayor and a judging panel.
We are asking for a prototype or a proof of concept, not a finished solution. Seven hours is enough to prove an idea works, and that is what the judges are looking for.
How it works
Apply as an individual. You do not need a team or an idea.
We read every application and select about 30 people. We build the teams, five to a team, and give each team a problem area. Each team pairs developers, data people, designers and people who have lived the problem.
Tell us your first and second choice of problem area on the form. We will use it when we build the teams (though we can't promise your first choice).
Who should apply
Software developers, data and analytics people, designers, product people, and anyone who works in or around these problems and knows where it goes wrong. You do not need to have been to a hackathon before.
The day
| When | What |
| 8:30am | Arrive |
| 9:00am | Briefing |
| 9:30am to 5:00pm | Build, with lunch and a midpoint check-in where teams show what they have |
| 5:00pm | Code and prototypes handed in |
| 5:00pm to 5:45pm | Judges visit every team at their table |
| 6:00pm | Showcase. The Mayor opens, the teams present |
| 7:00pm | Finish |
You need to be there for the whole day, 8:30am to 7:00pm.
Dates
| Applications open | Monday 22 September |
| Applications close | 9:00am, Wednesday 30 September |
| You hear back | Friday 2 October |
| The day itself | Friday 16 October |
Free
Venue
The Annex
10 Madden Street
Wynyard Quarter
Auckland Central 1010
A contemporary venue with a striking exterior, The Annex provides a light-filled space with a large outdoor area to extend the scope of your event. This blank canvas has state-of-the-art AV facilities and is a timeless space for product launches, fashion shows, strategy sessions and workshops. The venue is in Auckland's waterfront neighbourhood, just a stone's throw from the motorway and city centre.