Where impossibleis just an error code.
A hackathon on compilers, programming languages and program analysis, run entirely online. Five weeks to build, from wherever you are. Finalists present in person at IISc, Bengaluru on Oct 2–3, 2026.
Registrations open Aug 1, 2026.
Everything is online.Except the finale.
Build from anywhere. Only the finale is in person.
No travel to take part.
Register, build and submit from your own machine.
Any city, any timezone. Nothing to book.
Late teams still get in.
Sign-ups close Aug 15, 2026, the day hacking begins.
Late registrations accepted after hacking begins. You just build with less runway.
Announced as they land.
Teams are shortlisted as submissions come in, all through the five weeks.
Submit early, hear back early.
One trip, at the end.
Finalists present in person at IISc, Bengaluru on Oct 2–3, 2026.
Their IICT workshop attendance is covered. Nothing before it needs a flight.
Six tracks.Or bring your own problem.
Anything in compilers, programming languages, program analysis or tooling counts.
Sample tracks from last year.
The 2026 tracks and the full problem statements land Aug 7.
Domain specific compilers and languages
Design and implement compilers and languages for a specific application or a specific piece of hardware.
Halide for computational photography · a language for drones · theorem prover languages
- Compilers
- Programming languages
- eDSLs
Compiler frameworks and tools
Work on the infrastructure itself: intermediate representations, program analysis, transformation tooling.
static analysers · debuggers · formatters and review tools · coverage and profiling
- Tools
- Static analysis
- Debugging
Compilers and AI/ML
Use AI/ML to make compilers better, or compiler technology to make AI/ML workflows better.
LLM support for CFGs · AI-assisted review · model-guided pass selection
- Machine learning
- Codegen
- Tooling
Optimizing for the real world
Take software that already exists and make it run faster or leaner with compiler techniques.
auto-tuning heterogeneous systems · energy-efficient codegen · edge instruction selection
- Auto-tuning
- Energy
- Edge
Explainable compilers
Modern compilers are enormous black boxes. Make their decisions legible to the people using them.
IR to ASM visualisation · showing why a pass fired · interactive teaching tools
- Visualisation
- Teaching
- Debugging
Compilers for new paradigms
Build compilers or tooling for places compilers are only just arriving.
eBPF and secure enclaves · quantum IR to gates · attack-surface reduction
- Quantum
- eBPF
- Security
Two months, end to end.Here is how it runs.
Aug 1 – Oct 3, 2026. Fully online until the finale in Bengaluru.
Registrations open
Sign up as a team or solo. Nothing to build yet, just get on the list.
Problem statements and tracks announced
The real track list and problem statements land a week after sign-ups open.
Registrations close
Late entries are still accepted once hacking is underway.
Hacking begins
Five weeks, fully remote. Everything runs on your own machine.
Shortlists announced
Teams get shortlisted as submissions come in, instead of all at once on one date.
Final evaluation
Online judging across both days. The finalist list is locked by the end of it.
Grand finale at IICT
Finalists present in person at IISc Bengaluru, alongside the IICT workshop.
Cash for the top three teams.
₹1,50,000 in total, plus certificates and mentorship for everyone who takes part.
Total prize pool
₹1,50,000
Winner
₹75,000
Runner-up
₹50,000
Third place
₹25,000
Certificates
Every participant gets a certificate.
Mentorship
Sessions with compiler engineers working in industry.
Travel
Finalists' IICT workshop attendance is covered.
Hiring
Internship and job conversations with the sponsors.
Who backs SegFault.And who runs it.
The organisations backing the 2026 hackathon, plus the IICT workshop it is held as part of.
Host
SegFault is organised as part of the Innovations In Compiler Technology workshop.
Questions people ask.
Yes. Registration, hacking, submissions and final evaluation all happen remotely, so you never have to travel to take part. The only in-person part is the grand finale on Oct 2–3, and that's for finalists.
Registration is free, and you don't have to be a student. In 2025 teams came from IITs and other colleges alongside working engineers, and solo entries did fine — three of the six finalists were teams of one.
Yes. Late registrations are accepted after hacking begins — you just get less time to build. All IP in what you build stays with your team.
On a rolling basis. Teams are shortlisted as their submissions come in, rather than all at once on a single announcement date. Submit early and you hear back early.
Five minutes to pitch in front of the jury, then two to three minutes of questions. Finalists attend the IICT workshop free. Travel can't be guaranteed, but reimbursements are offered to student attendees — reach out to the organisers. Accommodation at IISc isn't confirmed yet.
Email Ashutosh Pandey at ashutosh@compilertech.org, or reach the IICT workshop on LinkedIn or X.
