Where to Find ML Competitions & Hackathons
Every platform across ML, hackathons, quant and events — plus the aggregators to check weekly.
Where to Find ML Competitions & Hackathons
ML / Data Science Competition Platforms
| Platform | Focus | URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaggle | General ML, NLP, Vision, Tabular | kaggle.com/competitions | Largest community, best learning |
| DrivenData | Social impact (health, climate, education) | drivendata.org/competitions | Fewer competitors, meaningful problems |
| Zindi | Africa-focused, global participants | zindi.africa | Beginner-friendly, great community |
| Codabench | Reproducible AI benchmarks | codabench.org | Academic/research flavor |
| AIcrowd | RL, NLP, logistics | aicrowd.com | Unique challenge types |
| MachineHack | Industry-sponsored ML hackathons | machinehack.com | Good for job visibility |
| Signate | Japan-based, global access | signate.jp | Recruiter integration |
| Solafune | Geospatial / satellite data | solafune.com | Niche = less competition |
| Numerai | Stock market prediction (real hedge fund) | numer.ai | Weekly rounds, stake crypto on your model |
| Topcoder | Marathon Matches, optimization, ML | topcoder.com/challenges | TCO Finals invite for top performers |
| ARC Prize | AGI research benchmark | arcprize.org | $2M prize pool 2026, hardest ML comp |
| MLContests | Aggregator of ALL platforms | mlcontests.com | One-stop feed, check every Monday |
Hackathon Platforms
| Platform | Focus | URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devpost | Largest global directory | devpost.com | AI, web, hardware, social |
| DoraHacks | Web3, AI, Quantum, Space-Tech | dorahacks.io | $92M+ given out, huge prize pools |
| MLH | Student-friendly, 200+ events/year | mlh.io | Beginner-welcoming |
| Lablab.ai | Generative AI sprints | lablab.ai | 48–72 hrs, free sponsor APIs |
| ETHGlobal | Ethereum ecosystem | ethglobal.com | Multiple sponsor prizes per event |
| ETHDenver | Largest blockchain BUIDLathon | ethdenver.com | 25K+ attendees, Feb each year |
| Gitcoin | Open source Web3, grants | gitcoin.co/hackathons | Grants + prize hybrid model |
| TAIKAI | European hackathons, on-chain credentials | taikai.network | NFT proof of participation |
| Devfolio | India + global, Web3, ETH ecosystem | devfolio.co | One profile → many hackathons |
| HackerEarth | Tech + ML hackathons | hackerearth.com/hackathons | Corporate sponsored |
| Unstop | International, tech + business | unstop.com | 2,540+ hackathons India 2026 |
| Hack2Skill | India + global | hack2skill.com | Strong AI focus |
Aggregators & Calendars (Check Weekly)
- mlcontests.com — best single feed for ALL active ML competitions
- devpost.com/hackathons — filter by "online", sort by prize amount
- dorahacks.io/hackathon — filter by AI or Web3
- mlh.io/seasons/2026/events — full 2026 student hackathon calendar
- competehub.dev — tracks Kaggle + DoraHacks + other platforms
- dev.to/dorahacks — monthly hackathon newsletter
How to Stay Updated
- Follow
@kaggle,@devpost,@mlhacks,@DoraHackson Twitter/X - Join r/MachineLearning, r/kaggle, r/ethdev on Reddit
- Subscribe to mlcontests.com newsletter
- Join Kaggle Discord, Zindi Slack, DoraHacks Discord
- Set Google Alerts for: "AI hackathon 2026 prize" and "ML competition open"
Quant Finance Competitions
| Platform | Focus | URL | Prize / Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| WorldQuant IQC | Alpha building, equity prediction | worldquantbrain.com/iqc | $100K + job offers |
| IMC Prosperity | Python algorithmic trading bots | prosperity.imc.com | $50K + internship |
| Citadel Data Open | Data analysis + presentation | citadel.com/careers/the-data-open | $25K + recruiting |
| Jane Street Puzzles | Math/logic monthly puzzles | janestreet.com/puzzles | Prestige + recruiter contact |
| Optiver (Kaggle) | Market microstructure ML | kaggle.com/competitions | Kaggle prizes + job offer |
| Jane Street (Kaggle) | Real-time market forecasting | kaggle.com/competitions | $120K |
| COMAP MCM/ICM | Mathematical modeling | comap.com/contests/mcm-icm | Prestige (Two Sigma recruits here) |
| Numerai | Weekly hedge fund prediction | numer.ai | NMR crypto (ongoing) |
Developer Events (Free Online)
| Event | Date | URL | Why Attend |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GTC 2026 | Mar 16–19 | nvidia.com/gtc | Free virtual, AI hardware + frameworks |
| Google Cloud Next | May 11–13 | cloud.google.com/next | New Gemini/Vertex AI APIs |
| Databricks Summit | Jun 15–18 | databricks.com/dataaisummit | Free virtual, MLOps + data engineering |
| Microsoft Build | Apr–May TBC | microsoft.com/build | Azure AI, Copilot APIs |
| AWS re:Invent | Nov 30–Dec 4 | reinvent.awsevents.com | Biggest cloud event, free session videos |
| DeepLearning.AI Dev Conf | 2026 | ai-dev.deeplearning.ai | Most technical LLM engineering workshop |
Developer Events (In-Person, High Priority)
| Event | Date | Location | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETHDenver 2026 | Feb 17–21 | Denver, CO | Hackathon + conference ($500K+ prizes) |
| NVIDIA GTC | Mar 16–19 | San Jose, CA | Conference (hackathon inside) |
| ICLR 2026 | Apr 23–27 | Rio de Janeiro | Academic conference |
| ICML 2026 | Jul 6–12 | Seoul, South Korea | Academic conference |
| NeurIPS 2026 | Dec 6–12 | Sydney, Australia | Top AI research conference |
What Type of Competition to Enter Based on Your Goal
| Your Goal | Best Platform |
|---|---|
| Learn ML fundamentals | Kaggle (Getting Started comps) |
| First win / confidence | Zindi or DrivenData |
| Real money fast | DoraHacks (multiple concurrent prize tracks) |
| Career / job offers | MachineHack, Signate, Citadel Datathon |
| Research publications | ARC Prize, Codabench, NeurIPS competitions |
| Web3 / crypto career | DoraHacks, ETHGlobal, Gitcoin |
| Quant finance career | WorldQuant IQC → IMC Prosperity → Citadel → Jane Street |
| Network + meet people | MLH, ETHDenver, ICML/NeurIPS in-person |
| Recurring passive income | Numerai (stake + earn weekly) |
| Pure math prestige | Jane Street puzzles, COMAP MCM |