May 23, 2026 · Sunnyvale, CA · Event Complete

Synthesis Hacks

Presented byNTTVCActionLayer

Thank you to everyone who made this possible.Questions? Contact the team.

View PhotosJoin Discord
12HDURATIONof building
MAY 23DATESunnyvale
2-4TEAM SIZEper team
$0COSTalways free
Photos · May 23, 2026

From the event

17

Photography by June's Creative Studio

How it works

The weekend, in three acts.

Grades 9 through 12
Teams of 2 to 4
All skill levels welcome
Free to attend

Meet your team

Accepted participants can arrive alone or with friends. No experience needed. We run a team-matching session at the start so nobody builds without a team.

Mentors always available
Multiple workshops
Any project type
Free food & drinks

Build for 12 hours

Mentors are around the whole day. Optional short workshops run in parallel - drop in if you want a hand. Build an app, a game, a website, a hardware hack; anything you can finish by 5 PM.

Multiple prize categories
Judge panel presentation
Audience favorite award
Networking reception

Present & win prizes

Demo your project to a small judging panel, science-fair style. Categories include design, technical depth, creativity, and best first hackathon. Then we hand out prizes and call it a day.

Prizes

Prizes awarded.

01

1st Place Overall

$150CASH
  • $150 Amazon Gift Card
  • $1,500 YRI Scholarship
  • Soundcore noise-cancelling headphones ($70)
  • Google laptop carrier bag ($40)
  • Google tote bag ($12)
  • 2× .xyz domain
  • Up to 4 YRI auto-admissions
02

2nd Place Overall

$75CASH
  • $75 Amazon Gift Card
  • Amazon Echo Dot ($50)
  • Nano Banana sweatshirt ($90)
  • .xyz domain
  • Up to 2 YRI auto-admissions
03

3rd Place Overall

$70CASH
  • $70 Amazon Gift Card
  • Google tote bag
  • .xyz domain
  • YRI auto-admission
SPECIAL AWARD

Best Beginner Hack

$50CASH
  • $50 Amazon Gift Card
  • Google tote
  • AoPS coupon
  • .xyz domain
SPECIAL AWARD

Best AI Hack

$20CASH
  • $20 Amazon Gift Card
  • Claude Pro (1 month)
  • .xyz domain
  • YRI auto-admission
SPECIAL AWARD

Best Design / Website

$35CASH
  • $35 Amazon Gift Card
  • AoPS coupon
  • YRI auto-admission
  • .xyz domain
  • Google sticker bundle
Judges

The judges.

Deep Gajjar
Deep Gajjar
Google
Disha Patel
Disha Patel
Apple
Phoebe Wang
Phoebe Wang
OpenAI
Neelakshi Soni
Neelakshi Soni
Meta
Mariia Pliusnova
Mariia Pliusnova
DeepAI
Schedule

May 23rd, minute by minute.

Google Humboldt · 227 Humboldt Ct, Sunnyvale, CA 94089 · 3rd Floor · 8 AM to 8 PM

8:00 AM
Doors open
Check in, grab breakfast, meet your team.
9:00 AM
Opening ceremony
Welcome, rules of the day, sponsor intros.
9:30 AM
Hacking begins
Start building. Mentors are around from this point on.
12:00 PM
Lunch
Catered lunch. Take a break, talk to people, keep going.
1:00 PM
Workshops
Optional skill sessions run in parallel. Drop in or keep building.
5:00 PM
Submissions due
Final code freeze. Submit your project for judging.
5:30 PM
Demos begin
Show your project to the judges, science-fair style. Each team gets a slot.
7:30 PM
Awards ceremony
Prizes, thank-yous, closing remarks.
8:00 PM
Doors close
Pack up, trade contacts, head home.
DURATION
12 hours
MILESTONES
9 events
Venue

Google Humboldt, Sunnyvale.

Big main hall for the build, breakout rooms for workshops, a kitchen with snacks. Plenty of room to spread out.

HOSTED BY
Atrium with exposed ceiling and multi-level walkways
Main hall with round tables and chartreuse chairs
Kitchen counter with fruit, cereals, coffee machine
Open lounge area with colorful chairs and wall mural
Seating in the atrium with fiber art wall hanging
Small conference room with yellow chairs and display screen
Google Humboldt sign outside the building
01/07
Venue TourThe atrium
HUMBOLDT
ADDRESS227 Humboldt Ct
CITYSunnyvale, CA 94089
FLOORThird floor
DATEMay 23, 2026
HOURS8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Open in Maps
GETTING HERE

Google Humboldt is in Sunnyvale, just off Highway 101. Parking on-site, no permit needed. The closest Caltrain stop is Sunnyvale; VTA buses run nearby.

WHAT TO BRING

Laptop, charger, and a school ID for check-in at the front desk. Headphones if you want them. We provide food, drinks, snacks, WiFi, and power strips.

WHEN TO ARRIVE

Doors open at 8 AM. Aim for 8:30 - that gives you time to check in, grab breakfast, and find a team before the opening ceremony at 9.

Registration

Applications are closed

We're no longer accepting new applications for Synthesis Hacks 2026. Accepted participants should keep an eye on email and Discord for event updates.

Contact the team
FAQ

Questions, answered

Small teams build a project in a fixed amount of time - usually a website, app, game, or some other software thing. The point isn't to win. It's to actually finish something with a few other people in a day.
No. A lot of attendees will be writing their first real code on Saturday. Mentors are around the whole day to help when you get stuck.
High school - grades 9 through 12. No prior experience needed.
Teams of 2 to 4. No team? Show up alone - we run a team-matching session right after check-in.
Free. Sponsors cover food, prizes, and supplies.
Twelve hours: 8 AM to 8 PM at Google Humboldt in Sunnyvale. Full schedule is in the section above.
Email sponsors@synthesishacks.com about sponsoring, or team@synthesishacks.com about mentoring. We reply.

Still have questions?

Email us - we usually reply same day.

Email us

TITLE SPONSORS

Thank you to our sponsors

Gold

BRONZE

MORE SPONSORS COMING SOON

Sponsorships

Help us make it happen

Synthesis Hacks is free. That works because sponsors cover food, prizes, supplies, and the rest. Here's what we offer in return.

On the t-shirt

Your logo on the shirt every attendee wears, on the website, and at the venue.

In the room

Send mentors, run a 30-minute workshop, or just sit at a table and answer questions.

Pay it forward

Free events change who gets to start building. We’re keeping this open to everyone.

Interested in sponsoring?

Check out our sponsorship prospectus to learn about partnership opportunities and how you can support the next generation of builders.