Hackathon | Funding the Commons SF: Intelligence at the Frontier

Build frontier intelligence in service of human flourishing. Hackers, it’s time to take over the tower. The Intelligence at the Frontier Hackathon, hosted by Funding the Commons and Protocol Labs, is a curated, in-person build sprint with a $20.5K+ prize pool. The event runs alongside Funding the Commons: Intelligence at the Frontier Festival, inside Frontier Tower in San Francisco. While the festival brings together researchers, funders, and frontier thinkers, the hackathon is where builders get hands-on. We’re looking for working prototypes—real systems, real demos, real code. Projects that push intelligence forward while staying grounded in practical use. We’re convening 150–200 carefully selected builders for two focused days of work. The Tracks Projects must align with one of four tracks: Physical AI & Robotics AI systems that control real hardware—robots, drones, lab equipment, factory tools, or other physical machines. We want systems that operate outside the browser and interact directly with the physical world. Agentic Funding & Coordination What happens when agents can hold budgets, evaluate proposals, move capital, and make funding decisions? Build systems where AI can allocate resources, manage treasuries, distribute grants, or coordinate contributors—with clear rules and verifiable outcomes. AI Safety & Evaluation Build tools that catch real failures in deployed AI systems—security vulnerabilities, prompt injection risks, evaluation gaming, deception, or runtime misbehavior. Strong projects define a specific failure mode and produce a reusable evaluation, monitoring system, or audit framework others can run. Sovereign Infrastructure Infrastructure that enables independent identity, coordination, and compute without relying on centralized gatekeepers. This includes verifiable identity systems, decentralized compute networks, governance mechanisms, and coordination tools that remain operational under real-world constraints. Registration & Approval Process This is a curated hackathon with limited spots. When applying, you must create a DevSpot profile: https://devspot.app/ DevSpot is where team formation and final submissions happen. You’ll need an account there to participate. Step 1: Apply on Luma. This page is your formal application. Step 2: Get approved. Selected builders will receive an approval email and access to the official DevSpot hackathon page to register their team and submit their project. Spots are limited. If you’re building at the frontier, apply early and come ready to ship.