CRSU Hackathon 2026

Overview: Research it. Build it. Prove it. A two-stage innovation challenge that starts with research and ideation and ends with an intensive online build and presentation phase. Open to everyone. Teams of 1 to 3. CRSU Hackathon 2026 is for people who want to do more than pitch an idea. The programme follows a simple progression: Understand the problem → Propose a Research → Build it → Prove it The hackathon begins with research and ideation. Teams will work on a single problem statement, understand the user or context, develop a solution and plan how they would build it. The strongest teams will then advance to the final build phase, where the focus shifts to execution, testing, iteration and presenting a working prototype. The entire programme is fully online, allowing participants from anywhere to take part without needing to travel to CRSU. Teams can bring together different strengths across coding, design, product, research, data and presentation. Important: Registration on Unstop is only for participation details. The main registration will be completed on https://events.romeojuliet.love/crsu-hackathon-2026 Please make sure to register there as wel At a Glance: Eligibility: Everyone can apply Team Size: 1 to 3 members Mode: Fully online Final Build Stage: 30 teams Data: Synthetic data throughout Winning Team: Internship opportunity with Romeo & Juliet How It Works: The hackathon takes place across two competitive stages. Stage: Research & Ideation: 5th to 11th October 2026 Teams will study the problem, understand the user or context, identify the core challenge and develop a credible solution. The focus is on research, reasoning and solution design before implementation. Teams will work on areas such as: Understanding the problem Identifying users and context Developing hypotheses Designing a proposed solution Planning implementation Thinking through feasibility and limitations Stage: Final Build & Presentation: 12th to 18th October 2026 The strongest teams from Round 1 will advance to the final build phase. 30 teams will be selected to continue. Teams will turn their ideas into working prototypes and focus on: Building Testing Iterating Validating Demonstrating Presenting The final phase will be conducted entirely online. Who Can Participate?: Everyone can apply. You do not need to belong to a specific college, degree programme or academic discipline. Eligibility: Open to everyone Academic Background: No specific college, degree or discipline required Team Size: 1 to 3 members Format: Fully online Teams are encouraged to combine complementary skills across: Coding · Design · Product · Research · Data · Presentation What You Will Do: Research & Ideation: Understand the problem, research the context and develop a solution and make research paper. Shortlisting: 30 teams selected for the final build. Final Build: Build, test and iterate on your solution. Presentation: Demonstrate and explain your working prototype. The aim is to move beyond an idea and demonstrate what you can actually build and prove. Data & Ownership: The competition uses synthetic data throughout. Participants will not be asked to provide dating, relationship or compatibility information. No real Romeo & Juliet member data will be used. Participants retain ownership of the code, models, reports and other work they submit. Participation does not transfer ownership of a submission to Romeo & Juliet. Romeo & Juliet retains ownership of its own platform, technology, materials and work developed by or for the company before, during or after the programme. Participation, or a similarity between a submission and Romeo & Juliet's work, does not give a participant ownership of Romeo & Juliet's independently developed work. If Romeo & Juliet wishes to use a participant's submitted work in its product, the parties will discuss that separately and agree the terms in writing. Beyond the Hackathon: The winning team will receive an internship opportunity with Romeo & Juliet. Further internship details and terms will be communicated separately. Important Dates: 25 September 2026: Problem statement released 2 October 2026: Registration closes 5 October 2026: PS release 5 to 11 October 2026: Round 1: Online research and ideation 12 to 18 October 2026: Final online build, testing and presentations