Online hackathon · College students across India
Build AI that handles money better.
Arthaton is an online hackathon for college students across India to build AI applications for finance.
Prizes
Cash prizes and certificates
| No. | Entry | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | First prize | ₹10,000 |
| 02 | Second prize | ₹5,000 |
| 03 | Third prize | ₹3,000 |
On top of the prizes, every participant with a valid submission receives a certificate. Prize money for a team is paid once and shared among its members.
Every valid entry
Certificates for all valid submissions
Along with the prizes for the top three teams, every participant with a valid submission receives an Arthaton 2026 certificate.
- Given to every member of the team
- Issued for any valid submission, as decided by the judges
- Something to add to your resume and LinkedIn profile
- Selected apps and demos will be featured on the Arthaton website
Theme
AI for finance
Finance runs on data: UPI transactions, bank statements, market prices, company filings and tax rules. Build an AI application that helps people or businesses make better money decisions, whether that is managing a monthly budget, understanding investments or analysing the markets.
Some directions to get you started. You are free to pick your own. Trading projects must use historical data or paper trading, never real money.
Eligibility & rules
Who can take part
- Eligibility
- Currently enrolled college students in India.
- Verification
- Register with your official college email address, or upload a photo of your valid college ID card in the registration form. Every team member must be verified. ID photos are used only for verification and are never shared or published.
- Format
- Fully online. Work from wherever you are.
- Teams
- Take part on your own or in a team of up to 3 members. One registration per team.
- Deadline
- Register by 15 November 2026. Submit before end of day on 22 November 2026 (11:59 PM IST). Late entries are not accepted.
- Originality
- Your project must be your own team's work. You may use open-source libraries and AI APIs; credit them in your README.
Judges
Who reviews your project
Submissions are reviewed by AI researchers, engineers and finance experts from leading companies.
Submissions will be judged on real-world impact, relevance to the theme, whether the app works end to end, use of AI, creativity, originality and the quality of the demo.
Partners
Official industry partners
How it works
From sign-up to submission
- Register
Fill in the registration form with your team details and college verification by 15 November 2026.
- Build
Work on your AI finance app any time before the deadline.
- Push your code to GitHub
Put all source code in a public GitHub repository with a README that explains what it does and how to run it.
- Record a demo video
Create a demo video of your working app (< 5 minutes).
- Submit before 22 Nov, 11:59 PM IST
Send your GitHub repository and demo video links through the submission link we will email to registered team leads after registration closes on 15 November 2026.
Submissions missing a GitHub repository or a demo video will not be judged.
FAQ
Questions
Is there a registration fee?
No. Arthaton is free to enter.
Do I need a Google account to register?
Yes. The registration form asks you to sign in with a Google account, and each account can register once. The team lead registers for the whole team.
My college doesn't give us an official email. Can I still join?
Yes. Upload a clear photo of your current college ID card in the registration form instead.
Can team members be from different colleges?
Yes, as long as every member is a currently enrolled college student in India.
Can I use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or other AI APIs?
Yes. Using AI models and APIs is the point. Mention which ones you used in your README.
Does the app need to handle real financial data?
No. Sample, synthetic or public market data is fine and preferred. Never put real bank details, passwords, PAN numbers or broker API keys in your repository, and do not place real trades.
When will results be announced?
By 30 November 2026. We will email all registered participants with results and certificates.
Contact
Ask us anything
Questions about eligibility, teams or submissions? Write to us and we'll reply within two working days.