Agentic Startup Hackathon (Palo Alto)

Proving Ground Agentic Hackathon | May 16 - 18, 2025

Where the Startup-Curious and Startup-Serious Build What's Next

RSVP & REGISTRATION
Show your intent to participate by RSVPing on our Meetup page. Complete your registration on Devpost to secure your spot.

• RSVP NOW - here on Meetup.
• **Secure your spot by registering on DevPost: https://agentic-rag-a-thon.devpost.com/**

**Note: free pre-hackathon workshop w/Proving Ground included on DevPost Registration page.

​WHY THIS MATTERS

• ​99% of pitches get rejected—not because they're bad ideas, but because founders lack proof
• ​The gap between your idea and funding isn't skill—it's validation
• ​Walk away with clarity: Know exactly what to do next, whether it's build, pivot, or seek funding

​WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• ​Full-time founders: Accelerate your validation process and refine your product direction
• ​Startup-curious professionals: Test your ideas without immediately quitting your day job
• ​Technical talent: Whether you're all-in or exploring options, build with cutting-edge AI tools
• ​Domain experts: Leverage your industry knowledge in a structured validation environment

THE PROVING GROUND ADVANTAGE

• ​First sprint mindset: Intensive 72-hour validation with clear outcomes
• ​Outcome focused: Leave with a clear roadmap for what to prove next
• ​Build in public: Get immediate feedback on your core assumptions
• ​Cutting-edge tech stack: Access to enterprise-grade AI infrastructure from leading providers

​CHOOSE YOUR PATH

​INNOVATORS TRACK

• ​Perfect for: First-time founders and enterprise professionals exploring startup ideas
• ​Deliverable: Working prototype + documented feedback from 3+ potential users
• ​Outcome: Clear understanding of your next validation milestone and viability assessment

​STARTUP TRACK

• ​Perfect for: Committed founding teams with existing projects seeking acceleration
• ​Deliverable: Key feature implementation + feedback from existing or potential customers
• ​Outcome: Defined roadmap for what to build or validate next to reach funding milestones

​CROSS-TRACK COLLABORATION

• ​Team formation opportunities: Connect startup-curious talent with committed founders
• ​Skill matching: Find the technical or domain expertise your project needs
• ​Founder dating: Test compatibility with potential co-founders in a high-intensity environment
• ​Career transitions: Enterprise professionals can explore joining existing startups

​FEATURED AI TECH STACK

• ​Enterprise-grade infrastructure: Build on the same tools powering industry leaders
• ​Technical workshops: Learn how to integrate and leverage sponsored AI technologies
• ​API credits & resources: Exclusive access to premium tiers of partner platforms
• ​Technical mentors: On-site engineers from our tech partners to help you implement fast

​WEEKEND BREAKDOWN

• ​Friday: Opening keynote, AI stack tutorials, tech sponsor demos, team formation
• ​Saturday-Sunday: Build, test, validate, refine with hands-on mentor support
• ​Prizes: $5,000 cash + partner API credits + technical mentorship opportunities

​POST-EVENT SUPPORT

• ​Accelerator office hours
• ​Founder lunch & learns
• ​Technical mentorship opportunities
• ​Guidance on next validation steps

​HOW WE SELECT PARTICIPANTS

• ​Balanced mix of full-time founders and enterprise professionals with domain expertise
• ​Technical capability and validation readiness
• ​Ideas with clear validation hypotheses
• ​Decisions within 48 hours of application

## ​APPLY NOW – LIMITED SPOTS

​**Secure your spot by registering on DevPost: https://agentic-rag-a-thon.devpost.com/**