AECAS Kenya • TUK • October 2026

UrbanPulse
Hackathon 2026

Kenya's most ambitious built environment innovation challenge. Engineers, architects, planners, and data scientists converge to redesign Nairobi's urban future.

Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi
48-Hour Innovation Sprint
KES 500,000+ in prizes
Hackathon begins in
00
DAYS
:
00
HRS
:
00
MIN
:
00
SEC
SCROLL
By the Numbers

Africa's most ambitious
urban hackathon

0+
Expected Participants
Students & professionals
0+
Teams Competing
Cross-disciplinary
0
Innovation Tracks
Urban focus areas
0 wks
Innovation Sprint
Pre-hackathon bootcamp
0 hrs
Hackathon Duration
Non-stop building
Innovation Tracks

Four pillars of
urban transformation

Each track addresses a critical dimension of Nairobi's urban challenges, powered by emerging technology and Africa-first thinking.

Explore all tracks

Smart Infrastructure & Structural Integrity

Building resilient cities from the ground up

Leverage IoT sensors, structural health monitoring, and AI-driven analysis to build infrastructure that heals itself and adapts to urban growth.

Bridge monitoring systemsPredictive maintenanceFlood-resistant design

Energy, Water & Utility Intelligence

Powering sustainable urban systems

Design smart grids, water distribution networks, and waste management systems that serve Nairobi's growing 5M+ population.

Solar micro-gridsLeakage detectionWaste-to-energy

Urban Mobility & Logistics

Moving people and goods smarter

Reimagine Nairobi's notorious traffic congestion with smart routing, matatu optimization, and last-mile connectivity solutions.

Matatu route optimizationTraffic signal AIMicro-mobility hubs

Geo-Intelligence & Digital Twins

Mapping the future of urban data

Build GIS platforms, digital twins, and spatial analytics tools that give planners real-time insight into Nairobi's complex urban fabric.

Digital twin of CBDFlood risk mappingLand use prediction
Event Timeline

From bootcamp to breakthrough

A structured innovation journey taking teams from raw ideas to deployable urban solutions in under six months.

Phase 01

Bootcamp & Orientation

July 20262 weeks

Participants are onboarded, mentors assigned, problem statements released. Teams form and initial research begins.

Problem statement releaseTeam formationMentor matchingSite visits to Nairobi urban zones
Phase 02

12-Week Innovation Sprint

July – October 202612 weeks

Deep research, prototype development, and iterative testing guided by mentors from industry and academia.

Weekly mentor check-insMid-sprint showcasePrototype iterationsCommunity testing sessions
Phase 03

48-Hour Hackathon

October 15–17, 202648 hours

The flagship event. Teams build, pitch, and compete before a panel of elite judges from across Africa's built environment sector.

Opening ceremonyNon-stop buildingMentor office hoursFinal pitches & judging
Phase 04

Incubation & Launch

November 2026+3 months

Top teams receive incubation support, introductions to investors, and pathways to pilot their solutions in real Nairobi neighbourhoods.

Prizes awardedIncubation cohort beginsPartner introductionsPilot deployments
Applications Open

Ready to engineer
tomorrow's Nairobi?

Join hundreds of Kenya's brightest engineers, architects, planners, and data scientists in a once-in-a-generation urban innovation challenge.

Register a Team

Got a team of 2–6? Register your project idea and innovation track now.

Get started

Join as Individual

No team yet? Register solo and get matched with a team that needs your skills.

Join now

Attend the Event

Media, spectators, and VIPs register via our Lu.ma page. It's free to attend.

Register on Lu.ma