Build Zero - October 2025

Build Zero October 2025 is a 48-hour in-person hackathon in Nairobi, Kenya. Build anything you want. Ship it. Demo it.

Build whatever you're excited about: developer tools, consumer apps, AI applications, games, productivity software, hardware projects, or anything else. The only requirement is that you build it during the event and it works. We provide everything you need to focus on building. All meals and drinks are covered throughout the event. 

You'll need to bring your laptop with chargers and have your development environment already set up before arriving. If your project requires any specific hardware beyond basic components, bring those with you.

All code must be written during the event - no pre-written code allowed. Teams can have a maximum of 4 members, though solo participation is welcome. While you can use existing libraries, frameworks, and APIs, the core project must be completely new work created during the hackathon. You must push all code to GitHub before the deadline and present a working demo. All projects must be open source.

Your submission must include a working demo that can be tested by judges. You need to provide a GitHub repository containing all your code, along with a README that includes clear setup instructions. The project should have either a deployed URL where it can be accessed or be ready to run as a local demo.

Each team gets 5 minutes to present their project followed by 5 minutes of Q&A with the judges. You must show live functionality - no slides or mockups. Judges will test all demos hands-on after presentations.