München

Munich's hackathon scene is buzzing all year, and it all revolves around the flagship student-run event, hackaTUM. Held annually at the Technical University of Munich since 2016, this marathon weekend features challenges from dozens of industry partners and consistently draws one of the biggest crowds of hackers in Europe. You can find all the details at https://hack.tum.de.

Beyond hackaTUM, the city has embraced more specialized events. For example, the BMW Group x Siemens "Cross-Industry AI Hack" invites teams to tackle real-world machine learning and robotics problems with direct access to engineers from both companies. It's a very Munich blend of deep tech and industrial scale. Check it out here: https://www.munich-startup.de/en/event/cross-industry-ai-hack-powered-by-bmw-siemens/

Student entrepreneurship groups are also a huge part of the ecosystem. START Munich runs the "Road to START Hack," a compact 24-hour sprint focused on building lean prototypes and pitching like a true founder. Recent events have highlighted practical SaaS tools, with public galleries showcasing the winners. Learn more at https://www.startmunich.de/ and see past projects at https://road-to-start-hack-2024.devpost.com/.

Lately, defense and dual-use innovation has become its own major pillar. The European Defense Tech Hackathon gathers hundreds of builders each February in Munich to prototype counter-drone systems and field med-tech kits, timed to coincide with the Munich Security Conference. It's specifically designed to help projects continue long after the event ends. Their site is https://luma.com/hlzlyfvd.

Another community favorite is THE POOL, an intensive AI hackathon week that takes teams from ideation to a working prototype, culminating in finals hosted at Google Munich. Teams pitch for non-dilutive funding—exactly the kind of incentive that turns a weekend project into something sustainable. Get the info at https://www.munich-ecosystem.de/event/the-pool-munich-hackathon-2025.

You'll also find events where robotics meets sustainability, like the Circular Hackfest and the robo.innovate Hackathon. Both are hosted at the collaborative Munich Urban Colab, bringing makers, AI experts, and hardware hackers together under one roof. These often feed into larger festival demo stages. Find them here: https://hackfest.tech/ and https://www.mirmi.tum.de/en/mirmi/news/article/roboinnovate-hackathon-2025/.

The sponsor lists for these events really reflect Munich's unique tech DNA. Recent hackaTUM partners included everything from consumer platforms like CHECK24 and tech giants like Siemens to fintech firms and the City of Munich itself. This diverse mix ensures the challenges are always fresh and interesting.

And the results speak for themselves. Cool projects are always coming out of these weekends. From hackaTUM alone, recent winners included "ChatBrains," a phone-first IDE, and "EEAgent," an AI coding helper. You can browse the project gallery at https://hackatum24.devpost.com/project-gallery.

The venues themselves help fuel this innovation. Spaces like Munich Urban Colab and Google Munich put hackers right next to incubators, corporate labs, and makerspaces, dramatically shortening the path from a demo to a real-world pilot.

Finally, Munich's broader startup festivals often include hackathons, creating a perfect storm of opportunity. Events like the Bits & Pretzels Founders Festival during Oktoberfest season are a prime opportunity for teams emerging from local hacks to connect with funders and accelerators all at once. See for yourself at https://www.bitsandpretzels.com/.