ETHER LABS & GLENR present

CLOUDHACK2026

Where Cloud Meets Creation.

80 of Sri Lanka's best young builders. One real problem. Three days to build and prove it.

  • 80 ParticipantsParticipants
  • ~20 TeamsTeams
  • 3 DaysDays
ManifestNo. CH-2026
Venue
ESOFT University Colombo, Block B
Date
Second week of October 2026
Cargo
80 builders / ~20 teams

New October dates announcing soon

WP-01About

Pipeline stage: Building

About CloudHack

CloudHack is a three-day hackathon where 80 of Sri Lanka's strongest university students and early-career builders compete to solve a real business problem shaped with our sponsors. Born from a simple belief - Sri Lanka has exceptional tech talent that deserves a stage - CloudHack isn't just a hackathon. It's the beginning of a movement. A community where students and professionals collaborate, grow, and put Sri Lanka's tech scene on the map.

Not just a hackathon. The beginning of a movement.

WP-02Why participate

Pipeline stage: Building

Why participate

  1. RSN-0101/04

    Solve a real problem

    Build against an actual business challenge shaped with our sponsors - not a made-up brief.

  2. RSN-0202/04

    Showcase your talent

    Get your skills in front of sponsor companies through a real, working project - not an interview.

  3. RSN-0303/04

    Connect & collaborate

    Meet Sri Lanka's sharpest young builders in one room.

  4. RSN-0404/04

    Be part of the movement

    Help shape the future of Sri Lanka's tech community.

WP-03The themes

Pipeline stage: Building

The themes

The challenge will be grounded in Automation, Sustainability, and AI Enablement. The exact problem statement will be revealed two days before the in-person final.
  1. TRK-0101/03

    Automation

    Build tools that eliminate repetitive tasks and drive efficiency.

  2. TRK-0202/03

    Sustainability

    Build solutions that cut waste, save resources, or support a greener Sri Lanka.

  3. TRK-0303/03

    AI Enablement

    Bring AI into real workflows - practical tools that make businesses smarter and faster.

Coming soon. The exact problem statement will be revealed two days before the in-person final. Teams will then have two consecutive days to build remotely together. The themes are public; the final brief stays under wraps until the remote build begins.

WP-04Cloud platform

Pipeline stage: Deploying

Cloud platform

Every final app runs on Glenr, our Cloud Platform Partner, giving judges a live, shared platform for review.
  1. Workshop01/04

    Learn the platform

    Stage: Pending

    Selected teams attend the in-person Glenr workshop and get comfortable with the deployment workflow ahead of the hackathon. The workshop date will be announced soon.

  2. Build02/04

    Ship locally first

    Stage: Building

    Teams build their prototype remotely over two consecutive days using their preferred framework, repo, and local development setup.

  3. Deploy03/04

    Publish on Glenr

    Stage: Deploying

    Teams deploy the app, test the live URL, and keep it ready for judges when submissions close.

  4. Submit04/04

    Share the demo package

    Stage: Deployed

    Final submissions include the Glenr URL, GitHub/repo link, and a short presentation or demo video.

Inference
Shared inference endpoint
Includes models hosted directly by Glenr.
Tokens
Unlimited for teams
No personal API tokens needed.

WP-05Three-day format

Pipeline stage: Deploying

How the three days work

The problem statement is revealed before two consecutive remote build days. Teams then meet mentors and judges in person on the final day.
  1. DAY 101/03

    Problem reveal & remote build

    The exact problem statement is revealed and teams begin building remotely together.

  2. DAY 202/03

    Remote build continues

    Teams work remotely for a second consecutive day to develop and test their prototypes.

  3. DAY 303/03

    In-person final

    Teams come to the venue to talk with mentors, review their approach, showcase prototypes, make final changes, and deliver their demos and pitches.

Exact dates and final-day timings will be announced soon.

Keynote speakers. Speaker names and bios are being confirmed. Announcing soon.

WP-06Prizes

Pipeline stage: Deploying

Prizes

There's more than bragging rights on the line - the top three teams take home cash prizes.
  1. PRZ-0101/03

    1st place

    LKRLKR 100,000
  2. PRZ-0202/03

    2nd place

    LKRLKR 60,000
  3. PRZ-0303/03

    3rd place

    LKRLKR 40,000

Prize pool confirmed for the top three places.

WP-07Logistics

Pipeline stage: Deployed

Event details

Postponed to the second week of October. Exact dates will be announced soon.

When
Second week of October 2026
Exact dates · announcing soon
Venue
ESOFT University Colombo, Block B
Colombo
Duration
Three days
Two remote build days · one in-person final

Who should apply

Eligibility
Students & early-career builders

Open to builders in Sri Lanka across technical and product roles.

Teams
Solo, partial, or full

Final event teams will be 3–4 members.

Capacity
80 curated builders

Selected from university and early-career applicants.

WP-08Venue

Pipeline stage: Deployed

The venue

Teams come together at ESOFT University Colombo, Block B for the final day. The exact October date will be announced soon.
Location signalLocation / Confirmed

Site marker

ESOFT University Colombo, Block B

Open in Maps

Confirmed venue

ESOFT University Colombo, Block B

Colombo

  • Final-day arrival

    Check-in time and arrival instructions will be shared once the new date is confirmed.

  • What to bring

    Laptop, charger, and whatever you build best with. Reliable WiFi and laptop power are required in the venue selection.

  • Getting there

    Exact hall, entrance, parking, and arrival instructions will be emailed to confirmed participants.

WP-09Judging

Pipeline stage: Deployed

Judging & rules

Every team demos to the full judging panel and is scored on the same sheet. Detailed criteria will be shared before the final presentations - here are the ground rules to plan around.
Full judging criteria will be shared before demos and pitches on the final day.

Ground rules

  1. 01Teams are 3–4 people. Every member must be registered.
  2. 02All project code must be written during the three-day hackathon window. Open-source libraries, frameworks and AI tools (including the hackathon inference endpoint) are fair game.
  3. 03Each team builds against the revealed problem statement, grounded in Automation, Sustainability, and AI Enablement.
  4. 04Final submissions must be demoable apps that are deployed on Glenr.
  5. 05Final submissions must include a working demo, a GitHub/repo link, and a short demo video. Submission links close before final demos.
  6. 06Judges' decisions are final.

WP-10Hosts

Pipeline stage: Deployed

Who's behind CloudHack

AI Partner

Ether Labs

A Colombo-based AI automation company building AI agents and custom workflow automation for startups and growing businesses. Brings the AI tooling, mentorship and judging to the event.

Tech Partner

Glenr

The technology and infrastructure partner behind the event. Glenr will set up the cluster and a shared inference endpoint - spanning several models, including some hosted directly by Glenr - that teams use to build and run their solutions throughout the hackathon.

Judges & mentors. The full panel is being confirmed. Announcing soon.

Partnerships

The exclusive title partnership is open.

One title slot, sponsor tracks, judging seats and recruiting access are open - full tiers and contribution levels live on the partnership page.

View partnership tiers

Community

Join the community

The CloudHack WhatsApp community is where schedule announcements drop first - and where solo builders can find teammates before the event.

Join the WhatsApp community

WP-12FAQ

Pipeline stage: Deployed

FAQ

Who can participate?

CloudHack is open to university students and early-career builders in Sri Lanka. Teams can include developers, AI builders, designers, product thinkers, or anyone who can help ship a working prototype across the three-day format.

How do I register?

Hit any “Sign Up” button on this page to open the registration form. Tell us about you and your team, and we'll be in touch with next steps.

Can I register solo or with a partial team?

You can register solo, with a partial team, or as a full team. Full event teams will be 3–4 members; solo and partial applicants can use the WhatsApp community to find teammates before selection.

Do I need to register every team member now?

For now, only the captain needs to register. We'll collect full member details from shortlisted teams.

What should I bring on the final day?

Your laptop, charger, and whatever you build best with. You do not need to bring your own AI API tokens.

Is there a registration fee?

No. CloudHack is free to participate in for selected builders.

What do I need to build?

The exact problem statement will be revealed two days before the in-person final. Use the two remote build days to create a working prototype, then refine and present it at the venue. Final submissions must include a working demo, a GitHub/repo link, and a short presentation or demo video.

What is Glenr?

Glenr is CloudHack's Cloud Platform Partner. Teams will use it to deploy final apps for demos and judging, with an in-person platform workshop ahead of the hackathon. The workshop date will be announced soon.

Learn about Glenr
Do teams need their own AI API tokens?

No. We will provide teams with access to a shared inference endpoint spanning multiple models, including some hosted directly on Glenr, with unlimited tokens for teams during the event. Glenr sets up the cluster so teams can build without using their own tokens.

When and where exactly is the event?

CloudHack 2026 has been postponed to the second week of October 2026. The exact dates will be announced soon, with the final day at ESOFT University Colombo, Block B.