The Hackathon is on October 24. Winning groups will have the opportunity to present at the Energy Symposium on November 6.

CUES GridTech Hackathon

Columbia students, alumni, and faculty will team up to tackle one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI infrastructure: getting data centers the power they need, fast. Build a prototype, prepare a pitch, and network with people across Columbia in the process.

Join us for this full-day Hackathon on October 24. The top Hackathon teams will present on November 6 to an audience composed of students, alumni, and industry peers at the 22nd Annual Columbia University Energy Symposium.

Each team will work on software and/or hardware solutions to help a large load data center customer reliably get speed to power, balancing clean energy commitments, cost, and local concerns. Both the Hackathon (Oct 24) and Symposium (Nov 6) will be held on campus.

Who Should Apply?

  • Graduate students, alumni, and faculty across Columbia University

  • Business builders, engineers, operators, and policy thinkers interested in energy, AI infrastructure, and decarbonization.

  • Aspiring climate founders who want to work on a team

  • You don't need a startup idea, a co-founder, or prior hackathon experience to apply.

Apply Here

What Will We Work On?

Your team will develop a product pitch and business model that focuses on

  • The core value proposition and who it's for

  • Why this solution is meaningfully differentiated or defensible

  • The business model and path to revenue

Which Industry Professionals Will We Present For and Network With?

•⁠ ⁠At the Hackathon Energy industry leaders across logos including Voltus, Aspen Power, Related Digital, Intuit, S&P Global Power Markets & Renewables, Oppenheimer Energy, CGC, and more!

•⁠ ⁠At the Symposium, representatives from Con Edison, Vistra, GSPower Partners, Talisman, HASI, Terrestrial Energy, NYSERDA, NextEra, JP Morgan, ElectronX, and more!