ALSO Hackathon: BUILD AI AGENTS IN 48 HOURS
08 - 09 October 2026, Lisbon (Portugal)
Reserve your spot now!
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Register as a team with a real business project or join as individual participant and take on a challenge
Get ready to join us for an productive 2-day onsite Hackathon in Lisbon, where imagination meets cutting-edge technology!
Turn your vision into a functional prototype by focusing on the development of Microsoft AI Agents. Whether you have a customer challenge to solve or an innovative idea with real business value, bring it to the table and transform it into a tangible solution.
Get expert guidance – Receive hands-on support from ALSO & Microsoft mentors and the experienced startup community behind Garage 48.
Build a real prototype for your customers - Work together to transform an idea into a functional prototype within 48 hours.
Build connections – Strengthen your network with top partners and experts in the field.
The Hackathon is organized in collaboration with Microsoft mentors and Garage 48, bringing together experienced experts who will support teams throughout the journey.
From Zero to Demo.
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Register
Please fill out the form and select the webinar(s) you would like to attend. The webinar link will be sent to you via email.
Not sure if the idea of your team is "ready" or "good" enough"?
If you’re unsure whether your idea is “ready” or “good” enough, remember: this Hackathon is about exploring and creating AI solutions to improve customer experience - every idea that aims to solve real client challenges is valuable and worth developing.
And that is why we also included the preparation phase before the event.
It is your opportunity to discuss your idea, validate your approach, and receive feedback from Microsoft mentors. You don’t need a fully developed concept - just make sure to arrive at the Hackathon with a clear direction and a well-structured idea ready to develop:
The user challenge you want to solve
The value for your target customers or users
Why the solution matters
How you plan to build it, including which tools, technologies, or Microsoft Agents you intend to use.
Your next big idea starts here - don’t let it wait!
Register now for the Hackathon - TEAMS ONLY
If you want to register as an individual particpant instead, please click here.
Mandatory Commercialization Requirement: Any solution developed during the Hackathon must be launched and made available for sale within 3 months of the event on the ALSO AI Portal. Participants who fail to meet this requirement may be excluded from participation in future Hackathons and innovation programs organized by ALSO.
Disclaimer: If your spot is confirmed by ALSO, but your plans have changed, canceling your participation is possible until 24 September via written email. After this date, ALSO reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee of 250,00€ per signed up team member.
If you join as a TEAM...
1. Register Your Team & Submit Your AI Idea
Sign up your company and register a team of 3 to 4 participants. For the best chance of success, we recommend a balanced mix of technical and business profiles, combining solution expertise, creativity, and commercial thinking.
After registering, you'll receive a confirmation email along with exclusive preparation materials from Garage48, including training videos and practical guidance for the hackathon.
2. Prepare & Submit Your Pitch
Submit your AI Agent idea in PowerPoint format by 25 September 2026. Microsoft experts will review your concept and provide written feedback to help you refine your idea before the event.
3. Watch the Microsoft Agent Skilling Session
Watch our 2-hour online training session with Microsoft mentors to gain inspiration, deepen your agent knowledge, and get answers to any remaining questions before the hackathon - link will be shared via mail.
4. Hackathon | 08-09 October 2026
Bring your improved concept to Lisbon and turn it into a working AI Agent in just 48 hours.
Work side-by-side with Microsoft and ALSO experts at our selected Lisbon venue while developing, testing, and pitching your solution. Accommodation will be provided by ALSO.
5. After the Hackathon
Continue your AI journey with access to the ALSO AI Portal and on-demand enablement resources.Learn how to position, monetize, and scale your AI Agent, and receive additional guidance as you bring your idea to market.
5 Steps | The ALSO Hackathon
Agent Skilling
- on-demand
To help you get ready for the Hackathon, Garage48 provides a set of training videos covering the Hackathon format, judging criteria, and a step-by-step guide to the process. The link to the training videos will be sent to you after you receive your participation confirmation email.
- 08-09 October 2026
Ikonik Lisboa - Parque das Nações, Lisbon
Hackathon in Lisbon
ALSO AI Portal Training
ONLY FOR TEAMS PARTICIPATION!
Lisbon| October 08–09, 2026
During the two-day Hackathon, teams will work intensively on building a working prototype while single participants will be put into groups and will be fiven a challenger to solve. Everyone will be supported by mentors from Microsoft and experts from Garage 48. The focus is on rapid experimentation, collaboration, and turning ideas into something tangible.
Included for our guests:
Hotel stay covered by ALSO from 08 to 09 October incl. breakfast + Networking Dinner (October 08)
After the Hackathon, you will receive an on-demand ALSO AI Portal & Monetization training to help you publish and commercialize your AI Agent.
Solutions developed during the Hackathon are expected to be published in the ALSO AI Portal within three months past the event. Your local ALSO contact may follow up on your progress and connect you with mentors for additional support if needed.
*Please note: At least one member of each team must attend the Microsoft technical skilling session and ensure the key learnings are shared with the rest of the team. The session will be recorded and made available afterwards. While all preparation sessions will be recorded, live attendance is strongly recommended as it gives participants the opportunity to interact directly with Microsoft mentors and ask questions. As participation in the preparation program is considered a mandatory part of the Hackathon journey, ALSO will track attendance and video completion. Teams that do not engage with the required preparation activities may be excluded from the Hackathon.
⚠️ Temporary Registration Notice
We are currently experiencing technical issues with the registration form for the ALSO Hackathon.
If your company would like to participate, please email julia.glaeser@also.com with the reference "Hackathon May - Milan" and the names of your team members. We will manually add you to the registration list.
Once the form is fully operational, we will proceed with your official registration.
Thank you for your understanding and patience!
Our previous Hackathon
In May 2026, we proudly hosted Edition 03 in Milan (Italy), together with Microsoft mentors and the amazing team from Garage48. The event brought together 11 international teams from countries like Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden for two inspiring days of innovation, collaboration, and creativity.
Participants stayed at House of Stories – Navigli, making the experience not only productive but also a great opportunity to connect and build lasting relationships. The hackathon was a tremendous success—and these photos capture some of the highlights.
Hackathon Preparation
Together with Microsoft, we will do a 2-hour technical skilling session before the Hackathon, providing hands-on training on how to build Microsoft AI Agents and ensuring your team is ready to start developing from day one.
You will receive the teams link via email.
Pitch Submission
ONLY FOR TEAMS PARTICIPATION!
The next step is to submit your pitch idea, which is a mandatory part of the preparation phase.
Once submitted, you will receive feedback from Microsoft mentors to help validate and refine your concept ahead of the event. A pitch template is available via the button below.
Deadline for pitch submission: 25 September (EOD).
Please note that you will also be required to present your pitch in person on the first day of the Hackathon. Your pitch presentation should be no longer than 3 minutes.
If you join as individual participant...
1. Register as an Individual Participant
Complete the registration form and tell us about your role, skills, and experience with Microsoft technologies and solutions. While a technical background is recommended, we are also looking for participants with sales and business expertise.
2. Registration Review
After you register, we will contact you within 1 to 3 business days to confirm your participation. We may also reach out with a few additional questions to help us build balanced teams.
3. No Pitch Preparation Required
Unlike team registrations, individual participants do not need to prepare a pitch or project idea in advance. Your challenge will be revealed when you arrive in Lisbon.
4. Agent Skilling Training Session (Recording from 10 September 2026)
Watch the 2-hour training session led by Microsoft mentors to gain additional guidance, learn more about the challenge, and get answers to any remaining questions before the event.
5. Hackathon | 08-09 October 2026
ALSO will group you with 2 to 3 other participants and present a challenge that your team must solve within 48 hours.You'll work alongside Microsoft and ALSO experts at the IKONIK Hotel in Lisbon, with accommodation provided by ALSO.
6. What's Next?
After the hackathon, consider applying your new skills to a real business challenge within your organization.You might even return to a future hackathon with your own team and a solution ready to pitch. Or simply take the knowledge, inspiration, and experience back to your daily work.