ALSO Hackathon: BUILD AI AGENTS IN 48 HOURS
08 - 09 October 2026, Lisbon (Portugal)
Reserve your spot now!
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Register your team for the ALSO Hackathon in Lisbon| Edition 04
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 your idea 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
We are looking forward to welcome you to our next Hackathon Edition. Please register with the following details. We will get back to you with a confirmation mail & further information.
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.
How it works
Sign up with your team and submit your AI idea:
Register your company and sign up exactly 3–4 team members. Each team should include a balanced mix of business and technical profiles, ensuring the diverse expertise needed for success.
After registration, you’ll receive the confirmation e-mail and important trainings videos from Garage 48 to prepare for the event & get all the needed information.
Prepare your pitch: Please sent us your pitch idea until the 25th September 2026 as a powerpoint & receive written feedback from Microsoft to further prepare.
Training Session with Microsoft: Agent Skilling - 10 September 2026:
A 2-hour online session with Microsoft Mentors for more guidance & information and to ask all the unanswered questions.
Hackathon – 08–09 October 2026:
Take your improved idea and create your AI Agent in just 48 hours! Work with Microsoft and ALSO experts in our selected Lisbon venue (details sent via confirmation email). The hotel stay is covered by us.
Post-Hackathon:
Join our on-demand ALSO AI Portal training to see how you monetized your AI Agent and get guidance if needed.
5 Steps | The ALSO Hackathon
Agent Skilling
- 10 September 2026
- 10:30 to 12:30 CET
- Live Webinar*
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
Lisbon| October 08–09, 2026
During the two-day Hackathon, teams will work intensively on building a working prototype, 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 host 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.
If your team registers after 10 September, a recording of the session will be available so you can catch up at your own pace before the event.
You will receive the teams link via email.
Pitch Submission
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.