🤖 From the Ground Up AI Hackathon — $15,000 Prize!
Merced College students interested in AI, computer science, agriculture, sustainability, or solving real-world problems have an exciting opportunity to compete in Zoho’s From the Ground Up AI Hackathon!
Teams of 2–3 students will develop an idea for an AI solution addressing one or more challenges facing rural and rural-serving communities:
- 🔥 Wildfire risk
- 💧 Water scarcity
- 🌱 Agricultural instability
🚀 How the Competition Works
The first stage is just a written proposal, so you do not need to have a completed project yet.
📅 Stage 1 Proposal Deadline: August 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Teams selected to advance will move on to Stage 2, where they will develop their idea further and present a pitch deck and prototype demonstration to industry experts and Zoho leadership.
🏆 Grand Prize: $15,000
Finalists will be invited to the in-person event in Pleasanton, California on September 22, with September 21 designated as a travel day. Zoho will assist advancing teams with travel.
💡 Need Help Getting Started?
Zoho is holding a virtual drop-in Q&A on Thursday, August 27 at 5:00 PM Pacific where students can ask questions about the competition and proposal.
👉 Q&A: https://zoho.to/ftgu
Students can also contact the organizers at fromthegroundup@zohocorp.com with questions.
👩💻 Interested in Forming a Merced College Team?
This could be a great project for CS Club students or anyone interested in applying AI to real problems affecting the Central Valley.
You don’t need to have a finished AI application to enter—the first step is developing a strong idea and submitting the written proposal.
If you’re interested, start talking with classmates and put together a team of 2–3 students. It would be great to have Merced College represented!
