Inotek Cahul | STARTUP HACKATHON

Do you have an idea that could change your city, a local business, or the way we learn?

At Startup Hackathon, you have three days to turn it into a product you can present, test, and develop further.

You’ll work alongside your teammates, talk to potential users, receive feedback from mentors, and build an MVP – the first functional version of your solution.

The best teams will receive vouchers worth up to MDL 20,000 to develop their startup.

Bonus for every participant: one month of ChatGPT Plus

Date and location

2–4 October 2026

Inotek Centre, Cahul – Nexus, Impact and Core rooms

Who can participate?

Startup Hackathon is for:

students aged 16 and over;
university students;
young entrepreneurs;
programmers and technology specialists;
designers, engineers, and marketing specialists.

You don’t need to be a programmer to participate. Teams can include people with different backgrounds: one person can work on the product, while others can focus on design, research, promotion, or presenting the idea.

If you don’t have a team, you can register individually and join a team formed during the event.

What will you do over the three days?

You’ll go from an idea to a product that can be demonstrated:

Choose the problem you want to solve.
Talk to potential users and find out whether the problem is real.
Develop your business model using Lean Canvas and Business Model Canvas.
Build an MVP – a functional version of the product.
Prepare your presentation for Demo Day.
Present your solution to the jury.

By the end, you’ll have a completed Lean Canvas, a functional MVP, and a pitch you can use to continue developing your startup.

Choose one of six challenges

1. Smart cities and communities

Create a solution for reporting potholes, faulty street lighting or waste, providing faster access to information about transport and public services, or addressing the issue of stray dogs.

2. Support for entrepreneurs and SMEs

Help small businesses automate administrative processes, save time, promote themselves more effectively, or use data and artificial intelligence to make decisions.

3. Smart agriculture

Develop a tool that helps farmers make decisions about irrigation and crop treatment or monitor their land more quickly and at a lower cost.

4. Modern and accessible education

Propose a way to make lessons more interactive and give students and teachers easier access to digital tools and educational resources.

5. Online safety

Build a solution that helps people recognise fraud and phishing attempts or better protect their personal data.

6. Environmental protection

Create a solution for recycling, informing the community, or monitoring air and water quality and pollution levels.

Startup Hackathon prizes

The top three teams will receive vouchers to develop their startups:

1st place – MDL 20,000
2nd place – MDL 15,000
3rd place – MDL 10,000

In addition, every participant will receive one month of ChatGPT Plus for free to continue working on their idea after the hackathon.

Teams that demonstrate the greatest perseverance and achieve visible results during the hackathon can win vouchers for the INOTEK incubation programme and development/coworking space to take their project to the next level!