On July 25–26, exactly one year after our first hackathon, Ethiopian Cursor Community hosted Cursor AI Hackathon Ethiopia 2026, bringing together some of the most passionate builders, innovators, and technology enthusiasts in the country.

More than 1,000 people applied, and we welcomed 300 selected participants who came together to build AI-powered solutions, collaborate, and turn ideas into working prototypes.

For one and a half days, teams worked nonstop - brainstorming, building, testing, and improving their ideas with the support of mentors, judges, and the wider tech community.

From the beginning, our goal was not just to create another hackathon with demos at the end. We wanted to create a path where promising ideas could continue beyond the event and grow into real startups. Through the support of our partners, we are working to connect strong teams with opportunities for incubation, mentorship, and further growth.

The hackathon brought together:
• 60 startup teams
• 30+ mentors
• 16 judges
• 10+ volunteers

Every team had the opportunity to present their projects to judges across three rooms, with amazing ideas coming from participants with different backgrounds and skill sets.

A huge thank you to our partners - Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MinT), Ethio Telecom, Addis Ababa University Startup Center, Gheero, Negus Malt, and everyone who supported this vision.

Special appreciation to our speakers, panelists, mentors, judges, volunteers, organizers, and every participant who showed up ready to build.
After two months of preparation, seeing this community come together was truly unforgettable.

This is just the beginning.

One of the highlights of Cursor AI Hackathon Ethiopia 2026 was our panel discussion, where we brought together leaders from Ethiopia's technology and startup ecosystem.

The conversation explored AI, entrepreneurship, building startups, developing talent, and the opportunities ahead for Ethiopia's innovators.

A big thank you to our moderator Mohammed Ahmed for guiding the discussion and creating an engaging conversation.
And thank you to our panelists:

• Selamyhun Adefris – Innovation Development CEO ,Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MinT)
• Dr. Yabebal Fantaye – Co-Founder, 10 Academy
• Betelhem Dessie – CEO & Founder, Gheero
• Nael Hailemariam – CEO & Co-Founder, Chapa

Your insights and experiences gave participants a different perspective as they worked on their own ideas throughout the hackathon.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

After more than 24 hours of building, testing, and refining ideas, the teams at Cursor AI Hackathon Ethiopia 2026 took the stage to present their solutions.

Congratulations to all our winning teams! 🎉

These teams stood out for their creativity, technical execution, and the impact of the problems they chose to solve.
But the journey does not end with the hackathon.

The top 6 teams will receive incubation support through the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MinT), helping them continue developing their ideas and move closer to building sustainable startups.

In addition, other promising teams from the hackathon will also have opportunities to receive further incubation and support through our ecosystem partners.

Throughout the event, participants had access to AI tools and resources, including Cursor credits and other technology credits, helping them experiment, build, and bring their ideas to life.

A huge thank you to our judges for their time, feedback, and support in evaluating the projects, and congratulations to every team that participated and contributed to making this hackathon a success.

We are excited to see these ideas continue to grow beyond the hackathon.