Join the Institute of Foundation Models and Michigan Data Science for a one-day, in-person K2 Horizon hackathon at the University of Michigan. Incoming and second-year master's students, with select PhD participation, will learn the K2 Horizon workflow, build a working prototype, and present it to a judging panel.

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 9:00 AM–9:00 PM Eastern
Where: East Hall, Room 1324, University of Michigan

Build a working prototype in which K2 Horizon performs meaningful reasoning that is central to the product—not a decorative or replaceable API call. Projects may address education, research, public-interest applications, campus life, science, entrepreneurship, or another real-world problem selected by the team.

• 9:00–9:30 AM: Doors open, check-in, and welcome
• 9:30–10:30 AM: Kickoff workshop, technical walkthrough, and Q&A
• 10:30 AM onward: Team formation and hacking
• 12:00–1:00 PM: Lunch
• 6:00 PM: Submission deadline
• 6:00–6:30 PM: Dinner
• 6:30–8:30 PM: Expo-style demos and judging
• 8:30–9:00 PM: Winner announcement, prizes, and closing

Participants will work in teams of 3–4, subject to final attendance. All teams will present their prototypes in person during the 6:30–8:30 PM expo-style demo and judging session.

Grand Prize — Best Use of K2 Horizon: 100M K2 Horizon tokens for the winning team, plus one Kindle Paperwhite for each winning team member. Honorable Mention recipients will receive premium IFM swag. All participants receive K2 Horizon API credits and a free IFM T-shirt; lunch and dinner will be provided.

Photography and video recording are planned during the event. Please speak with the organizers at check-in if you have questions or concerns.

• Meaningful Use of K2 Horizon
  Does K2 Horizon perform meaningful reasoning central to the product? Demonstrate the reasoning task, how its outputs drive the core workflow, and the value it adds beyond a decorative or replaceable API call.
• Working Prototype & Technical Execution
  Does the prototype demonstrate its core workflow end to end? Judges will assess functionality, integration of K2 Horizon, and evidence of testing, with scope appropriate to a one-day hackathon.
• Real-World Usefulness
  Does the project address a clear problem for identifiable users? Judges will assess the usefulness of the proposed solution, how well it fits user needs, and the team’s evidence or reasoning for its potential impact.
• Demo Clarity & Project Understanding
  Do the demo materials clearly explain the problem, show the working prototype, and identify K2 Horizon’s role? Judges will assess the team’s understanding of its implementation, results, and limitations, including answers to questions when applicable.