Talk
Small models, big futures
Rohan Kapoor
Director of AI ResearchHelix Labs
Rohan leads a team building compact language models that run on phones and farm sensors. He has published more than 20 papers on efficient machine learning.
Edition 09Registrations are open
Axiom 2027:
Three days of hackathons, robotics, AI and ideas that refuse to wait. Built by students, for everyone who builds what comes next.
22–24 January 2027Meridian Institute of Technology, Bengaluru
Doors open in
--Days
--Hours
--Minutes
--Seconds
- Hackathons
- Robotics
- AI & ML
- Cybersecurity
- Drone racing
- Startups
- Design
- Esports
- Hardware
- Workshops
01About
Nine editions. One obsession: what comes next.
Axiom began in 2018 as a weekend hackathon in a borrowed lecture hall. Today it is one of the country's largest student-run tech festivals: three days where builders, researchers and founders share one campus and the same restless curiosity.
Every event is designed and run by students, judged by people who ship real products, and open to anyone with an idea worth testing.
- competitions and workshops
- 13
- in prize money
- ₹17L+
- flagship hackathon
- 36 hrs
- expected attendees
- 12k+
Compete
Competitions across code, circuits, robots and design, with ₹17 lakh in prizes on the line.
Learn
Hands-on workshops and keynotes from engineers, researchers and founders who actually ship.
Build
Hack/36, our flagship 36-hour hackathon, with mentors on call right through the night.
Celebrate
A drone light show, a buzzing expo floor and Axiom Night, the closing concert under the open sky.
02Events
Compete where it counts.
From a 36-hour hackathon to combat robots, every event is built to stretch you and judged by people who have done it for real.
- Hackathon
Hack/36
Thirty-six hours. One problem worth solving.
- Prize pool
- ₹5,00,000
- Team size
- 2–4 members
- Robotics
RoboWars: Iron Arena
Fifteen kilograms of steel. Three minutes. No mercy.
- Prize pool
- ₹2,00,000
- Team size
- 3–5 members
- AI & ML
Neural Nexus
Train it, tune it, ship it in 24 hours.
- Prize pool
- ₹1,50,000
- Team size
- 1–3 members
- Cybersecurity
Zero Day CTF
Break in before they lock you out.
- Prize pool
- ₹1,00,000
- Team size
- 2–4 members
- Drones
SkyRace
First-person view. Full throttle. Zero margin.
- Prize pool
- ₹1,20,000
- Team size
- Solo
- Startups
Pitch Tank
Five minutes to make a room of investors lean in.
- Prize pool
- ₹3,00,000
- Team size
- 1–4 founders
03Speakers
Hear it from the people building the frontier.
Keynotes, talks and a late-afternoon panel from researchers, founders and engineers who are shipping what comes next.
Talk
Building satellites on a student budget
Daniel Mensah
Founder and CEOOrbitwise
Daniel started Orbitwise in his final year of engineering. Six years later, the company has put 14 small satellites into low Earth orbit.
Talk
Robots that learn by watching
Maya Fernandes
Principal Robotics EngineerNorthlight Robotics
Maya designs warehouse robots that pick up new tasks from a handful of human demonstrations. She previously worked on autonomy for planetary rovers.
Talk
Breaking things for a living
Tobi Adeyemi
Head of Security ResearchCipher Labs
Tobi has reported critical vulnerabilities to some of the largest software companies in the world and captains one of the most active CTF teams on the circuit.
Talk
Qubits without the hype
Dr. Elena Varga
Professor of Quantum ComputingQuantum Systems Group
Elena builds superconducting qubit hardware and teaches the most oversubscribed elective in her department. Her lab open-sources all of its control software.
Talk
Designing interfaces for AI
Ishita Rao
Head of DesignLumen Studio
Ishita leads design for AI products used by millions, with a focus on tools that explain their own decisions. She mentors early-stage founders on product craft.
04Schedule
Three days, minute by minute.
Keynotes in the morning, competitions all day and something loud every night. Times are in IST.
09:0010:00
CeremonyMain ArenaOpening ceremony
Lights, live music and the reveal of the Hack/36 tracks.
10:0010:45
KeynoteMain ArenaSmall models, big futures
Rohan Kapoor11:0011:30
Event detailsCompetitionInnovation HallHack/36 kick-off
Teams check in, tracks go live and the 36-hour clock starts.
11:3017:00
Event detailsCompetitionThe Arena PitRoboWars group stage
Weigh-ins wrap up and the first bouts begin.
14:0017:00
Event detailsWorkshopLab Block 2Agent Lab
Build and deploy a tool-using AI agent with mentors on hand.
14:0018:00
Event detailsCompetitionElectronics Lab, Block DCircuitry
From schematic puzzles to a live debugging round on the bench.
15:0018:00
Event detailsCompetitionComputing CentreCodeSprint final
Three hours, ten problems, one leaderboard.
20:0020:30
NightNorth Sports FieldDrone light show
Three hundred drones paint the night sky above campus.
09:3010:15
KeynoteMain ArenaRobots that learn by watching
Maya Fernandes10:0010:30
Event detailsCompetitionData Lab, Block CNeural Nexus dataset release
The problem statement drops and the 24-hour leaderboard opens.
10:0013:00
Event detailsWorkshopLab Block 2ROS 2 Bootcamp
Map a room with SLAM, then run your code on a real robot.
10:0015:00
Event detailsCompetitionRobotics BayLine Zero
Open practice, then two timed runs on a hidden track.
10:0018:00
Event detailsCompetitionCyber Range, Block BZero Day CTF
Fifty challenges, five categories, one scoreboard.
12:0013:00
TalkMain ArenaBreaking things for a living
Tobi Adeyemi13:0019:00
Event detailsCompetitionNorth Sports FieldSkyRace
Qualifying laps, four-pilot heats and a final under the floodlights.
14:0017:00
Event detailsCompetitionDesign Studio, Block APixel Forge
A real product brief and three hours to prototype it.
15:0016:00
PanelMain ArenaPanel: The next decade of deep tech
Daniel Mensah, Dr. Elena Varga and Ishita Rao on what students should build next.
18:0022:00
Event detailsCompetitionEsports StageRespawn LAN playoffs
The top eight teams fight it out on the esports stage.
23:00
Event detailsCompetitionInnovation HallHack/36 submissions close
Repositories lock and demo videos are due.
09:3010:15
KeynoteMain ArenaBuilding satellites on a student budget
Daniel Mensah10:3012:30
Event detailsCompetitionData Lab, Block CNeural Nexus reviews
The top ten teams defend their approach to the jury.
10:3013:00
Event detailsCompetitionInnovation HallHack/36 demos
Every team demos to the jury in five minutes flat.
11:0014:00
Event detailsCompetitionThe Arena PitRoboWars finals
Double-elimination knockouts all the way to the title bout.
12:0012:45
TalkMain ArenaQubits without the hype
Dr. Elena Varga13:0016:00
Event detailsCompetitionMain ArenaPitch Tank
Twenty startups, five minutes each, one panel of investors.
14:3015:15
TalkSeminar HallDesigning interfaces for AI
Ishita Rao16:3017:30
CeremonyMain ArenaClosing ceremony and prize night
Winners take the stage across every event.
19:0022:00
NightOpen Air TheatreAxiom Night
The closing concert under the open sky.
05Passes
Pick your pass. Claim your seat.
Reserve online in under a minute and pay when you arrive. Every pass gets you the expo, the keynotes and Axiom Night.
Explorer
Walk the expo floor, catch every keynote and soak up the atmosphere.
Freewith a valid student ID- Tech expo and startup showcase
- Every keynote, talk and panel
- Drone light show and Axiom Night
- Spectator access to all finals
Most popular Competitor
Everything you need to compete, plus fuel for the long nights.
₹499per person- Everything in Explorer
- Entry to up to 4 events
- Fest kit with tee and lanyard
- Meals on your competition days
- Participation certificate
All-Access
Every door, every workshop and the front row for the big moments.
₹1,299per person- Everything in Competitor
- Unlimited events and workshops
- Priority seating at keynotes
- Front zone at Axiom Night
- Limited-edition Axiom hoodie
Paid passes are settled at the check-in desk by UPI, card or cash. Online registration closes on 18 January 2027.
06Partners
Backed by teams who build the future.
Our partners fund the prizes, mentor the teams and hire the people who stand out.
- Helix LabsTitle partner
- OrbitwisePlatinum
- Cipher LabsPlatinum
- Northlight RoboticsGold
- Lumen StudioGold
- Stratos CloudGold
- Kairo DevicesCommunity
- Quanta SemiconductorsCommunity
- Vertex VenturesCommunity
07FAQ
Questions, answered.
Can't find what you need? Write to the team and we will reply within two working days.
Who can attend Axiom?
How do I pay for my pass?
Do I need a team to register?
Can I take part in more than one event?
Is accommodation available for outstation participants?
What should I bring?
Will I get a certificate?
08Contact
Talk to the team.
Questions about events, partnerships, accommodation or press? Send a note and a real person on the organising team will get back to you.
- Venue
- Meridian Institute of Technology, Bengaluru
- Dates
- 22–24 January 2027
- Reply time
- Within two working days
Online registration closes 18 January 2027
Your seat at the frontier is waiting.
Reserve a pass in under a minute. Pick your events now and pay when you arrive.