MINDCODE
"The mental health crisis won't wait. Neither will we."
72 hours to build tools that matter.
Feb 27 - Mar 2, 2026 • Online • Free to Join
until hackathon begins
Three years of building software that matters.
In 2024, we created AI companions for wellness support. In 2025, we engineered tools to break harmful digital patterns. For 2026, we're exploring the frontier where software meets human health — building systems that understand behaviour, support wellbeing, and make health technology actually useful.
MINDCODE is a 72-hour challenge for developers, designers, and builders who want to create something meaningful. Solo or in teams. Any skill level. No hardware required — just your laptop and ideas.
People with mental health conditions globally
Gap in treatment access worldwide
Average delay to get treatment
Potential for tech to bridge this gap
Why This Matters
Mental health affects everyone. 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. Yet the gap between those who need help and those who receive it keeps growing.
Technology got us into some of these problems — endless notifications, addictive feeds, always-on culture. Technology can also be part of the solution. Not as a replacement for human connection, but as a bridge to better support.
The Challenge_
Build Software at the Edge of Health and Technology
Health tech isn't just hospital software and fitness trackers. It's understanding patterns in how we work, sleep, move, and live. It's building systems that help people make better decisions about their wellbeing — physical, cognitive, and behavioural.
Your mission: Create tools that analyse, predict, support, or improve human health and wellbeing — however you interpret that.
What We Expect
- Something that works (demo, prototype, proof of concept)
- Open source code with documentation
- Built in 72 hours (libraries OK, your old projects not OK)
What We Don't Expect
- Production-ready enterprise software
- Perfect code
- Revolutionary breakthroughs
Ship something. Make it work. Show us the idea.
Technical Tracks_
Six domains. Pick one or combine.
Pattern Archaeologists
Dig health insights out of the data people already generate. Every calendar, browser history, git commit log, sleep schedule, and playlist tells a story about someone's health and habits.
Ideas to explore:
- Analyse git commit timestamps to detect burnout patterns
- Parse calendar data for work-life balance insights
- Browser history analyzer mapping digital habits to energy
Good for: Data nerds, analytics enthusiasts, pandas lovers
Conversation Architects
Design dialogue systems that support health journeys. Not another GPT wrapper. Build conversation experiences with structure, purpose, and boundaries.
Ideas to explore:
- Structured habit-building coach with dialogue trees
- Symptom diary chatbot with intelligent follow-ups
- Medication adherence companion with reminders
Good for: Backend developers, prompt engineers, health behaviour enthusiasts
Interface Alchemists
Turn everyday interactions into health-positive moments. The average person touches their phone 2,617 times a day. What if some of those touches actually supported their health?
Ideas to explore:
- Browser new tab adapting to energy patterns
- Keyboard suggesting rephrasing stressful messages
- Lock screen with contextual health prompts
Good for: Frontend developers, UX enthusiasts, creative coders
Community Engineers
Build systems that connect people around health goals. Health is social. Accountability partners, support groups, shared goals — people do better together.
Ideas to explore:
- Accountability partner finder for goals
- Condition-specific peer support matching
- "Walk and talk" coordinator for exercise groups
Good for: Full-stack developers, community builders
Quantified Self Hackers
Turn personal health data into actionable insights. People track everything — steps, sleep, heart rate, nutrition, symptoms, medications. But the data sits in silos.
Ideas to explore:
- Cross-platform health data aggregator
- Personal health experiment tracker (A/B test yourself)
- Sleep + exercise + nutrition correlation dashboard
Good for: Data scientists, health enthusiasts, personal analytics lovers
Wildcard
Surprise us. Doesn't fit the other tracks? Good. Build something at the intersection of technology and human health that we haven't thought of.
Ideas to explore:
- CLI tool enforcing healthy break patterns
- Discord bot detecting toxic conversations
- Font optimized for reduced eye strain
Good for: Creative thinkers, people with weird ideas
// cross-track combinations
Build something that spans multiple tracks for extra credit
Burnout detector correlating work patterns with sleep and recovery data
ChallengingPeer health support matcher with guided conversation frameworks
ChallengingBrowser extension visualising your digital health patterns
StandardCondition-specific support groups with AI-facilitated discussions
ExpertPersonal health dashboard with clean, calming interface design
Standard| Tracks | Example Project | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
1+5 | Burnout detector correlating work patterns with sleep and recovery data | Challenging |
2+4 | Peer health support matcher with guided conversation frameworks | Challenging |
3+1 | Browser extension visualising your digital health patterns | Standard |
4+2 | Condition-specific support groups with AI-facilitated discussions | Expert |
5+3 | Personal health dashboard with clean, calming interface design | Standard |
Timeline_
All times UTC. Sleep optional, caffeine recommended.
Registration Opens
Join our Discord and register your team
Registration Closes
Last day to register
Hackathon Begins
Opening ceremony and challenge reveal
Morning Office Hours
Get help from mentors
Evening Office Hours
Evening mentor sessions
Submissions Close
All projects must be submitted
Judging Period
Expert panel reviews all submissions with detailed feedback
Winners Announced
Results revealed on Discord
Judging Criteria_
What we actually look at
Impact
35%Does it solve a real health or wellbeing problem? Who benefits and how? Could this actually help someone?
Technical Execution
25%Does it work? Is the code reasonable? Appropriate technology choices?
Innovation
20%Novel approach? Creative use of technology? Something we haven't seen before?
Usability
15%Can someone actually use this? Is it accessible? Does the UX make sense?
Presentation
5%Clear README, good demo, we can understand what it does.
+Bonus Points
Open Source
Required for grand prize
Deployed/Live Demo
Working demo we can try
Great Documentation
Clear setup and usage docs
Deliverables_
What to submit
*Required
- README.md
What it does, how to run it
Format: Markdown - LICENSE
Open source license
Format: Text file - src/
Your code
Format: Source files - demo/
Screenshots, video, or link
Format: Media files
Bonus
- Live Demo URL
Deployed prototype
Format: Public URL - DEPLOYMENT.md
How to run it yourself
Format: Markdown - Tests
Automated tests
Format: Test files - API Documentation
If applicable
Format: Markdown/OpenAPI
// what "working" means
✓Prototype that demonstrates the idea
✓Proof of concept with rough edges
✓Demo video showing functionality
✗Polished production app (nice but not expected)
Prizes_
We're a non-profit. The money is what we managed to gather — it's nice, but it's not the point. The real prize is detailed feedback from top-tier judges who've built products used by millions.
Grand Prize
Best overall — impact, execution, innovation
- +Feature in Raptors newsletter
- +Mentorship opportunity
Second Place
Runner-up — almost took the crown
Third Place
Stood out with originality
// what you actually get
Three Years of Building for Mental Health_
"Where it all started"
Our inaugural event explored how technology can better understand human emotion. Recognised by the Health Tech Awards 2024 for Best Use of Digital for Mental Health.
"Breaking harmful digital patterns"
Teams tackled early warning systems, peer support networks, and crisis intervention tools. CrisisCompass won and is now being piloted in two UK councils.
"Engineering cognitive wellness"
Our most ambitious challenge yet. Build at the intersection of software and human health. Your code could become someone's lifeline.
Registered Non-Profit
UK Community Interest Company (CIC #15557917). Mission-driven. Transparent.
Real Judges
Engineers from top companies. Founders. CTOs. People who've shipped code to millions.
Global Community
2,000+ participants across 30+ countries. Active Discord. Year-round engagement.
Actual Feedback
Every submission gets reviewed by humans. Win or not, you get useful feedback.
The Judges_
Industry experts evaluating innovation at the intersection of technology and health.
Dr. Vivienne Hartwell
Chief Psychology Officer
NeuralPath Institute
Marcus Johnson
Founder & CEO
TerraFlow Labs
Dr. Zara Mbeki
Founder & CEO
Cortex Wellness
Kai Nakamura
VP of Product
MindfulStack
Dr. Priya Ravenscroft
Research Director
Axiom Health AI
Full panel to be announced
Frequently Asked Questions_
No. Solo hackers welcome. Team size 1-4. Find teammates in Discord or go alone.
All levels. Mentors available. First-time hackers win prizes too.
Libraries: yes. Your old projects: no. Build something new.
Claude, Cursor, Copilot, vibe-coding — all fair game. You own what you ship.
Computer, internet, ideas. We provide: community, mentors, motivation.
72 hours. Friday 18:00 UTC to Monday 18:00 UTC.
You do. 100%. Must be open source to win grand prize.
Our expert panel reviews submissions over 2 weeks. Every project gets meaningful human feedback.
Ethical Guidelines_
Building for health carries profound responsibility. All participants must commit to these principles:
Privacy First
Health data is among the most sensitive. Design with privacy by default, minimize data collection, and never share without explicit consent.
Do:
- +Encrypt sensitive data
- +Implement data minimization
- +Provide clear privacy policies
Don't:
- -Store unnecessary data
- -Share with third parties
- -Use dark patterns
Do No Harm
Your creation could reach vulnerable people. Consider worst-case scenarios and build safeguards against misuse.
Do:
- +Include crisis resources
- +Test with diverse users
- +Build safety nets
Don't:
- -Provide medical diagnoses
- -Replace professional help
- -Ignore edge cases
Inclusive Design
Mental health affects everyone differently. Your solution should be accessible to people of all abilities, backgrounds, and circumstances.
Do:
- +Follow WCAG guidelines
- +Test with screen readers
- +Consider cultural context
Don't:
- -Assume abilities
- -Use exclusionary language
- -Ignore accessibility
Transparency
Users should understand how your tool works, especially if AI is involved. No black boxes.
Do:
- +Explain AI decisions
- +Document limitations
- +Be honest about capabilities
Don't:
- -Hide AI involvement
- -Overstate effectiveness
- -Use manipulative design
Sustainable Impact
Build solutions that can grow and be maintained. Consider long-term viability and handoff potential.
Do:
- +Write documentation
- +Use maintainable architecture
- +Plan for sustainability
Don't:
- -Create technical debt
- -Ignore maintenance
- -Build abandoned projects
Ready to Build?
Join our Discord community to register, find teammates, and get updates.