Garaža's second Frontier Hackathon brings together teams of young builders under 26 from across the Balkans for 40 hours of building startups on frontier technology. With mentors guiding teams from idea to market validation, participants compete for $10,000 in non-equity grants and a fully funded week in San Francisco. Applications are open until November 1.

📅 Date: November 7–8, 2026
📍 Location: Belgrade, Serbia
🏢 Venue: To be announced

Garaža, the community of Serbian tech startups, is bringing back its Frontier Hackathon for a second edition. On November 7–8, 2026, young builders from across the Balkans will gather in Belgrade for 40 hours of turning startup ideas into working products. Last year's edition already has a success story: one of the participating teams is now part of a16z speedrun.

The hackathon follows an open concept format. There is no fixed challenge or assigned topic. Teams build a startup from scratch, working alongside mentors who help them pressure-test ideas, do proper market research, and pivot early. The guiding principle is "go frontier, avoid tarpit." Teams are encouraged to build on technology that has only just become possible and to stay away from ideas that look attractive but have a structural reason nobody has won them yet. Teams keep full rights to the intellectual property they create.

This year the stakes are higher. Alongside a $10,000 prize pool, distributed as non-equity grants, one team will win a fully funded week in San Francisco. Garaža covers the flights and European Startup Embassy provides accommodation. The trip aims to immerse the team in the SF startup ecosystem and connect them with the diaspora and key stakeholders.

What participants get:

  • Mentorship throughout the 40 hours, from ideation to market validation
  • Credits and API access from Google Cloud, AWS, ElevenLabs and Lovable
  • Food and drinks for the duration of the hackathon
  • A shot at $10,000 in non-equity grants
  • A fully funded week-long trip to San Francisco for the team with the strongest startup potential

Who can apply:

  • Teams of 2–4 people, no individual applications
  • All members born in 2000 or later
  • Teams from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Greece
  • Able to travel to Belgrade, since participation is in-person only

Applications are open until November 1, 2026, at 23:59 CET. The Recursive is proud to support the hackathon as a community partner, alongside How to Web, Sofia Tech Park, Netokracija and others.

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