Agentic Data & Analytics Hackathon

January 29 - February 6, 2026

Complete to win up to $500! Build an end-to-end data pipeline and leverage AI to build, deploy, and maintain it.

The Challenge

Create an end-to-end data pipeline on Ascend that solves a real problem from your job or industry. Use AI to build & maintain your pipeline in production and show off your agentic engineering skills.

What We're Looking For

Entries will be judged on:

1. A complete data pipeline (35%)
2. Agentic features in action (35%)
3. Curiosity & Creativity (30%)

Awards

Winners will be announced February 10th via email and receive Amazon Gift Cards:

• 🥇 First Place: $500
• 🥈 Second Place: $300
• 🥉 Third Place: $200

How to Participate

1. Build your data pipeline

Leverage Otto, the data engineering agent, to build an end-to-end pipeline on Ascend. Your pipeline must include:

• ✅ At least 4 components, including:
  • At least 1 ingestion component (Read Connector)
  • At least 1 transformation component
• ✅ At least 1 agentic feature to build or manage your data pipeline:
  • Otto chat to build components conversationally
  • Custom Rules or Agents to customize agentic outputs
  • Automated agentic responses to system events or schedules
• ✅ Orchestration/scheduling - Your pipeline should be scheduled or orchestrated (not just ad-hoc runs) and deployed into your deployment

2. Connect with others

• Join the Ascend Community Slack and find the #agentic-data-hackathon channel to ask questions
• Attend optional Office Hours on February 3 & 5th to connect with the Ascend team and get help on your project.

3. Submit your project

Share a brief writeup or demo video about your project. Please include:

• A description of your data pipeline
• How you used AI
• What you learned along the way

Submission requirements:

• Writeup: 3-5 minute read (roughly 500-800 words)
• Video: 5 minutes max
• Deadline: All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM PST on Friday, February 6th to be considered for prizes
• Submit your project here

Hackathon Timeline

• January 29: Hackathon kicks off at the end of the Agentic Data & Analytics Bootcamp
• January 29 - February 6: Build week. Office hours available Feb 3 and 5
• February 6, 2026, 11:59 PM PST: Submission deadline
• February 10: Winners will be announced via email

Support & Resources

Need help? We've got you covered:

• Slack Community: Join the Ascend Community Slack and find the #agentic-data-hackathon channel
• Office Hours: Get help via Zoom from the Ascend team during scheduled sessions on Feb 3 and 5. Register for office hours
• Docs and Resources: Find additional resources including How-to Guides, Tutorials, and labs on our docs site

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need my own data sources?
No. You can use public datasets, mock data, or sample data. What matters is that your pipeline demonstrates how you'd solve a real problem.

Can I use tools outside of Ascend?
Your pipeline must be built and run in Ascend, but you can absolutely use additional agentic capabilities from your data warehouse. For example, pulling from an API and loading into Snowflake and leveraging Snowflake's native AI capabilities with Cortex.

Who can participate?
The Hackathon is open to anyone, regardless of their participation in the Bootcamp, including data engineers, analysts, and anyone interested in building with Ascend. You must be 18+ to participate and receive prizes.

What exactly should I include in my submission?
Your writeup or video should cover:

• The problem you're solving
• Your data sources & pipeline design
• How you used Ascend's agentic features specifically
• What you learned during the project

You should also include links or screenshots so judges can verify it meets the requirements.

What criteria will judges use to evaluate submissions?
Judges will score each submission on three main areas:

1. Use of Agentic Features (35%) - Did you effectively leverage Otto to build your pipeline? Are you using agentic features to automate or simplify your workflow? Did you go beyond basic usage to show what makes agents and AI powerful?

2. Real Impact (35%) - Does this solve an actual problem data teams face? Is the use case realistic and valuable? Would this pipeline be useful in production? Does it address a meaningful pain point or inefficiency?

3. Creativity and Curiosity (30%) - Is there creative or innovative use of agents and AI features? Is there a clear, compelling explanation of your solution and what you learned? How did you use AI to move from zero to working pipeline quickly?

Learn more about the hackathon