Thames International College organized Thames Hackathon 2026, a twelve hour 2 day hackathon held as a pre-event of Thames InnoWave, on August 31 and September 1, 2026. The hackathon brought together eight teams of students from various semesters and faculties, including both IT and non IT students, to test their skills in building real world solutions under pressure.
On the first day, each team was randomly assigned a problem statement from a pool of nine, spanning three categories: social, business, and psychological. From there, teams had twelve hours to design, build, and prepare a working solution before presenting it the next day.
On the second day, each team presented their project in a structured format, with five minutes for their pitch, three minutes for a live demo, and ten minutes of questions from the judging panel. The judging panel for this year's hackathon included the following experts.
Saugat Maharjan, a UI/UX and Product Designer at E.K. Solutions with over four years of industry experience.
Ayush Acharya, a computer engineer, educator at NCMTS, and tech trainer.
Binayak Dahal, an Operations Consultant, founder of The Crazy Studio, and a specialist in AI, automation, and digital product solutions.
Saroj Tamrakar, an entrepreneur, adjunct faculty member, Life Skills Coach, and Co Founder of VoiceCraft, who is currently serving as A Levels Coordinator at Rupy's International School.
Teams were also supported throughout the twelve hours by a group of dedicated mentors, who provided guidance as the participants worked through their solutions.
At the end of the hackathon, the results were announced across several categories. Human Intelligence secured first place, with Crystals placing second and BCA Hawks placing third. In the special category awards, PowerpuffBoys won Best UI/UX, BCA Hawks won Best Project Pitch, and Human Intelligence won Best Real World Solution.
The winning team’s project, Sahara, is a web application that connects people through peer support groups, where people can connect with peers who have similar experiences and support each other and help people find emotional support when they need it. The AI integration keeps track of the user's progress and serves as a reflective tool, helping them understand their growth.
The first runner-up project, Sanyukta, is a web application that connects people in need with emergency responders through a live map. It allows users to report emergencies while protecting their location privacy, enabling responders to identify and respond to incidents more efficiently. With its focus on privacy and accessibility, Sanyukta aims to make emergency support more visible and accessible to those who need it.
The second runner-up project, UPNext, is a mobile application built for students to help prioritize and organize their tasks in a way that’s fun and reduces their anxiety about pending work. The app integrates mini games and motivational quotes to manage stress and enhance productivity.
Thames Hackathon 2026 reflected the same spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines Thames InnoWave as a whole, giving students the chance to apply their skills to real challenges under real time pressure.
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