hacklytics

Hacklytics is a premier 36-hour data science-focused hackathon hosted annually by Data Science @ Georgia Tech, the largest data science club at Georgia Tech. This event brings together students from around the globe to collaborate, innovate, and develop data-driven solutions to real-world challenges. With a rich history of themes ranging from “A Starry Night” to “Jurassic Age,” Hacklytics continues to inspire and cultivate the next generation of data scientists and technologists.A Bits+6Hacklytics 2023: A Starry Night+6Georgia Tech Calendar+6Georgia Tech Calendar+1Georgia Tech Theme+1Hacklytics 2023: A Starry Night+3Computational Science School+3The Contest Hub+3

Introduction to Hacklytics

Hacklytics is more than just a hackathon; it’s a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the power of data science. Each year, participants engage in a whirlwind of innovation, working intensively over 36 hours to develop solutions that address pressing global issues. The event fosters an environment where students can learn, network, and showcase their skills in a competitive yet supportive setting.

Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age

The theme for Hacklytics 2025, “Jurassic Age,” invites participants to delve into the prehistoric past to uncover innovative solutions for the future. Held from February 21–23, 2025, at the Klaus Advanced Computing Building in Atlanta, Georgia, this edition focuses on five key tracks:Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+1Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+1A Bits+4The Contest Hub+4Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+4

• Sports: Analyzing data to enhance athletic performance and fan engagement.

• Healthcare: Developing solutions to improve public health and biomedical sciences.

• Finance: Creating tools for market forecasting and sentiment analysis.

• Cybersecurity: Building systems to safeguard sensitive data and digital infrastructures.

• Generative AI: Exploring the potential of AI to generate creative and practical applications.Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age

The hackathon offers over $2,100 in prizes, including cash awards for the best overall hack and category-specific achievements. Sponsors such as MongoDB Atlas and Streamlit provide additional opportunities for participants to showcase their work and gain recognition. Hacklytics 2024+7Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+7Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+7

Hacklytics 2024: Around the World

Hacklytics 2024 embraced the theme “Around the World,” encouraging participants to explore the intersection of technology, innovation, and diverse cultures. Held from February 9–11, 2024, this edition focused on addressing global challenges in areas like sustainability, education, and healthcare. The event emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to create impactful solutions that transcend borders. Computational Science School+4Georgia Tech Theme+4Georgia Tech Calendar+4Intel Community+2Georgia Tech Calendar+2Georgia Tech Theme+2

Intel partnered with Hacklytics 2024 to provide participants with access to the Intel® Developer Cloud, enabling them to experiment with AI/ML framework optimizations and the Intel® oneAPI programming model. This collaboration aimed to enhance the participants’ experience and broaden their understanding of cutting-edge technologies. Intel Community+1Hacklytics 2024+1Georgia Tech Calendar+1Georgia Tech Theme+1

Hacklytics 2023: A Starry Night

The 2023 edition, themed “A Starry Night,” invited participants to look for unique perspectives and bring them to life with their own touch of creativity. Held from February 10–12, 2023, this hackathon featured tracks in finance, healthcare, sports, and sustainability. With a prize pool of $15,285, the event attracted over 280 participants who showcased their innovative solutions to real-world problems. Computational Science School+1Hacklytics 2023: A Starry Night+1Hacklytics 2023: A Starry Night+1Computational Science School+1

Hacklytics 2021: Winning Strategies

Insights from Hacklytics 2021 reveal strategies that contributed to successful projects:eugeneyan.com

• Utilizing Available Datasets and APIs: Teams that leveraged publicly available datasets and APIs, such as those from Kaggle or Reddit, saved time and focused on analysis and modeling. eugeneyan.com

• Emphasizing Technical Complexity and Innovation: Judges valued projects that demonstrated a deep understanding of data science concepts and introduced novel approaches.eugeneyan.com

• Ensuring Completeness: Projects that were well-developed and deployable were more likely to receive higher scores.

Key Tracks and Themes

Hacklytics offers a variety of tracks to cater to diverse interests and expertise:Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+4Georgia Tech Calendar+4Computational Science School+4

• Finance: Developing tools for market analysis, fraud detection, and financial forecasting.Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age

• Healthcare: Creating solutions to improve patient care, disease prediction, and healthcare accessibility.

• Sports: Analyzing performance metrics, fan engagement, and injury prevention.

• Sustainability and Energy: Addressing challenges related to climate change, energy efficiency, and resource conservation.

• Generative AI: Exploring the creative potential of AI in art, music, and content generation.

Each track provides participants with the opportunity to apply their skills to real-world problems and make a meaningful impact.Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+3A Bits+3Georgia Tech Calendar+3

Prizes and Recognition

Hacklytics offers a range of prizes to recognize outstanding achievements:Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+1Georgia Tech Calendar+1

• Best Overall Hack: Awarded to the top project across all tracks.A Bits+2Hacklytics 2024+2Hacklytics 2025: Jurassic Age+2

• Category-Specific Prizes: Recognizing excellence in finance, healthcare, sports, and other domains.

Sponsor Awards

Many sponsors offer special challenges and prizes, often aligning with their own technologies or platforms. For example:

• MongoDB Atlas Award: Recognizes the best use of MongoDB Atlas in a project. Winners receive exclusive swag and mentorship opportunities.

• Streamlit Challenge: Given to the team that creates the most impressive data app using Streamlit.

• Intel AI Award: Granted to teams using Intel’s Developer Cloud, oneAPI tools, or hardware accelerations effectively in their AI/ML projects.

These sponsor awards not only provide financial incentives but also open up potential recruitment pipelines and valuable networking opportunities for participants.

Participation and Registration

Hacklytics is open to students from around the world, both undergraduate and graduate levels. The event fosters diversity and inclusion by welcoming hackers from all technical backgrounds and skill levels. Here’s how to get involved:

1. Eligibility

• Must be a student (high school, undergraduate, graduate, or PhD)

• Must be at least 18 years old

• No prior experience required—beginners are encouraged to apply!

2. Registration Process

• Interested students can sign up via the Hacklytics Devpost page or the official Georgia Tech Data Science Club website.

• Team formation can happen before or during the hackathon, with most teams consisting of 3–5 members.

3. Workshops and Pre-Hackathon Events

Leading up to the main event, Hacklytics hosts various virtual and in-person workshops:

• Introduction to Data Science and Python

• How to Use APIs and External Datasets

• Getting Started with Machine Learning

• Building Dashboards with Streamlit

• Using MongoDB Atlas in Your Hack

These events are designed to level the playing field, helping beginners become confident contributors and allowing experienced hackers to sharpen their tools.

Judging Criteria

Projects submitted at Hacklytics are evaluated by a panel of experts from academia, industry, and sponsor companies. The judging criteria typically include:

1. Technical Complexity

Does the project demonstrate a strong understanding of data science, AI, or machine learning concepts?

2. Creativity and Innovation

Is the idea novel? Does it take a unique approach to solving a problem?

3. Impact and Usefulness

Can the project realistically help solve a real-world issue? Is it applicable beyond the hackathon?

4. User Experience and Design

Is the application user-friendly and visually appealing?

5. Completeness

Is the project functional and deployable? Is there a demo or prototype available?

Each of these criteria carries weight in the final scoring, and the highest-scoring teams are awarded top prizes.

What Makes Hacklytics Stand Out?

With hundreds of hackathons worldwide, what makes Hacklytics truly special?

1. Data-Science Focused

Unlike general hackathons, Hacklytics emphasizes data-driven thinking. Participants are encouraged to base their solutions on rigorous data analysis and modeling.

2. Top-Tier Academic Environment

Held at Georgia Tech, a leading technology and research university, the hackathon attracts some of the brightest young minds from around the globe.

3. World-Class Mentorship

Participants receive guidance from professors, industry experts, and PhDs, ensuring that they not only build great projects but also learn cutting-edge concepts and techniques.

4. Strong Industry Connections

With sponsors like Intel, MongoDB, and Bloomberg, Hacklytics bridges the gap between academia and industry, offering students a glimpse into real-world applications of their work.

Success Stories from Hacklytics

Some of the past Hack lytics projects have gone on to become much more than weekend hacks. Here are a few examples:

1. MedAI (Hack lytics 2023)

An AI-powered diagnostic tool for early detection of skin conditions using image classification. The team received offers from a health tech accelerator and seed funding to develop their product.

2. FanPulse (Hack lytics 2022)

An app that uses natural language processing to analyze fan sentiment during live sports games, helping broadcasters and teams tailor real-time experiences. Later acquired as a feature by a major sports analytics firm.

3. EcoTrack (Hack lytics 2021)

A sustainability dashboard tracking campus energy usage and recommending ways to save power. Piloted at Georgia Tech, it became a model for similar initiatives across other campuses.

These stories underline how Hack lytics provides a launching pad for real impact.

Community and Networking

Hack lytics isn’t just about competition—it’s also about community. Here’s what participants can expect beyond the hacking:

• Networking Lounges: Meet like-minded peers, recruiters, and industry professionals.

• Mentor Hours: Get real-time help from mentors on technical, design, and business challenges.

• Social Events: Game nights, trivia challenges, and late-night fun keep energy high and spirits lifted.

• Resume Drops and Career Fair: Many sponsors use Hack lytics as a recruiting event, so bring your polished resumes!

These activities make Hack lytics not only educational but also immensely enjoyable and rewarding.

Tips for First-Time Hackers

If you’re considering joining Hack lytics for the first time, here are some tips to help you make the most of the experience:

1. Don’t Be Intimidated: Everyone starts somewhere. The workshops are designed to help you get up to speed quickly.

2. Team Up Strategically: Diverse teams (in skill and perspective) often come up with the most creative solutions.

3. Scope Your Idea: Aim for a manageable MVP (Minimum Viable Product) that you can build and demo within 36 hours.

4. Document Your Work: Judges value well-documented projects. Include a clear README and demo video.

5. Ask for Help: Make use of the mentors. Their guidance can save you hours of troubleshooting.

Conclusion

Hacklytics stands at the intersection of data science, innovation, and community. It’s a vibrant celebration of the transformative power of data, where creativity meets code and insight fuels impact. Whether you’re a seasoned hacker or a curious beginner, Hack lytics offers a platform to learn, build, and grow.

From analyzing sports stats and building healthcare diagnostics to crafting AI-generated art and securing digital ecosystems, the possibilities at Hack lytics are as vast as the data universe itself.

So, are you ready to unleash your inner data scientist and make history at Hack lytics?