SCI Hackathon 2025
A collaborative effort to bridge the gap between academia, industry, and grassroots innovation.
Brought to you by Groundswell Startups and AWS, this event brings together university students, industry professionals, founders, hackers, tinkerers, and tech enthusiasts to solve real-world challenges across a broad range of themes, from aerospace and agriculture to semiconductors and gaming. With two tracks tailored for both hardware and software innovation, participants will be supported by expert mentors and subject matter experts from across multiple verticals to build solutions that can shape the future of the Space Coast and drive innovation across the State of Florida.
Hackathon Tracks
Schedule
August 22nd, 2025
August 23rd, 2025
Learn how to go from idea to physical prototype using Groundswell’s tools and lab resources. Ideal for teams working on hardware or integrated solutions.
Core topics:
- Best practices for building an MVP in AWS
- How to bring that MVP to production
- Scaling AWS services effectively, avoiding tech debt too early, show some best practice and not-so-best practice architectures in different scenarios
- How can AWS help?
- AWS Activate Credits: aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
- Explain differences between Activate Founders ($1000 credits) and Activate Portfolio (up to $100k credits)
- SAs - what we do to help
- AWS re:Post
Get a crash course in IP protection and innovation rights. Understand patents, trademarks, and how to protect what you build, especially if you plan to take your project forward.
August 24th, 2025
Turn your project into a powerful story. Learn how to craft a compelling narrative around your solution, highlight its impact, and deliver a confident pitch that resonates with judges, investors, and partners.