Startit Solana Cypherpunk Hackathon Side Track

Why This Matters

The next wave of Web3 innovation will solve real-world problems, not just crypto-native ones.
Solana Buildstation Belgrade is designed to help founders and makers turn practical ideas into scalable products using Solana’s speed, low fees, and global network.

Program Goals & Priorities

1. Impact - Projects must tackle tangible issues in commerce, logistics, public services, or creative industries.

2. Execution Over Hype - Teams should move from concept to prototype during the two-week program.

3. Community & Mentorship - Continuous guidance from Balkan ecosystem experts and Solana builders.

What You’ll Experience

We don’t just host a hackathon - we work side-by-side with every team:

• Remote Prep Week - Starts September 25
  Idea refinement, tech onboarding, and product-market fit sessions.

• Two-Week Build Sprint - October 20 - 31 in Belgrade
  Daily stand-ups, 1-on-1 mentorship, design and dev support, and evening founder circles.

• Demo Day Finale - Pitch to Solana ecosystem leaders and compete for a $10k USDC prize pool, plus access to the $2.5 M Cypherpunk Hackathon investment program.

Participation is free, but application is required.

Pitch Requirements & Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated on the following:

• Usability - Is the product intuitive and valuable for the local community?

• Blockchain relevance - Does Solana play a central role in solving the problem?

• Adoptability - Is it easy to imagine people actually using this product?

• Wow factor - Is the idea new, engaging, and relevant?

Who Should Apply

Early stage founders, developers, designers, engineers, students, and marketers. Anyone ready to turn a real-world challenge into a Web3 product.

Our Role

Superteam Balkan provides:

• Hands-on mentorship from product, design, and technical experts.

• Connections to Solana investors, accelerators, and global communities.

• Post-program guidance to help promising teams raise funds or join the Colosseum accelerator.

Partner Info - Startit

Startit is a leading tech organization and community in Serbia, with over a decade of experience helping local startups and developers through education, mentorship, and a strong network. With hubs across the country, Startit plays a key role in the local tech ecosystem and regularly works with both global and local partners on innovation-focused projects.

It’s also the only organization of its kind in Serbia to have partnered with Google through the Launchpad Accelerator. Together, they created a hands-on entrepreneurship course for computer science students, helping them turn ideas into real products and startups.

Given this background, Startit is a yet again great fit for this initiative. The goal is to bring Web3 closer to the local startup scene in a way that’s practical and relevant, and Startit knows how to connect technical talent with real opportunities.