This year, the challenge focuses on the creative and cultural industries. Participants are invited to submit projects that explore new uses, services, or experiences across nine areas: performing arts and live entertainment, radio and music, fashion, books and publishing, television and film, news and media, architecture and urban planning, the art market, and cultural heritage. Projects combining different areas are also welcomed.
Participants may include:
Over nine days, they will benefit from mentorship, inspiring talks, and networking opportunities.
At the end of the hackathon, teams will present their prototypes to a jury composed of technical, business, and creative and cultural industries experts and try to win the main award of up to CHF 10,000, sponsored by IdeArk—a startup incubator within The Ark and Idiap’s ecosystem—as well as a CHF 500 People’s Choice Award. The winning team will also have the opportunity to participate in the Venture Technology Connect event on November 3rd, 2026, in Verbier.
Backed by a strong innovation ecosystem surrounding Idiap and its network, the ICC offers an ideal launchpad for AI startup creation.
More info and registration: Idiap Create Challenge 2026
The Idiap Research Institute, based in Martigny, Switzerland, is an indipendent and leading institute for artificial intelligence research. Founded in 1991, Idiap has developed expertise in machine learning, human-centered AI, speech and audio processing, energy informatics, health and genomics, digital security, and NLP. The institute also actively collaborates with industry and participates in national and international projects to drive innovation in AI.