TROY, N.Y. (WETM) – The nonprofit organization, Tech Valley Center of Gravity, located in Troy, New York, will be hosting a Hackathon in October. Registration for the event is open now.

The 48 hour Hackathon event will take place on the weekend of Oct. 13, 14 and 15 at the Tech Valley Center of Gravity. The event is designed to bring teams of talented people together to compete in creating solutions to real-world problems. The event challenges will be announced on the first day of the event and will focus on the theme Smart Cities and finding ways to meet the needs of urban areas using innovative approaches.

Teams that compete in the Hackathon will have the opportunity to win valuable prizes including a grand prize worth more than $13,000, cash prizes up to $5,000 and the chance to have their prototype on display at the New York State Innovation Summit.

The grand prize will be awarded to a start-up business and include 12 months of rent-free office space in Downtown Troy, thanks to Bryce Companies; a one year chamber membership from the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce and a one year TVCOG membership. All teams will be eligible to win cash prizes, made possible by the Troy Capital Resource Corporation and the RPI Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship.

Teams will also have the opportunity to learn from professionals in the Capital Region. Mentors will be on site throughout the competition to answer technical questions and assist teams with machinery. Breakout sessions will take place to discuss writing a business thesis and developing product pitches.

The event will be MC’d by Richard Lin of Agora Media and meals will be provided, thanks to sponsors like Troy Web Consulting and FuzeHub. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Registration for the event opened on Aug. 9 and will remain open until Sept. 18. The competition is open to teams of 2-4 that are ages 18 plus. Anyone is welcome to apply, but only current or future startup companies will be eligible for the grand prize. Based on the number of applicants, TVCOG may not be able to accept all applicants. Teams will be notified by Sept. 25 if they have been invited to participate.

To apply for the event, please visit tvcog.net/hackathon. Questions about registration should be directed to Elizabeth Kuchera at liz@tvcog.net.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Bliss at rebecca@tvcog.net.