Past Events
Hack for Earth has hosted a diverse range of hackathons and events over the years, catering to a wide range of challenges, target groups, and participants.
Our events span across both in-person and online formats, varying in size to suit different objectives. At the heart of all our endeavors is a commitment to excellence and actionable results, ensuring value for everyone involved—partners, hackers, mentors, and the audience alike. Below, we have highlighted a selection of our most successful hackathon events, showcasing the breadth and impact of our initiatives.
Our past events
Hack for Earth at Expo2020
Hack for Earth at the world exhibition Expo2020 in Dubai, gathered thousands of people from around the globe to create real solutions to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. A global hackathon we delivered in collaboration with the United Nations and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Participants & Partners
1371
Teams from 121 countries
7
Winning Teams
28
Partners and collaborating organisations
Hack for Earth Youth Hackathon at COP27
Hack for Earth at COP27 (in 2022): The global online hackathon Hack for Earth at COP27 was organized in collaboration with the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub, UN World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, UNICEF Office of Innovation, UNICEF, UNEP, World Bank Youth Summit, SIDA, Radiant Earth Foundation, Empire Partner Foundation and more. The 27th UN high level climate conference, the COP27, was held in Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt in November 2022.
Participants & Partners
1864
Teams from 125 countries
7
Winning Teams
100
Mentors
Hack for Earth at COP28
Hack for Earth at COP28 (in 2023): The global online hackathon Hack for Earth at COP28 had Ericsson as a co-organizing company, and the hackathon was also organized in collaboration with UNICEF Office of Innovation and Junior Achievement Worldwide. In addition, MIT Climate Change and Energy Prize joined as a partner organization.
Participants & Partners
1200+
Teams from 112 countries
8
Winning Teams
200
Mentors
Hack the Crisis Sweden
In 2020, the coronavirus outbreak prompted numerous hackathon organizations globally to launch events aimed at addressing urgent global challenges. One notable example is Hack the Crisis Sweden, an online hackathon held in 2020. Organized by Hack for Sweden, a government initiative, this event was a significant shift from the traditional, in-person Hack for Sweden 2019. Designed as a digital-only event, it facilitated all activities, from team formation to mentorship, via an online platform, without any physical interactions. The hackathon mobilized diverse groups to develop innovative solutions to mitigate the pandemic's effects on society, business, and health.
Participants & Partners
530
Teams from 91 countries
6
Winning Teams
200
Mentors
Dream for Earth global campaign
Launched in 2021, the Dream for Earth campaign emerged as a global initiative by Hack for Earth, inspired by the Dream for Sweden campaign, yet distinguished by its greater scale and broader scope.
This groundbreaking campaign utilized an AI tool to analyze dreams shared by individuals worldwide, which then formed the basis for challenges of the global Hack for Earth hackathon held at Expo 2020 in Dubai in 2021.
Participants from around the globe visited the dedicated website, dreamforearth.com, to post their aspirations for the future, either in video or text format. These contributions were linked to various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fostering a deep connection between personal dreams and global objectives.
The campaign not only gathered thousands of dreams but also conducted a detailed AI-driven analysis to uncover geographical trends and alignment with specific SDGs. These insights were crucial in shaping the challenges for the hackathon, helping to tailor the hackathon’s focus towards the most resonant global aspirations. The results of the campaign were showcased in a physical exhibition in the Swedish Pavilion at the world exhibition Expo2020 in Dubai, for the duration of the 6 month world exhibition.
Beyond analytics, the Dream for Earth campaign significantly enhanced community engagement. It featured social media videos created in collaboration with ambassadors from partner organizations, personalizing the initiative and encouraging broader participation. The campaign also included a voting component, where participants could support their favorite dreams. As an incentive, the most popular dream won a trip to Expo 2020 in Dubai, with the winner, Joseph Adedeji from Nigeria, earning widespread acclaim for his vision of a just and fair world.
For a glimpse of the winning dream, click here to watch Joseph Adedeji’s video.
