SegFault

Where impossible is just an code

An online hackathon on compilers and programming languages. Five weeks to build. Finalists present in person at IISc, Bengaluru on Oct 2–3, 2026

SegFault is organised as part of the Innovations In Compiler Technology workshop

Registrations are closed

Fully onlineCompilersProgramming languagesProgram analysisLLVM · MLIROpen to students & industryRolling shortlistsFinale at IISc BengaluruFully onlineCompilersProgramming languagesProgram analysisLLVM · MLIROpen to students & industryRolling shortlistsFinale at IISc Bengaluru
The format

Everything is online.Except the finale.

Build from anywhere. Only the finale is in person.

Fully onlineAug 1 – Oct 3, 2026
Anywhere001

No travel to take part.

Register, build and submit from your own machine.

Any city, any timezone. Nothing to book.

Entry002

Registrations have closed.

Sign-ups ended on Aug 15, 2026.

Shortlisted teams get their next steps by email.

Shortlists003

Announced as they land.

Teams are shortlisted as submissions come in, all through the five weeks.

Submit early, hear back early.

The finale004

One trip, at the end.

Finalists present in person at IISc, Bengaluru on Oct 2–3, 2026.

Their IICT workshop attendance is covered. Nothing before it needs a flight.

Tracks

Six problem statements.Eight open themes.

Every team picks exactly one of either: an official problem statement from the organizers, or an open theme with an idea of your own.

Official problem statements

Open themes

Domain specific compilers and languages

Design and implement compilers and languages for a specific application or a specific piece of hardware.

  • Compilers
  • Programming languages
  • eDSLs

Compiler frameworks and tools

Work on the infrastructure itself: intermediate representations, program analysis, transformation tooling.

  • Tools
  • Static analysis
  • Debugging

Compilers and AI/ML

Use AI/ML to make compilers better, or compiler technology to make AI/ML workflows better.

  • Machine learning
  • Codegen
  • Tooling

Optimizing for the real world

Take software that already exists and make it run faster or leaner with compiler techniques.

  • Auto-tuning
  • Energy
  • Edge

Explainable compilers

Modern compilers are enormous black boxes. Make their decisions legible to the people using them.

  • Visualisation
  • Teaching
  • Debugging

Compilers for new paradigms

Build compilers or tooling for places compilers are only just arriving.

  • Quantum
  • eBPF
  • Security

Functional programming

Build using functional programming languages, or build the tooling that makes them better.

  • OCaml
  • Haskell
  • Type systems

Open innovation

Build anything on compiler technology. If it does not fit the other tracks but it is compilers, it fits here.

  • Anything compilers
  • Your idea
Timeline

Two months, end to end.Here is how it runs.

Aug 1 – Oct 3, 2026. Fully online until the finale in Bengaluru.

Aug 1

Registrations open

Sign up as a team or solo. Nothing to build yet, just get on the list.

Aug 7

Problem statements and tracks announced

The real track list and problem statements land a week after sign-ups open.

Aug 15

Registrations close

Late entries are still accepted once hacking is underway.

Aug 15same day

Hacking begins

Five weeks, fully remote. Everything runs on your own machine.

Rollingcontinuous

Shortlists announced

Teams get shortlisted as submissions come in, instead of all at once on one date.

Sept 19–20

Final evaluation

Online judging across both days. The finalist list is locked by the end of it.

Oct 2–3

Grand finale at IICT

Finalists present in person at IISc Bengaluru, alongside the IICT workshop.

VenueA V Rama Rao Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science
Prizes

Cash for the top three teams.

₹2,00,000 in total, plus certificates and mentorship for everyone who takes part.

Total prize pool

₹2,00,000

Certificates

Every participant gets a certificate.

Mentorship

Sessions with compiler engineers working in industry.

Travel

Finalists' IICT workshop attendance is covered.

Hiring

Internship and job conversations with the sponsors.

FAQ

Questions people ask.

Registrationsare closed.

Sign-ups ended on Aug 15, 2026. Shortlisted teams get their next steps by email.

Last year

24

Submissions

6

Finalists

3

Solo finalists

Read what got built last year before you pick an idea.

All 24 ideas · 2025 archive