Capital One Launchpad 2025 Hackathon

About the Hackathon

1. What is the objective of this Hackathon?
   Capital One Launchpad is designed to discover and engage India’s brightest technical minds. Our inaugural edition focuses on a meaningful real-world challenge: building AI-powered advisory systems for India’s agriculture sector. The goal is to push boundaries in human-aligned, intelligent systems while creating potential grassroots impact.
   
   
2. Is this only for agriculture or agri-tech professionals?
   Not at all. While the theme is agriculture, the core challenge is AI-focused - involving data retrieval, reasoning, and product alignment. Skills relevant in any domain - from finance and health to governance - are valuable here.

Eligibility & Teaming

1. Who can participate?Anyone who meets the following criteria:
   
   • 18 years or older
   • Indian citizen
   • Both students (undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD), or working professional
   • Refer T&C for full details
     
     
2. Can team members be from different colleges or cities?
   Yes. Team members can come from different institutions or regions. Teams can also mix students and professionals.
   
   
3. What is the allowed team size?
   1 - 4 member teams can be formed. Solo participation is allowed, though we recommend functional diversity - product, design, machine learning, engineering, etc.
   
   
4. Can one person be part of multiple teams?
   No. You can only be registered with one
   
   
5. Can we modify our team after registration?
   We would allow team modifications

Registration & Submission

1. How do I register?
   Go to the HackerEarth Hackathon page and click “Register Now.” You can register as:
   • An individual
   • A team
     
     
2. What is the last date to register?
   Registrations open on July 25 and close on August 12. We recommend registering early to maximize your build time.
   
   
3. Can I submit more than one solution?
   No. Each team is allowed only one final submission, though you may update it before the deadline.
   
   
4. What should my submission include?
   Refer the submission guide section
   
   
5. Where do I find the detailed problem statement and datasets?
   The detailed problem statement will be available on HackerEarth from July 30 onwards. Participants are expected to source additional relevant public data if needed. No proprietary or private data will be provided by Capital One.

Technology & Approach

1. Can I use GPT, Claude, or other large models?
   Yes. You can use any LLMs or agents, but we strongly encourage engineering originality - don’t just wrap a prompt! Combine knowledge retrieval, structured reasoning, and open-ended responses smartly. Please refer to the terms and conditions for more details.
   
   
2. Can we use open-source tools, APIs, or datasets?
   Yes. You’re free to use any open-source technologies or public datasets - but do cite sources appropriately.
   
   
3. How will hallucination or incorrect answers be judged?
   Your solution should aim to minimize hallucination and provide traceable citations when needed. Judgment will include accuracy and reliability of responses.
   
   
4. Is explainability important?
   Yes. The ability to explain your model’s decisions is a key part of our rubric. Avoid black-box behavior if possible.

Evaluation & Judging

1. What are the evaluation criteria for the prototype?
   The criteria would be subjective, based on:-
   
   
   • Innovative technical implementation & UX design details
   • Innovative application in finance: This is a special basis used for Submissions catering to financial needs of the agriculture sector would be given more consideration.
   • Accuracy of the model outputs
   • Unique types of use cases: Hyperlocal solutions catering to underserved segments of the agricultural vertical would get more consideration.
   • AI alignment: Demonstration that the agent is aligned with human values and prevents undesirable outcomes
   • Please refer to T&C section for full details.
     
     
2. Who are the judges?
   Capital One India leadership team + expert panel
   
   
3. Can we improve our solution if shortlisted for finals?
   Yes. Shortlisted teams can refine their work before the finale, as long as the core idea remains unchanged.
   
   
4. What should the final round presentation include?
   You’ll present: Refer to this section. 8 minutes for demo + 7 minutes for Q&A.

Bangalore Finale

1. When will finalists be announced?
   August 23, 2025. Finalist teams will be invited to present in Bangalore.
   
   
2. What’s the event timeline?
   Refer to this section
   
   
3. Would all team members be invited to travel to Bangalore?
   Yes. All up to 4 team members per team are invited.
   
   
4. What travel/accommodation support will be provided?
   ₹15,000 per travelling team member will be provided to the finalists. You will have to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements. Instructions will be shared post shortlisting.
   
   
5. What if I can’t travel due to a valid reason?
   Notify us early. Remote presentations are allowed in rare cases, but travel support and networking access will be limited. It is important that at least one participant travel to Bangalore for the final presentation.

Support & Post-Event Opportunities

1. Will there be mentorship or doubt clearing sessions?
   Yes. 4 Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions will be held and Zoom links will be shared.
   
   
2. Will session recordings be shared?
   No. Live participation in the AMA sessions is strongly recommended.
   
   
3. Will my personal data be shared publicly?
   No. Your submission will remain private. We may create a post-event highlight video for LinkedIn - participation in media is optional.
   
   
4. What happens after the Hackathon?
   Winners will receive cash prizes, certificates, and bragging rights! Participants may reach out via Capital One’s careers page or to our Talent Acquisition team in Capital One India, Bangalore office, if interested. There is no direct hiring through this event, but we are always scouting top talent and we are always looking for people who align with our mission and values.

What to Submit

• Refer to this section

Disqualifiers

• Copied/plagiarized code or
• Non functioning hosted
• Lack of meaningful implementation (idea-only submissions).
• Violation of event guidelines or use of unsafe/unethical

Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the T&C for exhaustive details.