UW–Madison’s student-built hackathon

MADISON, WISCONSIN

Build together at UW–Madison.

CHEESE
HACKS2027

A hackathon for students with something they want to try. Bring an idea, find a team, and spend a weekend making it happen.

Join the next batch Meet Cheesehacks ↓

2027 registration is coming soon.

CHEESEHACKS2027

2027 · Dates to be announcedA whole weekend of making things

Madison, WisconsinUW–Madison · Venue to be announced

Curiosity is the prerequisiteFirst hackathon? You’re in good company.

01 / The event

A place to
try your idea.

Hosted by your campus
Google Developer Group.

Your project starts here.

Cheesehacks brings students together at UW–Madison to turn ideas into things you can actually try. A useful app. An unexpected hardware hack. Your very first website. There’s room for all of it.

Come with friends or meet a team here. Learn from one another, ask for help, and leave with something you made.

Make your thing.

Web, mobile, hardware, AI. Choose a problem that makes you curious.

Find your people.

Collaborate with students who bring a different way of thinking.

Learn by doing.

Workshops and mentorship are part of the plan. No perfect résumé required.

Great projects start with a good team.

Explore the team directory, or arrive ready to meet your collaborators.

Meet the teams

02 / The weekend

The weekend,
day by day.

The 2027 schedule is on the workbench.
This planning outline follows the 2026 format.
Dates, times, and sessions will be confirmed here.

Planning outline · All times to be announced in Madison local time.

03 / Judging

What makes
a great project?

An ambitious idea. A thoughtful detail. A prototype that does one thing really well.

These are the four lenses used in 2026. They’re here to help you start thinking; the final 2027 rubric and prizes will be announced before the event.

01.

Innovation

Use technology in a new way. Solve a need, connect unexpected ideas, or take an existing approach further.

02.

Style

Make it feel considered. A clear interface and thoughtful interactions matter as much as how it looks.

03.

Creativity

Follow your curiosity somewhere unexpected. Show us an idea we wouldn’t have thought of ourselves.

04.

Viability

Make something that works beyond the demo. Who would use it, and what would it help them do?

2027 submission link and project gallery coming soon. Explore the 2026 projects ↗

04 / Our partners

Help make
the weekend.

A student-built event.
A community effort.

The 2027 partner lineup is coming soon.

Interested in supporting student builders with mentorship, tools, or sponsorship?

In 2026, supporters included Google, UW–Madison Computer Sciences, Monster Energy, and bubbl’r. 2027 partnerships have not yet been announced.