Build on Campus. Get Forged After.
The Foundry is a multi-phase hackathon that brings AI building to universities. Students compete, ship real products, and the best earn their way into The Forge.
TECH & HIRING PARTNERS
INDUSTRY PARTNER
HOW IT WORKS
Ignition
Campus kickoff. Teams form. Problem statements are revealed. Maven Alpha mentors run an AI building workshop to level the playing field. Every team starts with the same fire.
Build Sprint
The hackathon. Teams build real, working products using AI. Not slide decks. Not mockups. Working software that solves real problems. Mentors from Maven Alpha are on the ground throughout.
Demo Day
Teams present to a panel of builders, founders, and industry practitioners. Judged on execution, not theory. Prizes awarded. The best products get recognized. The best builders get noticed.
Cash prizes + AI tool credits for winners
The Bridge
Standout builders from The Foundry are invited to apply to The Forge with a fast-track advantage. The Foundry identifies talent. The Forge transforms it.
WHAT WE BRING TO YOUR CAMPUS
AI Tool Credits & Access
Every participating team gets access to industry-grade AI tools. No student is limited by what they can afford.
Practitioner Mentors
Maven Alpha mentors who build with AI for a living — not academics who lecture about it. On-ground support throughout the build sprint.
Full Event Production
We handle logistics, judging criteria, workshop materials, and event structure. Your university provides the venue and the students. We provide the fire.
Structured Judging Framework
Products are judged on real-world criteria: Does it work? Does it solve a problem? Was AI used with intention? Execution over presentation.
Pipeline to The Forge
The Foundry is not a dead end. Top builders get a direct pathway into The Forge — our intensive 6-week program that turns potential into professional capability.
Brand & Marketing Support
Co-branded event materials, social media amplification, and post-event coverage. Your university gets positioned as a forward-thinking institution.
FROM FOUNDRY TO FORGE
The Foundry Finds Talent. The Forge Transforms It.
Most hackathons end with a trophy and a LinkedIn post. The Foundry ends with an opportunity. Builders who prove themselves on campus earn a fast-track path into The Forge — where 6 weeks of intensive, hands-on training turns raw talent into real capability. The Foundry is where you are discovered. The Forge is where you are made.
FOR STUDENTS
Ready to Build?
Think you have what it takes? The Foundry is where university builders prove themselves. Compete, ship a real product, and earn your way into The Forge.
BRING THE FOUNDRY TO YOUR UNIVERSITY
Your Students Deserve Better Than Career Fairs.
The Foundry gives your students something a lecture never will: the experience of building something real with AI, under pressure, with practitioners watching. Partner with Maven Alpha to run The Foundry on your campus.
Build on Campus. Get Forged After.
Bring The Foundry to your university. Your students build. The best earn their way into The Forge.