Building Bridges in Tech: The CloudFest Hackathon 2025 Awards
The CloudFest Hackathon 2025, scheduled for March 15-17 at Europa-Park in Rust, is just weeks away. As we prepare for this milestone event, we’re excited to continue our tradition of combining open-source innovation with meaningful social impact. This year’s hackathon promises to build upon the remarkable achievements of our previous events while pushing new boundaries in technology and inclusion.
A Legacy of Giving Back
Our community’s impact continues to grow. Following the inspiring journey of Vanessa Nalugya, who progressed from scholarship recipient to award-winning participant in 2024, we’re thrilled to welcome Mable Musiimenta as our newest Groundbreaker Talents‘ participant. These success stories exemplify how our community’s collaborative efforts create lasting change and open new opportunities in tech. Mable will be attending this year’s CloudFest Hackathon together with Laura Kyongo from the Groundbreaker Talents team, and we are beyond excited to welcome them at Europa-Park in just a few weeks from here!
Meet Mable and Laura at the CloudFest Hackathon 2025!
The Power of Community Impact
The CloudFest Hackathon stands as more than just a coding event—it’s a catalyst for positive change in the tech industry. Through our ongoing partnership with Groundbreaker Talents, we support their mission to provide full-time residential scholarships in Software Engineering, tailored to enable young women from financially constrained communities to leverage their full potential and access a brighter future in the digital era.
This transformative initiative empowers talented individuals with the skills needed to thrive in the digital landscape and contribute to building a more accessible and inclusive web for everyone.
2025 Hackathon Awards Program
The CloudFest Hackathon 2025 Awards continue our tradition of supporting the Groundbreaker Talents scholarship initiative. Each carefully crafted award category celebrates excellence in different aspects of open-source development while contributing to our mission of fostering innovation, collaboration, and positive social impact.
Award Categories Spotlight
This year’s award categories reflect the essence of innovation, collaboration, and social impact.
 | Tech Visionary Award |  sponsored by Hostinger | Awarded to the team whose project demonstrates the most innovative technical implementation and creative use of technology. |
 | Dream Team Award |  sponsored by Omnisend | For the team that demonstrates exceptional teamwork, collaboration, and communication throughout the hackathon. |
 | Social Media Master Award |  sponsored by Kinsta | Highlighting the team that creates the most buzz on social media during the hackathon. |
 | Pitch Perfect Award |  sponsored by Codeable | Rewarding the team that delivers the most compelling and engaging project presentation for all. |
 | Breaking Barriers Award |  sponsored by Automattic | Rewards practical implementation of inclusive design principles while breaking down barriers for both development teams and end users |
 | #CFHack2025 Overall Winner |  sponsored by Greyd | For the team that hacks its way to the top, emerging as the ultimate #CFHack Champion at the CloudFest Hackathon 2024. |
The Jury
Our esteemed jury is dedicated to overseeing this friendly competition and ensuring that our collective efforts translate into meaningful support for the next generation of developers.
The jury consists of our experienced CloudFest Hackathon crew, representatives of our top-level partners and Laura from Groundbreaker Talents.
Making a Difference Together
The impact of CloudFest Hackathon extends far beyond the 3-day event itself. By participating, sponsoring, or contributing, you become part of a movement that combines technical innovation with social responsibility. Whether you’re coding, mentoring, or supporting through sponsorship, your involvement helps create opportunities for aspiring developers and strengthens the open-source community.
Supporting the Cause
Want to make an even bigger impact? Consider these ways to contribute:
- Sponsor an Award Category +++ SOLD OUT +++
- Help fund educational opportunities while gaining visibility for your organization
- Contact Carole Olinger (carole@cloudfest.com) for sponsorship details
- Direct Support
- Individual donations can be made through the Groundbreaker platform: Donation Link
- Every contribution helps fund additional training opportunities
See You in March 2025
CloudFest Hackathon 2025 is set to welcome 110 talented individuals from around the globe, bringing together industry-leading companies and game-changing open-source projects. This gathering represents another milestone in our journey toward a more inclusive and innovative tech industry.
Your participation—whether as an attendee or partner—fuels our mission to create meaningful change through technology and community collaboration.
Together, let’s make CloudFest Hackathon 2025 our most impactful event yet! 💪
