SPACE x SEA Hackathon (IoT, Space, Maritime, Defense, Climate) by H*QUOTIENT, Entrepreneurs First, and CRV
H*QUOTIENT Hackathon: SPACE x SEA
📅 Date: Friday, June 27, 2025
🕗 Time: 10 AM - 8 PM PDT
📍 Location: Entrepreneurs First, San Francisco, CA
Join us for H*QUOTIENT’s SPACE x SEA Hackathon, a one-day innovation sprint exploring the frontiers of maritime, aerospace, aviation, sensing, defense, climate, cybersecurity, and more. Whether you're a student, operator, academic, builder, or just deep-tech curious, this is your invitation to roll up your sleeves and prototype the future—underwater, in orbit, and everywhere in between.
We’ll be pushing boundaries in frontier manufacturing, advanced materials, autonomy, energy systems, and communications—all designed for the most extreme environments on (and off) Earth.
Supported by Entrepreneurs First
Sponsored by CRV
Read more about us below.
Who Should Attend?
Open to ALL bold builders:
• Students in science, engineering, AI, policy, design, entrepreneurship, business, etc.
• Founders & hackers with early tech to test
• Scientists, systems engineers, and applied researchers
• Developers, designers, operators, makers, and futurists
• Anyone who daydreams about submarines and satellites
What to Build?
Explore challenges across a wide array of frontier tech:
🔭 Sensing & Autonomy
• Satellite- and sea-based sensing systems
• Aerial, aquatic & amphibious robotics
• IoT/remote sensing for climate, navigation, GIS mapping, or defense
⚙️ Extreme Environment Engineering
• Manufacturing under extreme orbit or undersea conditions
• Modular, reconfigurable hardware systems
• Infrastructure for high-pressure, zero-gravity, or corrosive environments
• Resource-constrained fabrication & recycling systems
⚛️ Next-Gen Materials & Structures
• Lightweight or self-healing materials
• Bioinspired or bio-integrated systems
• Coatings and composites for extreme durability
🔌 Power, Energy, and Mobility
• Renewable energy generation for deep space or deep sea
• Sustainable mining, extraction, and mineral recovery processes
• Closed-loop energy harvesting and transfer
• Portable, self-sustaining life support or energy modules
🌐 Comms & Cybersecurity
• Underwater or interstellar communications
• Resilient systems for degraded or hostile networks
• Cyber-physical security for autonomous fleets
🧠 Systems, Strategy & Simulation
• Dual-use and defense-tech prototypes
• Digital twin or VR simulation tools for mission planning, crew training, and survivability
• Interplanetary supply chains or fleet logistics
Got a bigger, better, bolder idea? Go for it.
Three Tracks
⚙️ Ideation — white paper + slides
🛠️ Prototype — CAD file + slides
💻 Software — code + slides
Hardware welcome! (BYOHK — Bring Your Own Hardware Kit) — sensors, boards, prototypes, or models.
In-Person Schedule (Friday, June 27)
📍 Entrepreneurs First, San Francisco, CA
10:00–10:30 AM — Check-in
10:30–10:50 AM — Kickoff & welcome remarks
10:50–11:00 AM — Challenge briefings + judging criteria
11:00–11:30 AM — Speed networking + team formation
11:30 AM–1:00 PM — Hacking begins!
1:00–2:00 PM — [Lunch & more hacking]
2:45–6:00 PM — Hacking continues
6:00–6:30 PM — Dinner + final touches!
6:30–7:30 PM — Live presentations + judge Q&A
7:30–8:00 PM — Awards, closing remarks & mingling
Submit here: https://tally.so/r/wLBOyy
Please Bring
Laptop + charger, headphones/earbuds, anything you want to hack with, and an open mind. Bonus points if you bring demos or side projects to show off.
Note that vegetarian lunch & dinner options will be available. Please let us know if you have other dietary considerations we should be aware of (email hquotient.tech@gmail.com).
Virtual Participants
Challenges will be released the day before (Thursday, June 26).
Thursday, June 26: Kickoff Meeting
9:30 AM PDT | 12:30 PM EDT | 5:30 PM BST | 6:30 PM CEST | 10 PM IST
📍 Link: https://yale.zoom.us/j/91465329374?pwd=fgz6V6S7NWou0YigsFZVaXtzpPvvD5.1
Remote submissions due Friday, June 27 by 6 PM PDT | 9 PM EDT (basically end of day BST/CEST)
Submit here: https://tally.so/r/wLBOyy
Judging Criteria
Projects will be scored as a numerical total based on:
1. Innovation & creativity (1-10 pts)
2. Impact & relevance (1-10 pts)
3. Technical execution (1-10 pts)
4. Clarity & storytelling (1-10 pts)
5. Teamwork & ambition (1-10 pts)
Highest-scoring team (out of 50 total possible points) wins!
All participants receive new friends & collaborators, touch-points with the EF and CRV teams, and access to H*QUOTIENT's deep tech global network.
Registration
The hackathon is 100% free. We believe radical access fuels radical innovation. If you know someone who might help us (co)sponsor future events, please send them our way. :)
Meet the Hosts
H*QUOTIENT is a global ecosystem for deep tech mischief and moonshots. From bio to quantum to climate to space—we bring together the engineers and founders shaping the next century of innovation. Since our launch, we’ve welcomed 2,500+ members from 40+ countries. Join the movement: https://tally.so/r/nWjGMe
Entrepreneurs First (EF) turns exceptional individuals into funded founders. Some might have an early idea, others may need a cofounder. What matters is their potential. We back these founders first, then give them a bridge to Silicon Valley. To date, their companies are worth > $11B. https://www.joinef.com/
CRV is an early-stage venture capital firm with a strong track record of supporting visionary founders building enduring tech companies. With over 50 years of experience, CRV partners with entrepreneurs from the earliest stages, investing across enterprise, consumer, and frontier technologies. https://www.crv.com/
Please Note
This event will be recorded for promotional and educational purposes. By attending, you consent to being recorded.
Building for humanity — under the sea and above the sky.
See you June 27 in San Francisco. Or online. Or both.
Questions? Please email hquotient.tech@gmail.com.