HackFW
HackFW
Month-long virtual hackathon
May 1 & 2, 2026
UTA Downtown Fort Worth
Flagship event with networking, workshops & awards
Our Mission
HackFW creates a sustainable innovation flywheel for Fort Worth by exposing youth and workforce to hands-on technical product development in data and software engineering.
Through real-world challenges and industry mentorship, we're building a pipeline that keeps technical talent local while establishing Fort Worth as an emerging tech hub.
We'll lead with the Fort Worth DAO as an open-source, Web3 civic-minded digital sovereignty initiative, connecting winning builders with problem sponsors to accelerate product-market fit and real-world deployment.
Focus Areas
Convergent Technology
Seeding understanding of better master-planned and architected products and solutions — from edge manufacturing systems to data infrastructure at scale.
We're assembling industrial champions with engineers who apply first principles thinking across the full stack: hardware, electronics, firmware, networking, software, and data pipelines — building products that are intentionally designed, not stitched together.
- Edge computing & manufacturing systems
- Data infrastructure & pipeline architecture
- Drone dominance & autonomous systems
- AI-enabled MedTech & health innovation
- Hardware-software co-design
- AI/ML integration at the systems level
Reindustrialization
Fort Worth has a legacy of making things. We're accelerating the next chapter — applying convergent technology to rebuild and modernize local industrial capacity for the 21st century.
From smart factories and drone-enabled logistics to AI-driven healthcare solutions and supply chain sovereignty, this track challenges builders to solve real reindustrialization problems facing North Texas and beyond.
- Smart manufacturing & factory automation
- Supply chain resilience & digital twins
- Autonomous drones & aerial infrastructure
- AI-powered diagnostics & MedTech platforms
- Industrial IoT & sensor networks
- Workforce augmentation & upskilling tools
- Local production & digital sovereignty
Key Differentiators
Flywheel Approach
Not just an event, but a sustained talent development pipeline
Industry Integration
Direct pathways from participation to employment opportunities
Civic Focus
Solutions for real Fort Worth challenges with measurable impact
Educational Alignment
Integrated with TCC/TCU curriculum and academic programs
Grassroots Growth
Building from community up, not top-down
Web3 Leadership
Fort Worth DAO as open-source digital sovereignty initiative
Innovation Bounty Board
We're building an ongoing database of real regional North Texas problems for local students, researchers, government, and industry to tackle with convergent technology.
Challenge Areas
- Convergent Technology & Systems Architecture
- Reindustrialization & Smart Manufacturing
- Drone Dominance & Autonomous Systems
- AI-Enabled MedTech & Health Innovation
- Edge Computing & Data Infrastructure
- Web3 & Digital Sovereignty
Upcoming Events
Join us at our upcoming workshops, meetups, and hackathon events.
Partnership Opportunities
Join us in building Fort Worth's tech workforce through strategic sponsorship.
All contributions are tax-deductible. Fort Worth DAO LCA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
- Website logo placement
- Devpost recognition
- Social media mentions
- Exhibition booth
- Talent database access
- Workshop hosting (April)
- Keynote opportunity
- Website logo placement
- Devpost recognition
- Social media mentions
- Exhibition booth
- Talent database access
- Workshop hosting (April)
- Keynote opportunity
- Website logo placement
- Devpost recognition
- Social media mentions
- Exhibition booth
- Talent database access
- Workshop hosting (April)
- Keynote opportunity
- Website logo placement
- Devpost recognition
- Social media mentions
- Exhibition booth
- Talent database access
- Workshop hosting (April)
- Keynote opportunity
Developer Infrastructure Partner
For dev tools, cloud providers, and AI platforms — support HackFW through in-kind contributions
- Website logo placement
- Devpost recognition
- Social media mentions
- API credits & tools for hackers
- Prize contributions
- Workshop hosting (April)
Workshop Month (April 2026): Ecosystem Partners and Innovation Leaders can host skill-building workshops throughout April leading up to the main event.
Check out our Upcoming Events calendar for scheduled workshops and key dates.
Our Partners
We're proud to partner with mission aligned organizations on scaling Fort Worth's tech ecosystem.
Get Involved
Whether you're a student, developer, researcher, industry partner, or community builder — there's a place for you in Fort Worth's innovation ecosystem.