Welcome
> What is this event?
Central America's first Cursor hackathon. Today, 150 builders come together to ship something real in one day. This is more than a competition—it's the start of a regional builder movement. Mentors from our sponsors are available throughout the day to help you build, debug, and ship. No coding experience required—just bring your ideas and the drive to create.
SaaS "in Spirit"
> The Hackathon Theme
Think broadly! We're not looking for traditional enterprise software. Build any product that solves a real problem and has a clear way to make money—credits, subscriptions, one-time payments, premium features, you name it. Focus on creativity and delivering value, not on having a polished business plan.
What could you build?
What Judges Will Evaluate
How effectively did you use AI tools to build?
Is your idea creative or unique?
Who needs this and why?
Does your prototype work?
Can you communicate your idea clearly?
Important Rule
All projects must start from scratch on January 31st. No pre-built code or existing projects allowed.
Logistics
> Where and when
Development Window
Support & Resources
Mentors from sponsors are available all day. Ask for help whenever you need it!
Welcome kit for each participant + Cursor credits for usage during the event
Comfort & Food
> We've got you covered
Coffee
Coffee available all day
Meals
Light breakfast (sweet bread + coffee), pizza lunch, afternoon snacks (chips + apples)
Water
Water for all + UCA 'Oasis' stations to refill bottles
Wi‑Fi
Invitados UCA
Credentials will be provided in each classroom. WiFi may be slow or unstable—if you need mobile data, let mentors know.
Teams will be distributed across three classrooms. Mentors from sponsors are available throughout the event—don't hesitate to ask for help!
Mentors
> Available to help you
How to ask for help: Each classroom has assigned mentors. If you need a mentor from another classroom, ask your classroom mentor.
Walter Morales
SOUTHWORKS | Cursor Ambassador SV
Francis Sanchinelli
CEO, U3Tech & Vudy
Carol Monroe
AI Builder
Andrea de Leon
COO, PAQ
André Mendez
Insurtech Founder
Eleanor Menchú Melgar
Cursor Ambassador GT
Nelson Zepeda
CDO, Datasphere
Omar Alvarez
CTO, Vudy
Jose Miguel
Tech Lead, Vudy
Agenda
January 31, 2026
> Day schedule
Reception
Check-in and welcome kit distribution
Opening Ceremony
Welcome, sponsor presentations, and event kickoff
Hacking Begins
Development time starts. Build your SaaS product!
Lunch Break
Take a break, refuel, and network with other builders
Code Freeze
Stop coding. Submit your project and deliverables
Classroom Presentations
5 minutes per team to present in your classroom
Auditorium Finals
Top projects from each classroom compete in Segundo Montes Auditorium
Deliverables
> What you must submit
Every team must submit the following to be eligible for judging. Note: Your app doesn't need to be fully completed or functional—focus on building as much as you can. However, the SaaS landing page is required.
SaaS landing page (required - template available at /saas)
Working app or slides presentation (doesn't need to be fully functional)
At least 1 social media post documenting your journey
Social post must include hashtags: #buildinpublic #cursor #cursorsv
Submit link to your social media post
Visit /portal to submit all deliverables. Only the team leader needs to submit, but all team members can access the portal. Document your build journey on LinkedIn or X. Share your progress, challenges, and wins. At least one post per team is required.
Jury
> Evaluation panel and room assignments
D34: Walter Morales, Eleanor Menchú Melgar, Jose Bustamante
D35: Francis Sanchinelli, Andrea de Leon, Nelson Zepeda
D37: Carlos Arnecke, Arto Bendiken, Carol Monroe, André Mendez
Evaluation Process
> How winners are selected
Code Freeze
All teams must stop development and submit their projects. No changes accepted after this time.
Classroom Presentations
Each team has 5 minutes to present their project to the judges assigned to their classroom. Judges evaluate based on innovation, presentation, and effective use of Cursor.
Finalist Selection
Judges deliberate and select the top 5 teams from each classroom. These teams automatically advance to the final round.
✓ 5 finalist teams per classroom advance to the final round
Final Round - Segundo Montes Auditorium
The 15 finalist teams (5 per classroom) compete in the main auditorium. Extended presentations and final evaluation by the full jury to determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
Evaluation Criteria
Eleanor Menchú Melgar
Program Operations Manager and Social Impact Entrepreneur | Cursor Ambassador for Guatemala
$$$Prizes
Special tracks: Vudy track, PAQ track
Plus: Each team member receives Cursor credits
The jury will evaluate projects in each classroom. After presentations, 5 teams per classroom will advance to the final round at Segundo Montes Auditorium.
Cursor Credits
> QR Redemption
Each participant will receive a unique QR code to redeem Cursor credits (average $20 USD per participant).
Before scanning the QR
You must be logged into Cursor in the same browser where you will open the QR code or URL. It's important that you're logged in with the correct account (personal account, not Team plan).
Redemption
As long as the credits haven't been redeemed (button), you can open the same URL again in the same or another browser. Credits can be redeemed on Free or paid accounts and will appear in Dashboard > Credits. Redeeming adds the credits to your account but doesn't apply them yet.
Free Plan
If you're on a Free plan, you can use the free plan first. Once you reach the plan limit, you'll need to start a Pro trial account with a valid payment method for verification.
Automatic application
Credits will be automatically applied to the next invoice. If you're a Free user and start Pro trial or Pro account, credits will be applied to the invoice once the subscription starts. If you already have a paid account, you'll see credits applied to the next invoice.
If you don't see credits
If you don't see credits in Dashboard > Credits after redeeming them, try hard refresh or logout/login from the Dashboard. If that still doesn't work, try checking out on Stripe from your dashboard and verify if they're being applied correctly there.
IMPORTANT:
Credits will NOT work if you're on a Team plan, only for single account users like Pro/Pro+/Ultra.
Note: Certain features like Background Agents / Web do not work without a paid plan.
Let's Build
You've got everything you need: your team, your ideas, mentors ready to help, Cursor credits, and a full day to build something amazing. Remember to document your journey and share it with the world. See you in the classrooms!
Good luck, builders!