Hawai‘i to Hold First Agriculture-Tech Hackathon

The Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation has announced the 2018 AGathon on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i‘s agriculture-tech hackathon, which provides the spark for technological innovation and advancement within the Hawai‘i agricultural industry.

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The AGathon will utilize Hawai‘i’s growing startup, technology and developer community to create apps that change the processes used on farms and other agricultural endeavors. Developers and technology innovators will collaborate with farmers, researchers and agronomists in the local agriculture industry to improve yields, increase efficiency and provide actionable data to drive innovation and move Hawai‘i toward greater food self-sufficiency.

The event brings together coders, designers, developers, entrepreneurs, civic innovators, farmers and engaged citizens from all parts of the community and is specifically designed to let the public participate in the app development process.

The AGathon springs from the concept of hackathons, like the Hawai‘i Annual Code Challenge, problem-solving events where creative individuals form teams and develop solutions to problems identified by farmers and others in the agriculture section. The teams have a set time within to create prototype applications. The week-long event will kick-off with challenge pitches from the agricultural industry and conclude with team demos, judging and awards.

Driven by both competition and an opportunity to collaborate on important local issues, experts in software, hardware and business development will research, design and build digital tools and programs that will help local farmers grow their businesses and advance the local agricultural industry. Teams will compete for cash prizes and receive mentorship from seasoned ag-tech entrepreneurs to take their solution concepts to the next level.

The schedule is:

• Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018: Kickoff from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center Located at 94-340 Kunia Road in Waipahu.

The following weekend, the AGathon will continue at Impact Hub Honolulu, located at 1050 Queen St. #100, Honolulu:

• Saturday, Jan. 13 (Hackathon) from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan.14 (Demo Day and Awards) from  6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This free event is sponsored by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, Transform Hawai‘i Government, Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation and Hawai‘i Open Data.

For more information, event schedule, or to register for AGathon 2018, go online.