The 10th CASSINI Hackathon – Berlin Edition

7 - 9 November 2025

Starts at 17:00


📍 42 Berlin (Gmaps link)

Harzer Str. 42
12059 Berlin

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Key Visual 10th CASSINI Hackathon
Are you passionate about gaming, sports, or travel? Have you ever dreamed of building a tech project that makes a real impact?
At the 10th CASSINI Hackathon, you’ll create bold, consumer-focused solutions powered by EU space data. With N3XTCODER’s commitment to sustainability and the common good, we’re bringing an impact-driven twist to this European-wide event – happening simultaneously in 10 countries over one weekend.
This is your chance to find co-founders, showcase your skills, and learn from world-class mentors – all while building something that matters.
Check out the challenges below to understand what to build.

The Challenges

Challenge #1: Immersive Gameplay with Space Tech

Imagine creating a game that doesn’t just entertain, but also engages players with the real world.

  • You could design a game where players solve environmental challenges using live space data.
  • Or build gameplay that evolves in real time through satellite updates.

How can space data make gameplay meaningful, not just fun?

Challenge #2: Space-Powered Performance in Sports

Sports connect people everywhere – but what if they could also drive positive change?

Mapping the Future of Sports in Public Spaces

Using Earth Observation and geospatial data, participants are challenged to identify and map existing sports fields (such as soccer pitches) around the world.

These insights can then be combined with mobility and population data to answer key questions:

  • Where are people already engaging in sports outdoors?
  • Which neighborhoods or regions show high demand but lack sports infrastructure?

The goal is to use space data to discover new opportunities and locations for public sports areas. Empowering communities, cities, and organiaations to make data-driven, inclusive decisions.

The challenge:

Build an intelligent system or dashboard that uses available satellite and geospatial data to:

  • Automatically detect existing sports facilities,
  • Assess their accessibility and usage potential, and
  • Suggest new, suitable locations for future sports fields or community spaces.

Other ideas you could explore and find solutions for:

  • You might explore how GNSS can improve athlete safety and performance.
  • Or design training tools that are inclusive, adaptable, and sustainable.

Challenge #3: Beyond Horizons – Travel Reimagined

Travel opens horizons, but it also carries responsibility.

Our hackathon partner Visit Berlin provided us with their current challenges:

  • Challenge 1: How can satellite data help identify and help promote nature-friendly and low-conflict water tourism? The solutions can also reveal how tourism activity overlaps with sensitive natural zones. The task is to design solutions in order to identify hotspots in real time and track how they evolve. The aim is to develop prototypes that generate conflict maps and provide guidance for smarter waterway management.
  • Challenge 2: How can EU satellite data be used to identify and classify conflict zones between motorised and muscle-powered traffic on Berlin’s waterways, and to develop data-based solutions that foster a more sustainable and conflict-free water tourism?

Other challenges you could explore

  • You could design tools that help travellers make sustainable choices.
  • Or create immersive ways to explore the world without leaving a footprint.

How can space tech help us discover the planet while protecting it?

Who Can Participate?

  1. No space-tech background? No problem. Curiosity and creativity are all you need!
  2. No prior knowledge required: Use our online training library to get up to speed.
  3. No team needed: Join solo and connect with other professionals during the event.
  4. Not a programmer? That work just as good. We need designers, entrepreneurs, storytellers, and business minds, too!
The hackathon is open to students, early-career professionals, and experienced specialists alike.
CASSINI stands for Competitive Space Startups for Innovation Initiative. It is a European Commission programme that helps innovators and entrepreneurs turn space technologies into impactful solutions.
The CASSINI Hackathons are one of the main ways the programme achieves this goal, with events hosted in ten countries at the same time. This hackathon marks the fourth collaboration between N3XTCODER, Novaspace and the EU Commission.

Participate in person in Berlin

Berlin thrives on turning ideas into action – and so will you. Over three days, you will:
  • Work side by side with mentors & experts
  • Develop your concept into something tangible – from idea to wireframes, a click dummy, or even a prototype
  • Strengthen your portfolio with a real project and entrepreneurial experience
That is why, by Sunday evening, you’ll have more than just an idea: you’ll have a pitch-ready solution with the potential to scale.

Prizes

Throughout the hackathon, teams will get full support to research, shape, and pitch their concepts. On the final day, a jury will select the winners of the local edition.

For the German (Berlin) edition, the winning teams can look forward to a total of:

  • 1st place: 1.000 €
  • 2nd place: 500 €
  • 3rd place: 300 €
  • The prizes are kindly sponsored by our partner Visit Berlin.

additionally:

  • 5 tickets to re:publica 2026 (worth 1.795 €)
  • a Product Lab with N3XTCODER and mentoring from our partner 42 Berlin (combined worth 5000 €).

Beyond that, the first-place team will advance to the international stage, competing against winners from nine other hackathon locations for cash prizes of up to 9,000€ (1st: 5,000€, 2nd: 3,000€, 3rd: 1,000€) and six months of mentoring.

Meet the Experts

We already have a few experts on board – with more to be announced! You’ll co-create alongside some of Berlin’s most innovative minds, including:

Jonathan Moore
Jonathan Moore
expert
Founder & Tech Specialist, N3XTCODER
Simon Stegemann
Simon Stegemann
expert
Founder and CEO, N3XTCODER
Positioning, Rebranding, Storytelling, Branding, PR and Hackathon expert Clara Fischer
Clara Evelyn Fischer
expert
Hackathon Unit Lead, N3XTCODER, Storytelling and Branding, Founder rppl.studio
Dr. Anamika Datta
Aleksandra Zinoveva
expert
Junior AI Solutions & Full-Stack Developer, N3XTCODER
Laura Borel
Laura Borel
expert
Junior AI Solutions Consultant & Product Owner, N3XTCODER
Manouchehr Shamsrizi
expert
Associate Fellow, Zentrum für Geopolitik, Geoökonomie und Technologie der DGAP
Magdalena Skorupska
expert
Marketing Lead, 42 Berlin
Pedro Ruiz
expert
Tech Lead, 42 Berlin
Category Design Expert Andreas Gebhard
Andreas Gebhard
expert
Category Design, Forward Momentum

Meet Your Host

Headquartered in Berlin, N3XTCODER specialises in everything technology, especially AI. With a mission to accelerate projects aligned with the UN’s 17 Global Goals, we bring expertise and community spirit to every hackathon.
Expect a vibrant mix of tech, sustainability, and startup experts – ready to challenge and support your journey.
Profile picture of Thomas

I found a really motivated and skilled team (Polar Bearings), had a great time, expanded my professional network and in the end, we won the 2nd prize Europe-wide!

Thomas Metcalfe

Former Participant | Chief Data Scientist at Twain

Profile picture of Magdalena

Surrounded by high-level participants, professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs, one can feel how technology can contribute to a more sustainable future.

Magdalena Zieleniewska

Former Jury Member | Senior Manager Sustainability Solutions at Visa

Our Partners

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the 10th CASSINI Hackathon. Join us at 42 Berlin on November 7!
Registration closes on October 31.