Welcome to the TiDB AgentX Hackathon: Forge Agentic AI for Real-World Impact, running from August 1 to September 15, 2025. Last year’s event saw thousands of developers build simple RAG demos. This year, we want multi-step AI agents that demonstrate real-world workflows. Whether you use vector search, full-text search, Model Context Protocol (MCP), or LLMs, your goal is to deliver solutions that do more than answer a single question. Teams can win a share of over $30,000 in prizes, connect with TiDB engineers, and be featured on our blog and podcast. Let’s see what you can build.

Requirements

What to Build

Leverage TiDB Serverless (including vector search) on TiDB Cloud to create a working software application that showcases an innovative, multi-step, agentic solution. Your agent must chain together at least two of the following building blocks in a single automated workflow:

Sample Project Workflows (for inspiration only)

Step Description
Ingest & Index Data Pull in vectors, full-text docs, images or logs into TiDB Serverless (PDFs, chat logs, sensor feeds, whatever you like)
Search Your Data Query those indexes with vector search, full-text search or both to find similar cases and relevant records
Chain LLM Calls (Optional) Call any LLM to analyze results, summarize findings or suggest next steps
Invoke External Tools Plug in APIs or services such as payment gateways, mapping services, calculators or Slack bots
Build a Multi-Step Flow Wire everything together so the agent moves from input all the way through to a final action in a single automated process

Sample applications built with TiDB Serverless.

What to Submit

  • Provide the TiDB Cloud account Email associated with the Project (You can sign up for a TiDB Cloud account here)

  • Include a URL to the Project code repository. Access to the Project code repository must be provided by making it public or by giving access to [email protected]

    • Note: To be eligible for the Best Open Source Award, repository must be public and an OSI approved license must be included. Open source license is not required to be eligible for any other Prize.
  • Include a simple summary outlining your data flow and integrations.

     

  • Include a short “Run Instructions” text file (or README) so judges can easily launch or view your demo.
  • Include a text description that should explain the features and functionality of your Project.
  • Include a demonstration video of your Project.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$30,500 in prizes
1st Place
$12,000 in cash
1 winner

plus swag bags.

2nd Place
$7,000 in cash
1 winner

plus swag bags.

3rd Place
$3,500 in cash
1 winner

plus swag bags.

4th Place
$2,500 in cash
1 winner

plus swag bags.

5th Place
$1,500 in cash
1 winner

plus swag bags.

Social Good Award
$2,000 in cash
1 winner

plus swag bags.
All eligible submissions that address social needs.

Best Open Source Award
$2,000 in cash
1 winner

plus swag bags.
All eligible submissions that are built with open source software.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Chris Dabatos
Developer Relations, TiDB

Xin Shi

Xin Shi
Director of Product Management, TiDB

Wells Wang

Wells Wang
CEO, Sheet0

Sijie Han

Sijie Han
Sr Solution Architecture Director, ISV, AWS

Erik Hanchett

Erik Hanchett
Senior Developer Advocate, AWS

Feihu Tang

Feihu Tang
Head of Developer Relations, Kimi

Ed Huang

Ed Huang
Co-Founder & CTO, TiDB

Judging Criteria

  • Technological Implementation (35 points)
    Includes how well the idea was executed by the developer and how well the TiDB Serverless & Vector Search features were leveraged. Does the project demonstrate quality software development? How well does the project leverage all software tools used?
  • Quality/Creativity of the Idea (25 points)
    How creative and unique is the project? Does the concept exist already? If so, how much does the project improve on it?
  • User Experience of the Application (20 points)
    Is the user experience and visual design of the project well thought out? Is there a balanced blend of frontend and backend in the software?
  • Documentation Quality (10 points)
    How well is the application documented for the submission?
  • Quality of the Demo Video (10 points)
    Does the video show the app functioning on the device it was built for? Does the video include a comprehensive explanation? Is the video under 4 minutes?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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