The First European Defense Tech Hackathon in Bulgaria will take place at Technical University of Sofia

In October, Technical University of Sofia will host Bulgaria’s first hackathon dedicated entirely to defense and dual-use technologies. The event is organized by the German European Defense Tech Hub initiative (EDTH), Technical University of Sofia, and Capital in conjunction with the Regional Defense and Security Summit 2026.

The event will take place from October 16th to 18th, 2026, at TechArena Hall at Technical University of Sofia. The final day of the hackathon, October 18th, will be demo day. Then, each team needs to present a working prototype in front of a jury of military experts, industry representatives, and investors. The top three teams will be invited to the Regional Defense and Security Summit 2026 on October 21st. 

EDTH explains that it intentionally does not give out cash prizes, aiming to ensure that teams focus on real-world solutions rather than a monetary goal. The organizers also point out that participants need to sign up individually, even when they are part of a team, in order to facilitate the security check required for a defense-sector event. Teams can work on the assigned challenges or on their own projects.

Over 120 participants are expected in Sofia: students, cadets from military universities, and engineers from high-tech Bulgarian and international companies.

The hackathons are attended by representatives of NATO and the armed forces of the host countries, by companies from the defense and aerospace industries (among EDTH partners are Helsing and Quantum Systems), and investors seeking promising early-stage teams. A Bulgarian team secured third place at the very first hackathon in Munich in 2024 with a device designed to detect anti-personnel mines by their heat signature. About 40 teams that have participated in the hackathons so far have grown into companies, with approximately half of them already testing their solutions in real-world conditions.
 

EDTH is a European defense innovation community that connects engineers, startups, the military, investors, and institutions. The first hackathon took place in Munich in June 2024 with around 150 participants and 34 projects. Since then, EDTH has organized 44 hackathons, meetups, and demo days across Europe and Ukraine. The Kyiv hackathon gathered over 400 participants, including active-duty military personnel.
 

For registration and information: