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Engineering. Design. AI.

3 phases. 1 title

Sri Lanka's Biggest

Engineering + Design + AI competition

Modern products aren't built by one kind of mind. Tech-Triathlon by Rootcode brings university teams from across the island together to do what real product teams do — carry a single product idea through engineering, design, and AI. It runs in three phases: a Designathon, a Hackathon, and a Datathon. You don't need to be brilliant at all three. You need a team that, between them, is.

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01

Designathon

Your team designs a solution to the year's challenge — the flows, the interface and the core experience of the product.

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01

Designathon

Your team designs a solution to the year's challenge — the flows, the interface and the core experience of the product.

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02

Hackathon

Your team builds a working part of the application, turning the design into real, functioning software.

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02

Hackathon

Your team builds a working part of the application, turning the design into real, functioning software.

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03

Datathon

Your team takes on a data and AI challenge tied to what you've built, applying models to a real use case.

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03

Datathon

Your team takes on a data and AI challenge tied to what you've built, applying models to a real use case.

Why a triathlon?

Great digital products are never the work of a single discipline. They happen when strong engineering, thoughtful design and applied AI come together  and when the people behind them collaborate across all three. 

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Participants

100+

100+

Teams

10+

10+

Finalists

0

0

Winner

0

0

Participants

100+

100+

Teams

10+

10+

Finalists

0

0

Winner

0

0

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Highlights from

Highlights from Tech-Triathlon 2025

Tech-Triathlon 2025


What you're competing for

Internship fast-track

Winners get a fast-tracked pathway to internship oppurtunities at Rootcode.

Verified certificate

A certificate recognising your team's achievement in Tech-Triathlon.

Career guidance

Sit down with Rootcode's team leaders for one-to-one career advice.

Webiste spotlight

Your winning work is featured on this site, with credit to your team.

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Guidelines

1.


To participate in the Tech-Triathlon competition, all applicants must be residents of Sri Lanka

2.

All participants must be currently enrolled undergraduate students at a recognized university.

3.

Teams can have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 9 members.

4.

Teams may add or reduce the number of team members during the registration period but must notify the competition organizers in writing of any changes. The new team members must meet the eligibility requirements for the competition. Any changes made after the registration deadline will not be accepted and could lead to disqualification.

5.

The deadlines for submissions will be announced prior to the round, and failure to submit by the deadline will result in point deductions/ disqualification.

6.

All submissions must be original work and cannot have been previously published or exhibited.

7.

The teams will retain the rights to their submissions. However, Rootcode reserves the right to showcase the work of certain teams, while giving credit to the team members.

8.

The finalist teams will be required to present their projects to a panel of judges and an audience.

9.

Any team found to have cheated, plagiarized or violated the rules of the competition will be disqualified.

10.

If your team includes any participants from last year's top three winning teams, your team will not be eligible for Tech-Triathlon.

11.

By participating in this competition, teams agree to be bound by these rules and regulations and by the decisions of the judges, which are final and binding in all respects.

Schedule

Registrations opening

Registrations opening

Registrations open for Tech-Triathlon 2026! Gather your tech teams and prepare for a competition that brings together software engineering, artificial intelligence, and UX design!

Registrations open for Tech-Triathlon 2026! Gather your tech teams and prepare for a competition that brings together software engineering, artificial intelligence, and UX design!

3rd August 2026

10th August 2026

Registrations closing

Registrations closing

Haven't registered yet for the competition? Make sure to register early to ensure your entry to the competition.

Kick-off session

Kick-off session

Join the kick-off session led by our very own Rootcoders. We will be conducting an introductory session on how to approach the three challenges of the competition and a few tips that your team might find helpful during the competition!

11th August 2026

12th August 2026

Challenges begin

Challenges begin

This year, all three challenges run at once! At 00:01 am, you will receive the full challenge booklet in your email, covering the Designathon, Hackathon, and Datathon. Plan your time across the three phases and submit each one before its deadline.

Designathon deadline

Designathon deadline

Kick things off with the design challenge. Work with your team to design the best possible solution according to the guidelines given. Submit your solution before 11:59 pm on the 16th of August.

16th August 2026

21st August 2026

Hackathon deadline

Hackathon deadline

Bring your design to life. Build the software solution based on the Hackathon brief in your booklet. You can submit your solution by 11:59 pm on the 21st of August.

Datathon deadline

Datathon deadline

Round it off with the data and AI challenge, a use case associated with what you have developed so far, along with the dataset needed for this phase. Submit your solution by 11:59 pm on the 26th of August.

26th August 2026

2nd September 2026

Semi-Finalists announcement

Semi-Finalists announcement

The standout teams of the initial phases of the competition will be selected for the Semi-Finals stage of the competition.

Semi-Finals

Semi-Finals

The solutions of the semi-finalist teams will go through further evaluation and technical interviews to make sure that only the very best of the best teams advance to the Grand Finale.

7th September – 9th September 2026

11th September 2026

Finalists announcement

Finalists announcement

Drum roll please! We will be announcing the finalist teams of the Tech-Triathlon 2026. For everyone that made it to the finals, great job! We will see you at the Grand Finale and Award Ceremony!

Grand Finale & Awards Ceremony

Grand Finale & Awards Ceremony

This is the moment we have all been waiting for! Now is the time for the finalists to present their solutions, and the winners will be awarded. See you at the grand finale and awards ceremony!

18th September 2026

FAQs

Is it necessary for the team to come from the same university or organization?

No, it is not necessary for the team to come from the same university or organization. Infact, having members from different organizations can bring diverse perspectives, enhance problem-solving, and promote innovation.

Are there any fees or costs associated with participating in the Tech-Triathlon?

What are the judging criteria for the Tech-Triathlon?

What happens if we don’t submit our work for a certain phase?

What happens if a team member drops out of the team during the Tech-Triathlon?

Can I share our work on my portfolio or with potential employers?

Can we submit multiple submissions during the Tech-Triathlon?

FAQs

Is it necessary for the team to come from the same university or organization?

No, it is not necessary for the team to come from the same university or organization. Infact, having members from different organizations can bring diverse perspectives, enhance problem-solving, and promote innovation.

Are there any fees or costs associated with participating in the Tech-Triathlon?

What are the judging criteria for the Tech-Triathlon?

What happens if we don’t submit our work for a certain phase?

What happens if a team member drops out of the team during the Tech-Triathlon?

Can I share our work on my portfolio or with potential employers?

Can we submit multiple submissions during the Tech-Triathlon?

FAQs

Is it necessary for the team to come from the same university or organization?

No, it is not necessary for the team to come from the same university or organization. Infact, having members from different organizations can bring diverse perspectives, enhance problem-solving, and promote innovation.

Are there any fees or costs associated with participating in the Tech-Triathlon?

What are the judging criteria for the Tech-Triathlon?

What happens if we don’t submit our work for a certain phase?

What happens if a team member drops out of the team during the Tech-Triathlon?

Can I share our work on my portfolio or with potential employers?

Can we submit multiple submissions during the Tech-Triathlon?

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