DEVTHON 2026 brings together 2,000+ student developers, designers, and founders from 100+ colleges across India for a 36-hour national build sprint. Behind every strong team is a mentor who unblocked them and a judge who challenged them to think bigger. If you have experience to share, we'd love to have you on board.
Become a mentor
Mentors are the heartbeat of DEVTHON. You'll work directly with motivated teams, helping them turn a rough idea into a working, well-pitched solution.
- Help teams scope their idea and choose the right approach
- Unblock technical, design, or product challenges in real time
- Sharpen pitches and push teams to think about real-world impact
- Mentor on-ground in Hyderabad or online — whatever suits you
Join the judging panel
Judges bring rigor and credibility to DEVTHON. You'll evaluate demos and pitches and help decide which teams take home the top honours.
- Evaluate projects on innovation, impact, execution, design, and viability
- Review live demos and team pitches at the grand finale
- Provide constructive feedback that helps participants grow
- Help select winners for prizes, internships, and incubation
Why mentor or judge at DEVTHON?
- Give back and directly shape emerging talent across India
- Discover standout students for internships, hiring, or collaboration
- Expand your network among founders, industry leaders, and investors
- Official recognition as a DEVTHON mentor or judge across event platforms
- Association with a national innovation hackathon and the DevUp Ecosystem
Domains we need expertise in
We're looking for mentors and judges across all 36 DEVTHON innovation domains — including Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Generative AI, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Cloud & DevOps, IoT, Robotics, HealthTech, FinTech, EdTech, AgriTech, ClimateTech, and SpaceTech. Bring your niche; there's a team that needs exactly what you know.
Mentor & judge FAQ
Who can be a mentor or judge at DEVTHON?
We welcome founders, engineers, designers, product leaders, researchers, domain experts, and investors with experience across any of DEVTHON's 36 innovation domains. Both industry professionals and experienced academics are encouraged to apply.
What does a DEVTHON mentor do?
Mentors guide teams during the hackathon — helping them scope their idea, unblock technical challenges, sharpen their pitch, and think about real-world impact. Mentorship can be on-ground in Hyderabad or online, based on your availability.
What does a DEVTHON judge do?
Judges evaluate team demos and pitches against DEVTHON's criteria — innovation, impact, technical execution, design, and viability — and help select the winning teams. Judging typically happens during the grand finale.
How much time does it take?
It's flexible. Mentors can commit a few hours during the build phase; judges typically commit to the evaluation and finale window. We'll share the exact schedule when you're onboarded.
How do I apply to be a mentor or judge?
Email us with a short note about your background and the domains you'd like to support. Our team reviews applications on a rolling basis and will follow up with next steps.
Apply to mentor or judge
Send us a short note about your background and the domains you'd like to support. We review applications on a rolling basis.