Welcome to this week’s Beta Update 👋
*Note: You’re receiving this update because you previously registered for a Beta University–hosted or co-hosted event via our Luma calendar and opted in to receive communications from the hosts.
Saturday 6/20 Beta Fund X Antler Hackathon
Build your Physical AI and win a cash prize from Beta Fund and a residency program opportunity from Antler
Saturday 6/26 Consumer Agents Hackathon
Build agents that can: Compare products across retailers, Find coupons, discounts, or bundles, Track price drops, Detect fake reviews, Recommend products based on user preferences, Handle returns, refunds, or warranty claims
Saturday 7/18 Beta X AMD AI Agent Hackathon
On June 13, Beta Fund, Nebius, and Butterbase brought 200+ builders, engineers, founders, and operators to iHealth Center in Sunnyvale for one of the most ambitious Beta Hacks editions to date.
The format was deliberate and tight. Teams of one or two builders only — a constraint that mirrors the agent-native thesis itself: in 2026, one or two people shipping with the right tools can outpace a much larger team. Demos were capped at three minutes and three slides, no exceptions, with submissions cutting off exactly at 4:00 PM. Judging combined ranked-choice audience voting with feedback from VCs and operators in the room.
After a full day of building and a live audience vote, Hearth took the top spot. Built around the thesis that renting a home should feel like a conversation instead of a 40-tab Zillow comparison, Hearth’s agent learns each tenant’s constraints — budget, neighborhood, must-haves, dealbreakers — and works the rental inventory end-to-end, from sourcing properties to scheduling tours. Beacon claimed second place with an in-house SEO and AEO marketing engine built for Ritz Builder: it analyzes traffic data, identifies competitive content gaps, and writes and ships page updates autonomously, compressing an entire marketing function into one always-on agent. Orbit rounded out the podium with an iMessage-native relationship assistant that quietly surfaces the people you’re losing touch with, suggests when and how to reach out, and turns relationship maintenance from a Sunday-night guilt task into an ambient practice.
A huge thank you to our judges, mentors, and the operators who showed up!
Join the Builders Club, the official Discord hub for future Beta Fund Hackathons.
We are centralizing a high-signal community of founders and engineers. This isn’t just another chat server—it is the direct pipeline to our investment team and ecosystem partners.
What’s on the line:
Direct Investment: On-the-spot investment checks for exceptional projects.
Hardware & Capital: High-tier prizes including Cash, Mac Minis, and more.
GTM Support: Direct access to Beta Fund’s resources to help you scale and move from hack to startup.
If you are building at the edge, join us to connect with mentors, find co-founders, and secure the backing your project needs.
Cheers,
Beta University Team
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