The JavaScript AI Build-a-thon is a focused, hands-on initiative that helps builders quickly move from exploration to working AI prototypes. Through concise quests and practical demos, you'll gain real skills with modern AI tools in a clear, outcome-driven format.
If you're building your first AI app or architecting multi-agent systems, the Build-a-thon gives you the tools, the mentorship, and the stage to ship something real.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| 🎬 Build-a-thon Begins | Monday, March 2, 2026 |
| 📚 Quests & Livestreams | March 2 – March 13, 2026 |
| 🔥 Hackathon Launches | Friday, March 13, 2026 |
| 🏁 Hackathon Ends | Tuesday, March 31, 2026 |
The Build-a-thon runs in two phases.
Complete guided quests and attend expert-led livestreams to build the skills you'll need. Each quest is hands-on, self-paced, and designed to teach you a core AI development pattern with JavaScript/TypeScript:
| Quest | Topic | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|---|
| Quest 1 | Local AI Development with Foundry Local | Run AI models on-device for privacy, speed, and offline access |
| Quest 2 | End-to-End Model Development on Microsoft Foundry | Build, train and deploy custom AI models with Microsoft Foundry's unified platform |
| Quest 3 | Serverless RAG Support System | Build retrieval-augmented generation pipelines with LangChain.js |
| Quest 4 | Build Agents with AI Toolkit | Create AI agents with MCP tools, evaluation, and code export on VS Code |
| Quest 5 | E2E Burger Ordering Agent | Design and run a full agentic system with MCP server integration |
Participation Requirement: Complete at least 2 quests (including the guided project) to be eligible for the hack.
Expert-led sessions streamed live on Microsoft Reactor, covering everything from local AI development to production-grade agent architectures.
| Day/Time (PT) | Topic | Links to join |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 3/2, 8:00 AM PST | Local AI Development with Foundry Local | Livestream Discord Office Hour |
| Wed 3/4, 8:00 AM PST | End-to-End Model Development on Microsoft Foundry | Livestream Discord Office Hour |
| Fri 3/6, 9:00 AM PST | Advanced RAG Deep Dive + Guided Project | Livestream Discord Office Hour |
| Day/Time (PT) | Topic | Links to join |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 3/9, 8:00 AM PST | Design & Build an Agent E2E with Agent Builder (AITK) | Livestream Discord Office Hour |
| Wed 3/11, 8:00 AM PST | Build, Scale & Govern AI Agents + Guided project | Livestream Discord Office Hour |
| Fri 3/13, 8:00 AM PST | Build-a-thon Global Hack Launch | Livestream Discord Office Hour |
Build something that matters. Use everything you learned in the quests, and beyond, to create an AI-powered project that solves a real problem, delights users, or pushes what's possible.
The hackathon launches on March 13, 2026. Full details on registration, submission, judging criteria, award categories, prizes, and the hack phase schedule will be published when the hack goes live. Stay tuned!
Here's what we can tell you now:
- 🏆 3 award categories with cash prizes
- 💻 Product demo showcases throughout the hack phase to keep you building with the latest tools
- 👥 Teams of up to 4 or solo — your call
Join our community to connect with other participants and experts from Microsoft &. GitHub to support your builder journey.
- Foundry Discord (#js-ai-build-a-thon channel): Our platform for office hours, live QnA, quick questions, community & expert support
- GitHub Discussions: This is where you'll share ideas, ask questions, find teammates
- Social: Share your progress online using #JSAIBuildathon
The JavaScript AI Build-a-thon (June 2025)
Developers from all over the world joined us in the AI June Jams with JavaScript - turning their real-world ideas into ready AI apps, through this hands-on learning experience!
june2025-spotlight-project.mov
© 2026 JavaScript at Microsoft • Code of Conduct • MIT License