Three Universities.
One Mission. Zero Limits.

Name: IKU Womxn in STEM Hackathon
Start: 2026-10-17T09:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-10-18T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Bush House, North Wing, King's College London

IKU is a cross-university hackathon catered towards female and non-binary students — a weekend of code, community and confidence, brought to you by KCL Womxn in STEM, Imperial Womxn in SET and UCL Women in STEM societies.

Follow for updates What is IKU?

October 202617th – 18th

Bush House, KCLStrand Campus, London

Free to attendMeals & swag included

Event Countdown

Days

Hours

Mins

Secs

Partner universities

Hours of hacking

∞

Unlimited fun

£0

Cost to attend (meals and snacks included)

About IKU Womxn in STEM Hackathon

A room built for you to build in.

Womxn and non-binary students remain underrepresented at traditional hackathons. Not from a lack of talent, but because typical hackathon environments can feel intimidating to navigate.

Therefore, IKU was created to address this.

Organized by KCL Womxn in STEM, Imperial Women in STEM, and UCL Women in STEM at Bush House, IKU brings together students across King’s, UCL, and Imperial for a supportive weekend of building, mentorship, and community. Whether it’s your very first build or your tenth, IKU provides a welcoming space designed to empower gender-minority students in tech.

King's College London Imperial College London UCL

01Beginner-friendly, by design
Workshops and mentors are there from your first line of code to your final demo.
02Cross-university community
Meet and build with womxn in STEM from three of London's leading universities.
03Real recognition
Compete for prizes, get networking opportunities with sponsors, and walk away with a project for your CV.
04A safe, inclusive space
Run under the MLH and Hackathons UK codes of conduct, for everyone who identifies as womxn or non-binary.

Schedule

How the weekend runs

An overnight hackathon across 17th–18th October — full schedule confirmed closer to the date.

Day 1Saturday 17th October+

09:00

Registration open

📍

Bush House, Lobby, North Entrance
10:00

Opening ceremony

📍

Bush House, Auditorium, -1st floor
11:00

Hacking starts
13:00

Lunch

📍

Bush House, Informatics Labs Common Area, 6th floor
14:00

Workshop / talk

📍

Bush House, Auditorium, -1st floor
16:00

Panel with Wise

📍

Bush House, Auditorium, -1st floor

Gold Sponsor
18:00

Dinner

📍

Bush House Informatics Labs Common Area, 6th floor
19:00

Workshop / talk
20:00

Mini event
21:00

SleepSpace opens

📍

Bush House (SE) 1.02, (SE) 1.03, (SE) 1.04, (SE) 1.05
21:00

Potential workshop / talk / mini-event
22:00

Potential workshop / talk / mini-event

Day 2Sunday 18th October+

07:30

SleepSpace closes
09:00

Breakfast

📍

Bush House, Informatics Labs Common Area, 6th floor
12:00

Hacking ends / submission deadline
12:00

Lunch

📍

Bush House, Informatics Labs Common Area, 6th floor
13:00

Judging
15:00

Closing ceremony

📍

Bush House, Auditorium, -1st floor
16:00

Event ends

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What is a hackathon?+

A hackathon is an event where people come together to build projects, usually over a short period of time. At IKU, you'll have 24 hours to work on a project with your team, attend workshops and talks, and get mentorship from experienced developers. There will be no malicious "hacking" :P

Who can attend IKU?+

IKU is catered towards students who identify as female or non-binary, from any UK university, at any experience level, including complete beginners. But participants must be at least 18 years old and be a university student to attend.

If I come from a non-CS field, can I still participate?+

Absolutely! We strongly encourage students from non-Computer Science backgrounds to join. We even offer a dedicated Best Beginner side track for non-CS participants. To be eligible for this prize, at least 50% of your team members must come from a non-CS adjacent background.

How much does it cost?+

IKU is completely free to attend, including meals, snacks and swag.

Where does it take place?+

Bush House on King's College London's Strand Campus, in central London.

What is the duration of the event?+

IKU Womxn in STEM Hackathon takes place over a weekend and includes 24 hours of dedicated hacking time. Participants are welcome to head home overnight, stay awake throughout the event, or get some rest inside the venue. We provide dedicated sleeping and quiet rooms. If you plan to stay overnight, we recommend bringing something comfortable, such as a pillow, blanket, or hoodie.

How do I sign up?+

Registration opens closer to the event, follows us on Instagram to get firsthand updates of when registration goes live.

Do I need a team?+

No, you can arrive solo and form a team on the day, or come with friends. Teams are typically 2–4 people.

When can we start working on our projects? Can we use previous work?+

You can start working on your project as soon as the opening ceremony ends. You're welcome to brainstorm ideas beforehand, but all code and project work must be created during the event. Existing frameworks, libraries, and tools may be used, provided they are appropriately credited.

How many tracks can I apply for?+

You can only apply for one main track, but you are welcome to choose as many side tracks as you like. Please note that side tracks are optional and do not affect your eligibility for prizes.

What should I bring?+

Bring your laptop, charger, and any other equipment you need to build your project. We also recommend bringing a water bottle, snacks, and comfortable clothing. If you plan to stay overnight, consider bringing a pillow, blanket, or hoodie for comfort.

Are there travel reimbursements available?+

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide travel reimbursements for this event.