LA Hacks 2026 April 24-26 UCLA
OVERVIEW
What is this challenge?
ZETIC builds infrastructure for running AI on edge devices. Our mission is to enable billions of devices to run powerful AI models locally - without relying on cloud servers for inference.
Melange is our platform that enables developers to select, benchmark, and deploy AI models on smartphones across CPU, GPU, and NPU. The challenge is to build an AI-powered app using Melange where the primary functionality runs on-device, and the cloud is only used for secondary tasks.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Strong submissions will
• Run core functionality directly on-device
• Clearly separate on-device and cloud responsibilities
• Optimize latency, efficiency, and resource usage
• Deliver a working prototype with real-world usability
• Must have used the Melange SDK
What to avoid
• Cloud-heavy applications with minimal on-device usage
• Simple wrappers around APIs without system-level thinking
• Generic chatbots without meaningful functionality
IDEAS
What to build
PRIZES
What you can win
All three winners also receive a real interview opportunity with the ZETIC team.
3 months Melange Pro+
Interview opportunity with ZETIC
3 months Melange Pro+
Interview opportunity with ZETIC
3 months Melange Pro+
Interview opportunity with ZETIC
EVALUATION
How submissions are judged
• Effective use of on-device inference with Melange SDK as the primary functionality
• Clarity in separating on-device and cloud responsibilities
• Performance, latency, and efficiency considerations
• Overall user experience and usability
Everything you need
Begin today
Ship your first
on-device AI App today.
Start benchmarking and deploying in minutes.
No credit card required for the free tier.