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Chirag Singal wins special prize at Hackathon Kassel
On the weekend of April 25-26, 2026, a hackathon took place in Kassel under the motto "Challenge ZUGANG". The aim of the event was to develop digital solutions within 24 hours that make it easier for people to access their rights, entitlements and support services. The focus was on transparency, reducing complexity and low-threshold access to existing structures.
Chirag Singal, who took part in the hackathon, describes his motivation in two ways: On the one hand, he was attracted by the opportunity to develop and implement innovative ideas in a practical way again, and in particular the use of agents for automated data collection in the public interest. Secondly, as a newcomer to Kassel, the event offered the opportunity to get in touch with the local community and build sustainable networks.
The projects were evaluated by a jury based on several criteria, including idea, design and user experience (UI/UX), business model, social added value, pitch and overall impression. In addition, experienced developers carried out a technical code review.
Special recognition was given to the "Together" project, which was awarded the special "Access & Inclusion " prize (endowed with 500 euros). The platform aims to facilitate access to social groups and initiatives in Kassel. As there is currently no central directory, the team used various search strategies and automated agents to collect data from associations, collectives and initiatives.
Within just 24 hours, information on over 900 of the approximately 1,200 groups in Kassel was compiled and made available in a freely accessible portal. Users can search for specific interests, use a map view or have suitable groups suggested to them via an interactive search assistant.
With this approach, "Together" makes a concrete contribution to social participation and shows how digital technologies can be used to significantly simplify access to community and engagement. The demo can be viewed at the following link: https: //projekt-verein.vercel.app/
Congratulations to Chirag and the winning team!