At Rise In, we believe that long-term partnerships and structured community engagement are the keys to developer participation and success. Our collaboration with Open Campus & EDU Chain is a testament to this approach. Over just five months, we helped scale their hackathon participation 5x and contributed to 66% of the winners in their most recent hackathon. Here’s how we did it.

Building the Momentum

Our journey began with EDU Chain SEM 1 Hackathon in June 2024, where we provided deep mentorship and strategic guidance.

Of the 40 projects that received awards, 11 had been directly supported by Rise In, securing a total of $49.5K in prizes. Among them, 15 projects were accepted into the prestigious Open Campus Accelerator program and launched their entrepreneurial journey by bringing their projects to the mainnet and onboarding new users.

With the foundation set, we intensified our efforts for SEM 2 Hackathon, where the hackathon was hosted on by Rise In’s hackathon platform.

5,100+ developers from 68 countries registered.

834 projects were submitted - 77% of the submitted projects from Rise In community

33 winners were selected 22 of them came from Rise In’s community.

Compared to SEM 1, project submissions increased 5x in just five months.

The Rise In community not only grew but also became self-sustaining, with developers mentoring and collaborating long after the events.

So, what drove this remarkable success?

The Rise In Effect

At the core of it was our commitment to long-term partnership engagement. This wasn’t just about a one-time event; it was about building a sustainable ecosystem where developers had constant access to mentorship, collaboration, and support. Regular interactions created a network effect, keeping participants motivated and engaged. Unlike traditional hackathons where participants often feel abandoned after submission, Rise In ensured that builders remained connected, improving not only their projects but their long-term potential in the ecosystem between SemI and Sem II.

Importance of the Mentorship Program

Many developers write flawless code but struggle with business models and user acquisition. Without a product mindset, even the best code is destined to fail. Hackathon mentorship is essential, but only when provided early; otherwise, teams waste time on projects with no real demand or adoption. Late-stage guidance merely exposes costly mistakes. By integrating mentorship from the start, we ensured participants aligned their technical skills with market needs, turning ideas into viable products rather than just another hackathon demo.

IRL Activation Matters

We also took an unconventional approach by bringing builders together in real life for the fully online hackathon. Through three large-scale Hacker House events in Thailand, India, and Turkey, developers were able to work side by side with experienced mentors, solving critical challenges that would have otherwise delayed their progress for weeks. The energy in these rooms was palpable real-time collaboration, instant feedback, and a concentrated environment that transformed ideas into fully functional prototypes in record time. As a result, over 1,300 participants submitted a total of 580 projects through 5 IRL events.

Being a Community over Competition

Rise In community wasn’t just a group of developers scattered across different locations; it was a tightly knit network where participants could find teammates, ask questions, and share knowledge instantly. The relationships forged during this period extended far beyond the hackathon itself, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem of innovation and mentorship.

Celebrating the Winners

Out of the 33 total prizes awarded across all categories, we at Rise In are proud to have mentored and supported 22 winning projects, securing a total of $125,000 USD in prize money. A huge congratulations to all teams for their incredible achievements! ✨

Here are some winning projects:

Defi 1st Place - HypeMBA - Shilpa Chittara - Hype.MBA is the ultimate platform to create, trade, and manage memecoins / tokens seamlessly. Designed for entrepreneurs, developers, and DeFi enthusiasts, it empowers you to launch and analyze tokens effortlessly with real-time insights and a user-friendly interface.

Defi 2nd place - Descholar - Arihaan and Filip - is an innovative decentralized application (dApp) built on EDU Chain, designed to transform the way scholarships are created, managed, and distributed globally. By leveraging blockchain technology, Descholar offers a transparent, decentralized solution for scholarship distribution, particularly targeting students in underserved regions.

Misc 2nd Place - Repot - Frank Li - a developer-focused portal that provides an extensive library of smart contract recipes and code snippets. It enables developers to explore, learn, and implement blockchain-based solutions with ease by offering ready-to-use .sol files, detailed documentation, and integration guides.

2nd place infra - Code Rangers - Harshit, Gupta - A user friendly app for learning sign language in ISL. Overcome communication barrier, learn beyond classroom and promotes social interactions.

Lessons Learned and Future Plans

The impact of this partnership extended far beyond just numbers. Open Campus and EDU Chain didn’t just gain more developers, they expanded their reach into new markets with 100+ country reach Rise In community, built credibility within the developer ecosystem via sustainable support. More importantly, they became part of a movement where hackathons weren’t just competitions, but career-defining experiences for builders looking to make a lasting impact.

For organizations looking to elevate their developer programs, this case study serves as a powerful example of how structured community support, and real-world engagement can transform participation into tangible success. The true value lies in the builders who walked away with not just prizes, but new opportunities, lifelong connections, and a clear path forward in Web3.

When we look back on the past 3 months, we see a community that’s stronger, more creative, and more ambitious than we ever imagined and EDU Chain community continues to grow. With over thousand devs already engaged across our hackathons, workshops, and cohorts, and with numbers increasing every day, it’s clear that this is just the beginning.

Thanks to each of the community members who make this journey possible! ✨

Building the Momentum

Our journey began with EDU Chain SEM 1 Hackathon in June 2024, where we provided deep mentorship and strategic guidance.

With the foundation set, we intensified our efforts for SEM 2 Hackathon, where the hackathon was hosted on by Rise In’s hackathon platform.

5,100+ developers from 68 countries registered.

834 projects were submitted - 77% of the submitted projects from Rise In community

33 winners were selected 22 of them came from Rise In’s community.

Compared to SEM 1, project submissions increased 5x in just five months.

The Rise In community not only grew but also became self-sustaining, with developers mentoring and collaborating long after the events.

So, what drove this remarkable success?