Question 1

Who is eligible to participate in the Break the Barrier hackathon?

Accepted Answer

Participants must reside in the United States or Canada (excluding the province of Quebec) during the competition and be at least 13 years of age. It is open to all skill levels, including students, clinicians, engineers, and independent innovators. The project cannot have taken formal venture or strategic investment.

Question 2

What are the cash prizes for the Break the Barrier competition?

Accepted Answer

There is a $8,000 total cash prize pool: $5,000 for First Place, $2,000 for Second Place, and $1,000 for Third Place. Top finalists also earn guaranteed admission to the Redesign Health Spark Cohort in Q1 2027 for a potential $1M investment consideration.

Question 3

When does the Break the Barrier submission period open and close?

Accepted Answer

Submissions opened on August 1, 2026 and closed on November 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Finalists will be announced on December 1, 2026.

Question 4

How many submissions did Break the Barrier receive?

Accepted Answer

Break the Barrier received 400 submissions, making it one of the largest healthcare innovation competitions. Submissions closed on November 1, 2026, and finalists will be announced on December 1, 2026.

Question 5

What is the prompt for the Break the Barrier healthcare competition?

Accepted Answer

Participants must submit a 1-page statement identifying a specific problem in healthcare, use AI to build a solution, and present it in any format that best showcases the work (3-5 minute video pitch, slide deck, or similar). Solutions can take any form, including digital products, clinical tools, AI agents, or policy frameworks.