Global Innovation Contest 2026

About the Contest

Create what matters to you — solve a real problem, explore a wild idea, or simply build something fun.

The M5Stack Global Innovation Contest 2026 is your platform to turn imagination into reality using M5Stack hardware — with no fixed theme. What will you build?

We welcome practical, playful, experimental, educational, artistic, or industrial projects.

Whether you're a hobbyist, student, engineer, researcher, startup, or artist — show us what happens when creativity meets code.

All you need is passion, hardware, and your boldest idea.

What to Build?

Your project can be:

Useful

Educational

Entertaining

Artistic

Industrial

AI-powered

Outrageous

It can be a gadget, a robot, a smart device, an AI tool, a wearable, a game, or something we've never seen before.

View 2025 Winning Projects

Requirements & Eligibility

To enter the contest, please make sure:

Use an M5Stack Controller

Your project must include at least one M5Stack Controller.

Eligible examples include:

Core / Stick / Atom / Stamp / E-Paper Series · AI Pyramid · LLM630 · AX630 · UnitV/UnitV2 · Other ESP32/MPU-based M5Stack controllers

Sensors, Units, Modules, and Accessories alone do not qualify. They must be used together with an M5Stack Controller.

Original Project

Your submission must be your own original work.

First Published on Hackster in 2026

Your project must be first published on Hackster.io in 2026.

Complete Documentation

Your Hackster project page must include:

Clear description

Video demo (strongly recommended) and/or photos

Build instructions or GitHub repository

List of hardware used

Explanation of how the M5Stack controller is used

Participation Rules

Individual or team entries allowed

One prize per entry

Multiple submissions per participant are welcome — the more you build, the more chances you have to win. However, only one prize will be awarded per participant or team.

Timeline

May 11 - August 7

2026

Submission Period

All projects must be published on Hackster.io and submitted through the official Google form before 11:59 PM PST on August 7, 2026 to be considered a valid entry.

August 8 - 28

2026

Judging Period

During this period, our judges will carefully review all eligible submissions.

August 31

2026

Winners Announcement

Winners will be announced on:

M5Stack official website

Social media channels

Selected winners may also be contacted directly via email.

Prizes

Grand Prize

(Total Value: $1,200+)

$1,000 travel fund to Shenzhen to present your project in person at the M5Stack booth at Maker Faire Shenzhen 2026 (Mid-November)

$200 M5Stack Gift Card

Limited Edition Gold Device

2nd Prize

(Total Value: $200+) - 2 Winners

$200 M5Stack Gift Card

Limited Edition Gold Device

3rd Prize

(Total Value: $100+) - 3 Winners

$100 M5Stack Gift Card

Limited Edition Gold Device

Special Mentions

(e.g., Best Design, Best IoT, Best Robotics, and more) - 10+ Winners

$50 M5Stack Gift Card

Limited Edition Gold Device

Participation Gift

Each participating individual or team will receive:

Exclusive Contest T-shirt

Exclusive Contest Tote Bag

Exclusive Contest Sticker

How to Submit

Step 1 - Publish on Hackster.io

Include:

Title & description

Photos and/or video demo

Build instructions or GitHub repo

Hardware List

What makes your project special

Submit on Hackster

Step 2 - Fill Out the Official Submission Form

After publishing, complete the form to officially enter.

Fill the Form to Enter

By entering, you agree to allow M5Stack to feature your project on our website, social media, and community channels.

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated based on:

Creativity & Originality

Is the idea fresh and innovative?

Does it use M5Stack hardware in a clever way?

Functionality & Execution

Does it work reliably?

Is the hardware integration solid?

Documentation & Presentation

Is it clear and reproducible?

Includes:

Good photos/video

Clear explanation

Code repository

Thoughtful UI/UX (if applicable)

Impact & Usefulness

Does it solve a real problem or inspire others?

Is it educational, scalable, or meaningful?

Judges

Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai is the founder and CEO of M5Stack. With a solid engineering background, he is dedicated to driving innovation in the IoT space. Under his leadership, M5Stack has built a reputation for rapid product development—releasing new hardware every week—and delivering modular, developer-friendly solutions that accelerate the path from idea to deployment.

Masakazu Takasu

Masakazu Takasu is a Japanese maker, working at Switch Science, where he contributes to international business development and promotes opensource hardware. He is also the founder and CEO of Maker Ecosystem Ltd., and an active advocate for the maker movement in Shenzhen. Takasu currently serves as a research fellow at Waseda University.

Julio Della Flora

Cybersecurity Expert, Educator & Researcher. Computer Science graduate and Master's in Information Science, specializing in Computer Networks, Data Security, and Higher Education Teaching. Over a decade of experience as a professor for undergraduate and postgraduate programs (Unopar, Unifil, F.A.G, Vincit), teaching Information Security, Digital Electronics, and measurement systems.

Danko Bertović

Danko Bertović, aka Volos from Croatia, is the creator behind the YouTube channel Volos Projects. A computer science graduate and elementary school IT teacher, he shares fun and inventive ESP32-based builds—often using M5Stack devices. From music to code, Danko's passion for creative tinkering shines in every project.

Need help? We've got your back!

Building something cool doesn't mean doing it alone. During the contest, you can get support from the M5Stack community and our team in a few ways:

Check out our Docs & Tutorials on docs.m5stack.com for hardware guides and sample code.

Explore demo videos and examples on our YouTube channel.

Join the conversation on the Hackster contest page discussion board.

Hop into our Discord server to chat with other makers and ask the M5Stack team directly.