‍

1. Introduction & Acceptance

By submitting an application ("Application") to the Build Next 2026 ("Challenge"), you ("Participant," "You," or "Your") acknowledge that all information submitted is true and complete. By entering, you agree to be bound by these Official Terms & Conditions ("Terms") set forth by ZIROH LABS ("ZIROH LABS," "We," "Us," or "Our").

• Communication Consent: Participants consent to receive communications via email or phone for informational, marketing, and promotional purposes regarding KOMPACT AI and related events.
• Team Authority: If participating as part of a team, you warrant that you have the authority to bind your entire team to these Terms.
• Disqualification: ZIROH LABS reserves the right to disqualify any participants or teams found in violation of these Terms.

‍

‍

2. Eligibility

‍

• Residency & Status: The Challenge is open to all current students enrolled in a college or university in India and working professionals (specifically graduates from the classes of 2023, 2024, or 2025).
• Team Size: Teams must consist of one (1) to five (5) members.
• Exclusions: Employees, interns, or contractors of ZIROH LABS, its affiliates, or their immediate family members are ineligible to participate.

‍

‍

3. License Restrictions

Build Next 2026 is a two-phase national-level AI challenge focused on building "Next-Gen AI Applications".

‍

4. Official Rules & Tech Stack

‍

• Fresh Code Requirement: All code and algorithms for the Phase 2 Challenge Submission must be "fresh code" created during the 30-day Challenge Period.
• Plagiarism: Copying concepts or code from other sources exceeding 50% of the submission will result in immediate disqualification
• Kompact AI Runtime: Finalist teams must use the Kompact AI Runtime for application creation and inference as a core component. This runtime is designed for secure, efficient AI model inference on CPUs.
• Prohibited Platforms: No other AI inference platforms (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) may be used for the final submission
• Compliance: Participants must follow DPDPA 2023 guidelines and ensure submissions do not infringe upon third-party intellectual property or privacy rights.

‍

‍

5. Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

‍

• Portfolio Project (Phase 1): ZIROH LABS claims no ownership or rights over your pre-existing Portfolio Project.
• Challenge Submission (Phase 2): Finalist teams grant ZIROH LABS a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute the submission for any purpose, including commercial use cases.
• Future Developments: Teams retain full ownership of any new IP or improvements created after the Challenge Period (11:59 PM IST on the final day), even if based on the Build Next submission

‍

‍

6. Prizes & Awards

The total prize pool is ₹7,50,000, distributed as three Signature Memorial Prizes of ₹2,50,000 each.

1. The Pushpak Bhattacharya Memorial Award: ₹2.5 Lakhs
2. The Priti Shankar Memorial Award: ₹2.5 Lakhs.
3. The Anup Kumar Gogoi Memorial Award: ₹2.5 Lakhs.

• Discretion: Awards are granted at the sole discretion of ZIROH LABS judges
• Additional Opportunities: Participants may also compete for job/internship opportunities and potential project sponsorship from ZIROH LABS.

Taxes & Distribution: Prizes are subject to applicable taxes borne by the winners. ZIROH LABS is not responsible for the division of money among team members

‍

‍

7. No Obligation

‍

• Publicity: By participating, you grant ZIROH LABS the right to use your name, likeness, and submission title for promotional and marketing purposes
• Limitation of Liability: Participation is at your own risk. ZIROH LABS is not responsible for technical failures, lost submissions, or the legitimacy/quality of Kompact AI inference outputs.
• Governing Law: These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Any unresolved disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Bengaluru.

‍